"What's it like to earn a living through poker?"

[Nathan Williams]

Didn't read the article but I have been pro or semi-pro myself for 10 years and have written about this numerous times on my website as well. You are absolutely right, there are a whole list of pros and cons. Most people think it is all roses and sunshine. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a reason that so few are able to make it happen over the long haul.

 

[Ducbim]

Nice article. If you're still a student, like Poker and think you're smarter than most other guys at Poker tables I would suggest you to give a shot at take it seriously to become a pro. Poker can give you much more income than working extra time at Mc Donnald.

However after graduating you should consider more carefully and put your career path on the table as well. Playing and analyzing poker everyday is very tiring and you will soon want to give it up if you don't really love the game. I agree that to make a decent living you need to play at least high stake ($5/10) or mass table medium stake ($1/2). But high & medium stake games are drowning and even players at low/micro stakes are getting more disciplined and well-educated. Poker is a game of mistakes. If people don't make much mistakes like before your edge will decrease. I still believe for most guys a real professional career is better than Poker. Safer, healthier and less swing ) Of course if you're an elite, the king of the game, just stay there and make easy money.

Good luck!

 

[Teofealter]

Obviously there are some very successful pro players. Sadly there are more who are miserable and desperate.

 

[Ducbim]

I like this part the most, it justifies why not all people want to play Poker full time for their entire life! "The largest downside to poker that I can vouch for is a lack of fulfillment when it comes to feeling constructive and productive. Some people gain fulfillment from the inherent challenge of playing the game, others not so much. Anybody who can battle the competitive arena of poker and come out ahead has to have some inherent creativity, creative energy, or just mental wherewithal in general. And my biggest criticism of the poker community at large is that I often looked around and saw a bunch of driven, bright individuals, duking it out over card games, who could easily be the best at other things and making huge impacts in other avenues of life: discovering vaccines, solving debt crises, opening small businesses, finding homes for puppies. All the competitive vigor could easily be channeled towards something that makes the world better off".

 

[carsguitars777]

If you are a great to pro player on average expect minimum wage at best and playing 40hr plus a week, you will always be stressed and you will have wild swings of money. you have to be as patient as buhhda, and as crazy as an asylum patient, you might be a multi millonare one week and homeless the next, just look at stu unger... you must have large funding.. and if it wasnt this way, none of us would play.

 

[Mark Gavr]

If you are a good player and you are ready to upload at least half of their income, can safely increase their personal income , the main thing is not to climb on big bets .

 

[oooo]

If you are a good player and you are ready to upload at least half of their income, can safely increase their personal income , the main thing is not to climb on big bets .

Do you mean higher stakes, or big pots? Got me confused there.

 

[PhillipPaschal]

Yes, it is a true saying very small number of people choose poker as an option to earn money for living. It is a good game to play with interest and earn also.

 

[akaRobbo]

After doing some reading I have information on win rates. Most agree that a win rate of 2.5 to 3.0 big blinds per 100 hands is about average for winning players. So let's look at this on average live game you get 25 hands per hour so in four hours you should see 100 hands and win 3 big blinds on average over a long period of time at 1/3 ml that equates to 3x $3=$9 four 4 hours. 2/5 $15 per 4 hours. 5/10 $$30 per 4 hours at 5/10 then for a year at 40 hour weeks if your skilled enough to achieve a 3bb/100 win rate you could expect to win $60 per day, $3000 per week, $15,600 per year!!!

Yeah, playing 40 hours a week live is pretty irrelevant though.

Pros/ semi pros are going to be online, seeing 4/5x more hands/hr and playing much more than 40 hours a week if they're aiming to/making a living.