Playing poker professionally might seem like the dream. But it is a lot of hard work.
Intensely rewarding too, of course. Especially if it's your true passion. But not everyone who tries to become a poker pro succeeds. It's a tough industry to crack.
To give you some idea of the work involved, we're going to take you through some of the things you need to carefully consider before you attempt to play poker professionally.
Starting on a journey of playing poker professionally is rarely a straightforward process. Contrary to what you might hear, not all poker pros are a bunch of luckboxes! It might surprise you to hear that some of the biggest legends of the felt have had their ups and downs along the way. Although some of their stories will of course be extremely inspiring too! Check out some of our best player lists, including:
After a big win, or even a series of them, it can be tempting to think that you're good to go. However, playing poker professionally is all about the long game. See if you can sustain a decent bankroll for a year or more before you make any major commitments. When you think it's time to progress, whether that's multi-tabling more games or upping your budget for cash games or tournaments, make sure you do it slowly.
In poker, nothing is guaranteed. Just because you aim to play poker professionally, doesn't mean you're going to make a profit any time soon (or ever). So if you're thinking about turning pro, it's extremely important to work out a smart budget of money you can afford to lose in your pursuit of a professional career. Along with money you spend at the poker table, this should also include related expenses like getting yourself to in-person tournaments and accomodation, if you need it. Especially if you're going to a far-flung destination to play poker.
And never ever throw good money after bad. Avoiding the tilt is a major thing you can do to stop yourself making bad decisions. And this can in turn help to avoid bet regret too.
However long you spend at the poker table, you should spend that amount of time again analyzing how the game went and if you made the correct decisions based on the information you had at the time. The isn't exactly the sexy side of poker, but it's essential if you want to progress and keep getting better.
Another really good thing you can do is to read poker strategy books. They can help you learn the theory behind complicated poker strategies, and can pay dividends if you get your head around them. Another interesting tool is to look at strategy videos, so you can see hands playing out in real time. We also love tuning into poker podcasts too, which can give a fresh take on modern poker trends. Plus, taking a look at poker websites can tell you what you need to know about new promotions and upcoming tournaments.
Finding a good online poker room when you're a professional player can feel like winning the lottery. The truth is the right online poker room for you will vary depending on what kind of games you like to play, your budget and, of course, your geographical location. However, one that we keep on coming back to is bet365.
If you're new to bet365, you can use this bet365 bonus code to give you a great welcome offer when you sign up. But as well as that, there are always great promotions. And, importantly if you want to start playing poker professionally, there's a really solid loyalty program too.
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