Somebody once asked me what I do for a living. I was quite surprised to see the look of bewilderment on the face of that person when I told him I play Poker. It could be because it is a common perception that Poker is a hobby and is played only when people have time to kill. However, this perception could be wrong because there are many people who play it for a living. Others have not the least idea of what it takes to be able to do that.
The idea of playing poker for a living can be quite fascinating. However, the fact is Poker as a career is not all fun. It brings along with it, negative consequences that can deter people from continuing. Before you choose this path, you must have a clear idea about the advantages and disadvantages of Poker. Prior to taking the decision, you need to understand certain things first.
Poker as a Career
Playing Poker, or any game for that matter, requires a lot of patience. You must bear in mind that playing Poker all day long, for 7 days a week, can be extremely tiring. If it is online poker, you would have to keep staring at a computer screen for hours. This can sometimes drive you crazy. If it is in the tables, you would have to sit down and wait for hours, when you don’t get any cards. Of course, Poker is quite rewarding when you have managed to develop the patience you need to stay in the game.
Playing for fun and playing for a living are two entirely different things. When you are playing poker for a living, you need a lot of mental discipline and an efficient game plan. You must be able to keep a record of how much you can earn per day and continue doing it for a month to be able to get an idea of how much you can make on an average.
Disadvantages
When you are playing poker for a living, remember that there is no set income. You can experience a loss in total earnings sometimes and at times, you might be able to win at a stretch. You must have the courage and mental strength to handle fluctuating incomes.
Playing poker for hours at a stretch can be extremely tiresome. Most of you need to cope with such strenuous game play in order to be able to pay your monthly bills.
When you are playing poker all day, there is a possibility that you might ignore family and friends. This can affect your personal life. You must be prepared for lean times, when you might have to grind it out the whole day.
Advantages
There are quite a few advantages of playing poker for a living. You have the convenience of choosing your own hours of play. You would not have to wake up early and you can take off as many days as you want. And, when you are a winning player, your lifestyle would be great.
Despite all the advantages, most people can’t handle the fact that they would have to keep playing all day. You would have to deal with swings all the time. There would be bad days and good days. And, you should be dedicated enough to be able to play even when the cards are not going your way. To play poker for a living, you have to be extremely disciplined.
For those of you who wish to play poker for a living, this article would provide enough information so that you can take a sensible decision. Do it only when you believe that you can handle all the pressure and deal with the swings that this game brings.
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