What would your definition of professional poker player be?

Kanetuck

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So, the term professional I feel is tougher to determine when it is describing poker players than perhaps a sport or a job that requires licensure. I would think professional implies a higher than average skill level, I would think at least top 20 percent. I am not sure if how often someone plays would be factored in. Determining skill level in poker almost has to be combined with being able to earn a living from poker. Because we are dealing with probabilities, the longer period of time someone is showing a profit would to me imply a higher skill level. I am sure I am leaving some other important factors out. At what point would you consider someone a professional poker player?
 
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Ruminate

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If you're paying the majority or more of your bills with poker winnings on a consistent basis you're a professional poker player...and I don't care what game, format or stake level you play. If you can crush your game of choice enough to pay your monthlies, I'm sold.
 
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JAAMEZz

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If your main source of income is poker, then i would say you're a pro. I guess it comes down to how long you can sustain yourself that determines if you're a successful pro.
 
MikeCarasone

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Poker is paying your way in life. Source of income is from poker would constitute a professional.
 
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Anders1616

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To be a poker pro, i say you need to have your income from poker, or poker related things.
 
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always2away

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According to tax attorney Matthew Porter:
"Are you a Professional Gambler?Whether or not you are a professional gambler is not a simple determination. It has nothing to do with how much money you won, the size of your jackpots, or how many trips you took to the casino in a year. The IRS uses a facts and circumstances test that looks to whether your gambling activity is pursued full-time, in good faith, with regularity, and is your intended source of livelihood."
So, it looks a little squishy.
I wonder how many have been denied legal deductions as a professional gambler because their IRS agent made poor determinations perhaps due to bias or good, old-fashioned stupidity (which seems to be an all too common problem)
 
Kanetuck

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Similar thread

When is someone considered a professional poker player is a similar thread I wasn't aware of. For those interested in the topic, there were some good posts on that thread.
 
Galmedic

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If a business person is someone who is in business and operates on business hours and works to grow their business they may loose or make money but they are still in business.
A poker player is a Professional Poker Player when they are spending full time hours playing it as their business
 
AlexStar1981

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A Pro can read not only maps, but also people. His professionalism is complemented by acute intuition. He calmly and steadily achieves this goal.
 
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Peter Jankowski

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Some one who essentially earns their income by playing poker. Not 100% of earnings from poker, but at least 75%.
 
Ninja Jyraia

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The Player that gain 5k montly is a PRO poker player I think.
 
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Top Top

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A Professional Poker Player is someone who is ensuring all his life income from playing poker
 
Andrei Korolev

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More often get into the prizes and the final table...
 
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Litosfrank17

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for me a professional in poker has a high profit to pay, buy, it's a job but as you realize in other jobs you do not invest you only pay for your time, in poker there will always be investment for future profits and there the result of professionalism
 
infonazar

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Everything is very simple.
In my opinion, a professional poker player is one who gets regular profit from the game.
 
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Yoda_Priest_X_Napo

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Making a living from Poker no matter if your income is below basic salary or thousands of dollars, that would mean that you are a professional Poker player.
 
phantomjiujitsu

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If you're paying bills with your poker winnings, you are a professional.
 
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neptun1914

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If you play poker full time and earn your money for living this way you are professional poker player.
 
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valanddon

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A professional poker player makes their living on
their winnings. They are well known to the public,
and play the major tournaments.
 
antonis32123

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To dedicate countless hours to poker , to know the math behind poker , the strategies , to have a very carefully organised plan of what games he's gonna play and what limits . To be able to spot the weak players live or online , to be a good bluffer and not to have poker tells (or give wrong tells to the opponents) , ofcourse to be able to live from his poker earnings or at least to pay some of his life expenses .
 
romych007

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Professional players tend to have stable, high income. The professionalism of such players starts from choosing a right tables to 100% using of all the accumulated experience.
 
hugh blair

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Kanetuck said:
So, the term professional I feel is tougher to determine when it is describing poker players than perhaps a sport or a job that requires licensure. I would think professional implies a higher than average skill level, I would think at least top 20 percent. I am not sure if how often someone plays would be factored in. Determining skill level in poker almost has to be combined with being able to earn a living from poker. Because we are dealing with probabilities, the longer period of time someone is showing a profit would to me imply a higher skill level. I am sure I am leaving some other important factors out. At what point would you consider someone a professional poker player?
Click to expand...


Somebody who could afford to do this would be a pro in my opinion.:D

 
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danielcai

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Being a poker pro means you make a living by playing poker. You earn money by playing poker and pay the bills with the money you earn from poker.
 
Galmedic

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My definition is a person who plays poker full time
 
MikeCarasone

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If you pay you way in life through means generated thru mainly poker then you are considered a professional in my opinion.
 
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