How Much Money Can You Make Playing Poker!

Becoming a professional poker player is the dream of many people. However it is not as glamorous as most people would have you believe. For every professional making a million dollars there are thousands making just a fraction of that. The harsh reality of playing poker professionally is that you probably wont make as much as you dreamed and the emotional and financial swings may be a lot greater than you anticipated.

Over the past 3 years playing professionally I have consistently got better as a poker player but my income has stayed roughly the same (In 2007, 2008 and 2009 I made roughly $100'000 each year), and as of 2012 this looks like the number may be a bit lower than 100k. What this has told me is that the games are getting progressively harder, there is no longer easy money to be made like pre 2006. Before, every table would have multiple fish and the regulars were a lot worse than they are today. So saying that, I am confident that given my current skillset, if you put me back in 2003-2007 I would have made several million dollars over that period. However, I don't have hindsight and wasn't even the legal age to gamble in 2006. The sad news is I can see that the current state of the games will not get better. With every passing year, more and more money is taken out of the poker economy by the poker sites and the winning players, less and less fish are playing.

That being said, I wouldn't say that its hopeless for becoming a professional poker player. If you are committed to playing professionally, chances are you will achieve it with enough dedication, study and persistence. You need to have realistic expectations, for some people making $50k a year playing a "video game" for 8 hours a day sounds awesome and it may be a huge step up from your current situation, if that's true, then poker could be a great platform for you to make a better life for yourself. Just don't expect to become a millionaire, its not easy! You should just know what your getting yourself into before you start. I haven't had many jobs in my life, but poker is without a doubt the most stressful job I have had and the swings provide a lot of uncertainty.

I would say that I am towards the higher level of a winning poker player. Some professional poker players will have breakeven or losing years, others make a small profit, others make a decent profit and the very few (Lucky and skilled players) make insane sums of money. Where will you fall in? I cant honestly tell you that, its very dependant on your determination, your natural propensity to do well at poker and your ability to put in consistent performances and handle the financial and emotional swings of the game.

There is a pyramid of levels of professional poker players. There are more players on the lower levels earning little money and as you go up there are progressively less players earning a lot of money. If you want to make a lot of money you will either have to be really lucky or have some kind of edge on the players in the middle level of the pyramid.

Remember, playing poker professionally can be a great job for some. It offers a great deal of flexibility in your life and if you succeed can give you a lot of life options. That being said, there are a lot more people struggling than making millions, only you can decide if playing poker professionally is right for you. Hopefully before deciding to play professionally you have gathered an adequate bankroll, had consistent profits over a long period of time and have the desire to not work your current job. If you meet all those criteria, perhaps you can make it. Only time will tell!