Have you ever wondered how to make living playing poker? Some people dream of leaving their boring 9-to-5 jobs and spending their days grinding online. Others dream of hitting Las Vegas and making it big in the World Series of Poker and getting themselves on the list of poker players hall of fame.
Although, becoming a poker pro does happen for some players, is it easy in reality? And do the rewards justify the long and hard hours you will have to put in? How long are you willing to be a pedant and read tonnes of Online Poker books before you realize that there are some things that you learn on the job.
Here are some of the tips that can help you turn yourself into a professional:
- Studying Extensively
Professional poker player Daniel Negreanu recommends that you study the game 20 percent of the time and play the game 80 percent of the time. You must make a commitment to excellence in all things to be successful at poker. Negreanu also says that it is vital to have a well-rounded life; otherwise, your mind will not perform optimally.
- Do Not Limit Yourself
Tournament poker players can use cash games to improve their overall game. Short stack play is the focus of tournaments, but they begin with deep stacks and tournament players need to be able to play well at both kinds of poker. Playing cash games helps your long-term results because you become a more balanced player and are therefore, less likely to be phased when your favourite game is not available.
- Approach Should Be Business-Like
Being a skilled poker player is just like being any small business owner. You need to keep track of your monthly profit and losses so you know where you’re at. Once that’s done, it’s time to move on to the margin analysis and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are in order to make better decisions when it comes time for action.
- Technology
Playing poker is a lot of fun. And if you want to win against the pros, you need to be really good at it. There are tons of resources out there to help you learn different ways to play poker, and many are free. Online play is ideal for players looking to hone their skills and improve their chances at higher stakes. Simulation software can also help you understand how to best play certain hands.
- Learning from Contemporaries
When playing straight poker, you can increase your chances of winning by studying the strategies of better players. Compare your data to theirs, and try to identify the things that they are doing that you are not. Start incorporating those tactics into your game as part of your overall poker strategy.
- Objective Evaluation
Many professional poker players have varying opinions on the right way to improve their game. One of the best strategies is to talk to other players about your bad games and see what they think. Many times, you will learn something you hadn’t thought of before. Regardless of how you go about it, it’s important not to play the victim. Always aim to figure out ways to improve your win rate and keep working on becoming a better player.
- Body-Mind Health
The world’s best poker players now approach the game like athletes besides reading poker books. To perform at your best over the course of a grueling tournament, like the World Series of Poker, you must take care of your body and mind. Physical exercise, like yoga and pilates, as well as 10-minutes of meditation each morning will help you achieve your potential and avoid tilt. To become a successful poker player, focus on your positive attributes and keep a level head. The lifestyle is not glamorous, but it can be incredibly rewarding.
- Commit to the Profession
If you want to be a professional poker player, you need to have confidence that you can succeed. If you don’t believe in yourself, then it will be difficult to succeed. Therefore, while it’s important to take precautions in order to maximize your chances of success at poker, don’t let your fears get the best of you.
It would be a good idea to build up an emergency fund so that if something happens and you can no longer make a living playing poker, you’ll have time to figure out something else.
