Every week, amateur poker players are making the leap and attempting to make a career from the game.

Many of us enjoy playing poker and few things can really beat the buzz of winning a big pot when you’re playing in a bricks-and-mortar casino or its online equivalent.

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Those amateur players that experience that winning thrill over and over again (resulting in regular qualification for big money tournaments), might start to consider whether it’s time to make the switch and become a fully-fledged poker professional.After all, being paid to do something you love for a living is surely the dream isn’t it? Playing poker professionally is akin to sportspeople who travel the globe to compete in golf, tennis or snooker tournaments.

Indeed, the rewards of leaving your full-time job to become a professional poker player can be enormous, although it’s a decision that needs to be seriously weighed up before you take the plunge.The first consideration (and sorry if this represents tough love) is whether you’re actually good enough at the game of poker to make a living out of it.



You might have experienced a few decent wins to potentially get you thinking about handing in your notice with the boss and firing up your favourite online poker client when you wake up every morning instead.

However, “going pro” pulls away the safety net of a regular income and instead relies on you carrying on these high performance levels at the poker table. Don’t forget that you’re about to go head-to-head with others in a similar boat and they’ll show no mercy when it comes to taking your money.

On a slightly more positive note, there is every reason to back yourself to become a professional poker player if you’ve been winning good money at the tables over a lengthy period. Perhaps you have built up a decent amount of cash and that could naturally provide a cushion should you have a series of setbacks.

One thing is certain. Making a living from playing poker is not for the faint-hearted. If you think you’ve plugged away to land a few big wins, then the hard work has only just started!

The world’s best players might come across as super-cool and adopt a carefree attitude although every one of them has worked tremendously hard to earn all the money available to them on the circuit.

Being a poker pro isn’t a case of logging on to 888 Poker for a couple of hours, trying to make a quick killing and then going back poolside to sip your strawberry daiquiri and wonder what fancy restaurant to try that evening.

In the early days, you’ll have to slog away to earn cash and there will be times when you’re questioning whether you made the right decision to leave the full-time job to go ahead with this.

One important point to bear in mind is that poker can become addictive and all absorbing, and relationships can suffer if no time is made available to lead a normal life outside playing the game. Make time for friends and family, and ensure that you maintain your social life.

Ifyou have a strong poker game and the right attitude, there is every reason to believe you can make it as a professional player. There are large cash amounts up for grabs on a daily basis so why shouldn’t you be walking away with some of them?