Strategy
Making the Leap from Amateur to Professional
Thursday, April 14th, 2005 (By the PokerStrategyKing)
The decision of whether or not to become a poker professional
is a very difficult one for anyone to make. The pro circuit is tedious
and by its very nature grueling. Tournaments all around the country
(or world) can make for a very hectic lifestyle. But for many, it
is the only lifestyle they could thrive in. I can only imagine the
guts it takes to make such a choice. For today’s article,
I thought it would be beneficial for those of you out there who
have been successful online and are looking to make the leap.
Before I go into all the specifics and nuances, I should say a few
words about my own situation. I am currently employed by one of
the top companies in the world. By day, I have a regular full-time
job. Come quitting time, I become a poker player, where I excel
in a world that very few can. I play in tournaments and cash games,
both online and in brick and mortar rooms. The profits/losses vary
from week to week and month to month. For example, this month I
am currently up about $2000 while last month I was a minus $500.
Because of this duality of my existence, I would categorize myself
as a semi-pro player if you will.
The successful poker professional needs 4 attributes: skill, discipline, a sufficient bankroll, and an understanding of just what it is you're about to do. Let’s take a closer look:
Skill is the most obvious of the attributes necessary to become a poker professional. Frankly speaking, if you can't consistently beat the 2/4 games on SuperBook.com or at your local card room, you probably aren’t at all ready to give up your day job and go pro. Of course, I am not suggesting that if you can beat the 2/4 games, you do have the skill, but if you can’t, you have little chance of winning on the circuit. Do you think Phil Hellmuth or Danil Negreanu would struggle in a local 2/4 game? My point exactly. If you can't beat those games, you're in trouble.
One pitfall to be aware of is that people often have illusions about just how good they are. These are the same type of people who don't track their progress, don't keep an accurate tally of their winning and losing sessions. Even if they do tally their wins and loses, some lower-limit players too often think they're better than they really are, and that the losses at low limits were because bad luck, being outdrawn and “lesser players” getting lucky. It is easy to think you’re better than you actually are. We have all gone through some type of superiority complex when we were starting out. I thought I knew what I was doing, but couldn't understand why I was unable to consistently beat the 3/6 game.
One of the most common area for failure as a pro is bankroll. Think of it in terms of real life finances. If you're going to quit a job that was paying you $60,000 a year to become a poker pro, you need to be able to replace that income with your net poker winnings. Basically, you need to net $5,000 a month playing poker. In order to do that, you have to play at a limit that will allow you to net $5,000 a month, which, in my mind, requires a bankroll of at least $10,000. In the grand scheme of things, $10,000 is both lots of money and not that much money, but I think that younger players considering turning pro often don't realize just what sort of upfront commitment they need to make in order to ensure that they handle the swings without going broke. If you don’t have $10,000 to start your new career, you'll have the added pressure of not losing your stake. This translates into poor decision making and can only lead to disaster and a quick and broke career. You need to be able to play at your highest level from day one, with no fear.
What separates the men from the boys, the consistent winners from the also rans? T is discipline, both at and away from the table. Discipline is one of those intangible qualities that winning poker players possess. It's what keeps you from tilting off half of your buy-in, it's what keeps you from adding those extra blinds to the pot even though you know your strong hand is beaten, and it's what keeps you playing your same A-game even though you have been bad beaten three times in the last fifteen minutes. Discipline helps you to maximize your profit at the table and minimize your losses. It enables you to make those tough laydowns and live to fight another day. It's something that can be learned, but I also think that it's something people naturally either are predisposed for or against. I think it's much more difficult for certain people to learn and practice discipline than it is for others. Without discipline, you will have a much harder time becoming a successful pro.
The last attribute I will cover today is understanding. By understanding, I mean several different things.
- You will be playing cards for a living. Are you ready for this type of a commitment?
- You will not receive any benefits. No dental plans, no health
insurance. It’s largely a cash and carry line of work.
- You will have losing days and winning days. Can you cope with
the dark times?
- If you're an internet player, you will be severely reducing your day-to-day contact with living, breathing human beings by spending all of your time in your living room at your computer playing cards. Can you handle this level of isolation?
Turning pro is not an easy or simple decision. Playing poker is a tough way to make an easy living. It requires a great deal of thought and consideration before diving into this world. Think about what I’ve said and make the decision that’s right for you.
Send you comments/questions about this article to info@pokerstrategyking.com.
Until next time, may the chips fall your way.
(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com )
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