If you are thinking about becoming a professional poker player, no one can blame you. Not only is it very interesting, but playing poker professionally can be quite lucrative. In fact, it is estimated that pro players earn more than two hundred grand a year!
However, not everything about playing poker professionally is great. The truth is that this is a very demanding job, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes the tournaments last for hours, which can be rather exhausting. Furthermore, professional poker is a very stressful job sometimes. You can never be sure if you’re going to win big or lose all you have.
Another reason why you should not rush in this adventure is that being a pro poker player also requires initial capital. You need to have a bankroll that will see you through a losing streak. According to experienced players, it’s necessary to have a bankroll that can provide you with, at least, 30 buy-ins.
Read our reviews and you will be able to find the casinos that will give you a chance to play more with casino bonuses. That way, not only will you be able to practice more, but you will also have a good chance to win real money!
But you did not come here for this. If playing poker professionally is your dream then you probably don't need to learn the basic rules of poker but let's be honest, playing a bit of poker online is very different from doing this as a full-time job so let's take a look at what it will take to reach your poker-playing dreams!
Learn Everything About the Game
“The most valuable commodity I know of is information” – remember the legendary words of Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street if you want to succeed in poker. Learning all the rules of the game is an absolute necessity for a successful career as a poker player.
On top of that, you also need to learn about the odds and probabilities, as they’re essential to develop a winning strategy. The first thing you ought to learn is the frequency of poker hands. As you probably could’ve guessed, the strongest poker hands are those that are the least frequent. For instance, the probability that you will get a royal flush is only 1 in 649,739.
You have a much better chance to get a three-of-a-kind hand, for which the odds
are 46.3: 1. Winning two pairs is something that happens once in every 20 rounds, on average. One pair is the poker hand that happens most frequently, with the probability being 1.37: 1. Of course, the outcome with the highest probability is “no pair”, which happens more than 50 percent of the time.
Knowing all this is guaranteed to give you an edge over your opponent, especially if they don’t care much about poker probability. But, if you play against an opponent with the same level of poker skills as you, knowing the odds and probabilities might not be enough for securing a victory. Apart from math, you also need to use psychology.
Learn How to Outsmart Your Opponents
Psychology is one of the main aspects of this game. So, if you play live poker in a brick-and-mortar establishment, you need to learn how to read the poker face of the opponent. There are certain tells that give away whether they have a winning or a losing hand.
If you only play poker online, it still doesn’t mean that you should give up on using psychology as your weapon. By observing the way your opponent plays, you will be able to anticipate their moves. Some players are simply too hasty, so if you spot this trait on time, you will be able to use it against them. Of course, the best way to practice your poker psychology skills is to play as many games as possible!
Think of Poker as a Daily Job
If you wanna become a professional poker player, you need to start treating it as a profession. What this means is that you need to play poker on a daily basis. In the beginning, your goal should not be to make big money but to improve your poker game. Otherwise, you might end up disappointed if the more-experienced players take your money.
This is why it’s crucial to practice playing poker as much as the circumstances allow you. The more you practice, the better you will become. But, it’s not just about quantity when it comes to poker practice, but quality as well. You ought to play against tough opponents, even if it means losing. You might lose some of your money, but you will gain valuable experience!
Poker Diet - Yes It's Important
Where to Practice Your Poker Skills?
Before your poker skills are at a level that would allow you to make a living out of it, you ought to practice. But, in order to save your money, we advise you to stick to free poker tournaments, at least at the beginning of your career. This way, you will be able to gain experience without risking losing your hard-earned money. Some of them will even let you play against real people, instead of computers.
The good news is that there are lots of websites that let players play poker for free. You can find reviews about a lot of them at CasinosHub online. The same goes for those sites where you can play real money tournaments. Being a professional poker player is synonymous with money and fame, but the road to achieving that is long.
