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If you’re serious about learning how to play poker [3] keep in mind you don’t have to give up your day job to do it. These days, it seems like the temptation to go pro is stronger than ever and that’s because the best players in poker certainly seem to make it look easy. The media focuses on those professionals that have a quick rise through the ranks, but the reality is the majority of poker pros balanced a day job and poker for quite a while before taking the leap.
Source:Pokernews
You would be hard-pressed to find a player who would recommend taking the leap into professional poker without being fully prepared. Why would they say such a thing? Chances are, they didn’t.
In the end, playing poker for a living is more than just playing poker. It requires building a skillset that includes treating poker as a business [4]. Just like any profession, you have to take the time to learn what you need and climb the ladder with hard work, perseverance and consistency.
Don’t make the mistake and take the leap too soon. Spend time learning all aspects of the game, both on and off the felt. For instance:
● What games you are best suited for and have an edge
● What casinos offer the best bonuses and promotions
● What’s an appropriate bankroll to help keep variance in check
As you learn more about what’s required to actually make a living as a poker player, things like this 888 poker promo code [5] becomes more than a bonus, it becomes a way of maximizing your profits. You can see there’s a lot more to poker than just playing poker.
How To Play Poker While Keeping Your Day Job
The origins of poker can be traced back to the early 1800s. The game, as it is largely known today, achieved a significant amount of popularity during the Gold Rush in the United States. By the middle of the 20th century, the popularity of the game was firmly established. Throughout the 70s and beyond, poker as a sport became increasingly legitimized. Today, you can watch poker on TV, play online poker [6] and and even live a comfortable lifestyle [7] as results of your poker winnings.
If the poker life is something that you feel called to do, here are some tips on how to play poker and establish yourself to take the leap:
1. Learn more than one game.
The most successful poker pros take the time and energy to learning multiple games, knowing their edge is unlikely to come in Texas No-Limit Hold’Em. To help offset what is bound to be some losses as you learn these new games, make sure and take advantage of things like the 888 poker promo code.
2. Establish a consistent routine.
Just like any job, consistency and showing up are required to get a paycheck. While you might not have full-time availability to play while working your day job, you can still set a schedule and stick to it. Play within you stakes and resist the urge to move up too fast just to go pro faster.
3. Practice recreating the story.
One of the most critical skills in poker is making the right decisions and those decisions come from the story. Observing and paying attention to mannerisms, betting patterns, and playing styles of your opponents will help you recreate the story needed to make the right decision in difficult circumstances.
4. Learn to trust your gut.
Making a call for your whole stack based on your gut can be a scary thing. There will be times when the story says one thing and your gut says another and picking which way to go can be challenging. You have to get to know your gut feelings and understand them in order to trust them. While, many of the top players use a combination of logic and intuition to make the key decisions, the logic and the gut aren’t always in agreement and sometimes you just have to trust your gut.
5. Stop being session focused.
To determine if you are successful and can make a living at playing poker, you need data. Lots and lots of data. Cards are cyclical and understanding that one session is just a blip in time is important to keeping your head on straight. Nobody likes to lose, but you will have losing sessions. How you deal with your losses will impact if you can handle a poker playing lifestyle.
Should I Play Poker Professionally?
Is it really worth quitting your day job, in order to learn how to play poker professionally? It’s easy to be tempted by the notion of showdowns against some of the best poker players in the world and by the money, by the roar of the crowd, and certainly the opportunity to play on television. However, if you ask the pros, they’ll tell you this is not something that is right for everyone.
Quitting your job to play poker for a living can throw you into a world of perpetual uncertainty, just watch the famous poker movie Rounders [8] for a peek into that. You can find yourself living from one week to the next. Furthermore, you’ll be subject to the spectacular highs and lows of playing for a living. That is why it’s smart to keep your day job while determining if this is the right path for you.You would be hard-pressed to find a player who would recommend taking the leap into professional poker without being fully prepared. Why would they say such a thing? Chances are, they didn’t.