How to become a professional poker player in one year?
Poker is one of the oldest and most popular online casino games. How to become a pro poker player?Many platforms exclusively run poker tournaments. Now, poker is a sport in which you can show your skills and make money. There are several types of games from dozens of vendors. You have the option to play online, in a land-based casino, or live. However, it would help if you did a bit of learning before making money from it. We have prepared a small guide for you with a few examples. Read these steps to becoming a professional poker player. You will learn how to reach great heights in this sport and become a pro.
By playing online poker, it is quite possible to start making some decent money. However, you may not be a pro in this niche. Of course, if this is your first time playing poker, your chances may be minimal. However, each of you can gain the necessary experience and earn twice as much money as in your previous job. There are several ways to start making money on poker. If you are looking for an ingenious and unspoiled strategy to play, then you can read The Fundamental Theorem of Poker. There you can find everything you were missing. However, it may seem to you that basic knowledge and skills are not enough. If so, this article is especially for you!
Work harder
How to become a poker pro?Being a poker player is hard work. It is the truth that all players should remember. If you've ever wanted to become a professional poker player, then be prepared to put in a lot of effort towards success. Although poker is not physically tiring, an experienced player experiences more stressful situations than engaged in "everyday work."
It is best to approach the game of poker with the knowledge that you will have to work hard. It is necessary to realize this. Create motivation for yourself and strive for it. Evaluate your work, and do not forget to reward yourself for new achievements. Indeed, unlike winning, you can control these things.
Hard work can be expressed both in the number of hours played and hands played and in the total time spent watching the history of the match. Set a goal for yourself at the beginning of the month or week and work on it. For example, a plan: with 500,000 hands, watch three tutorial videos and regularly communicate on the forum with other poker pro players. The harder you work on yourself, the better you will get results.
Don't forget about comfort
You may never have thought about it knowingly, but one of the benefits of working in an office is that you usually work in a decent enough work environment. A comfortable chair, a good computer, a coffee maker nearby – everything so that you can be productive at work and nothing distracts. You need to create a similar atmosphere at home if you want to play professional poker as your primary source of income or if you want to start playing seriously on an amateur level.
First, you need to create an area at home that is dedicated exclusively to poker. It could well be a table with a computer in the corner of the living room, or even better, a separate room where one could fully devote himself to the game. You cannot perform well if you are currently playing pro poker and watching TV simultaneously. There are too many things around you that will distract you. Having a dedicated "poker space" will allow you to take the game seriously and focus on your actions.
Furniture also plays a huge role. If you play poker for a living, it's okay for you to spend 12 hours in the same chair. This time is more than you spend sleeping in a comfortable bed. It is not recommended to restrict yourself to a chair. Better to buy a comfortable orthopedic chair that won't ruin your back.
In addition to physical comfort, you need to look after your emotional health. Make sure your brain is completely relaxed before playing. If you are worried about some minor problems, it is better to deal with them before the game so that nothing distracts you. Do all your pre-game routines like shower, send emails, and have breakfast. It will help you minimize anxiety and allow you to immerse yourself in the game first hand fully.
Hire a coach
Every professional athlete has a coach. Even if you are doing an excellent job with your opponents at this stage of the game, working with a coach will only benefit you. No matter how good a player you may seem to be, there is always a lot to learn. Plus, it will always be much easier for an outsider to analyze your game and tell you where and how you could improve. Once you start playing for $100 or more, the results of your training will begin to pay off quickly enough. Therefore, you will not regret the money spent on the coach's service. If Roger Federer needs a teacher, the chances are good that you, too, will not hurt.
Bonuses
How to play poker professionally?Free cheese only comes in a mousetrap. We are all used to this expression. Indeed, in our time, any service and goods are paid. Therefore, if you see an opportunity to raise your balance in the poker world for free, you should make an effort to take advantage of this opportunity. In online poker, there are many promotions, large guarantee tournaments for VIP users, etc. Try always to remember their existence. By participating in promotions and contests, you can add a good amount to your earnings. Ignoring additional bonuses is a big mistake that pro poker players often make. Once you understand this, you will participate in every free promotion that online poker offers you.
Manage your time correctly
How much a player can make from poker depends on many factors. But the most important of them is the question: what advantage do we get over other players at the table. The easiest way to improve your performance at the table is with the right time to play. It is the period when most amateur players are online.
Therefore, the best time to play is usually from 8 pm to 2 am on weekdays, and the hottest time is Friday and Saturday evenings and nights. It is the time when people want to sit with a glass of their favorite drink and play for their pleasure. Compare this game to a match during business hours on weekdays. At this time, most of the tables are occupied by professional poker players, against whom it is much more challenging to play. However, you shouldn't completely abandon your regular life schedule or social contacts. Pursuing money, it is worth considering adjusting and playing for more hours at these suitable intervals.
Launching tables
Everyone knows that your chances of winning are much better if you play against weak players. But, these days, finding weak players has become quite a challenge. If a newcomer sits at a $2/$4 table, there is almost certainly a line of players wanting to win. However, few people open $6 tables on their own. Experienced players constantly run several empty tables at each session, as you never know who decides to join you.
Do not be afraid that some professional poker player will sit on your left and start ripping off your money. If this happens, you always have the opportunity to exit the game, and there is no shame in that. But instead of this professional, some new amateur player may well sit down at your table. In this case, you are in an ideal situation: you managed to find a table at which you have an advantage over your opponent. Moreover, you will not have to share this player's money with anyone else since you are sitting at the table together for now. These moments of play can be gratifying.
Another advantage of running empty tables is that you will gain a ton of experience playing at a table with 1, 2 opponents. There is a vast difference between playing a full 6-handed table and playing 3-4 people. The more you challenge yourself in these situations, the more comfortable you will feel in other games. You should not suffer and look for long-filled games if you do not see an opportunity to make money on them. Create your game and play by your rules, not someone else's.
All or nothing
You read about the importance of knowledge and hard work in the first section of this article. Therefore, the following advice may sound a little contradictory to you. If you feel that you cannot entirely focus on the game during the session, then you should get up and leave the table. It doesn't matter if you are distracted by empty thoughts or something important. Lack of concentration negatively affects the gameplay. Even if you are just exhausted, you need to distract yourself. A long poker session doesn't have to be painful for you. When you start playing at higher stakes, you cannot make the right decisions in moments like this if your mind is not entirely focused on the game.
It is not a matter of victory or defeat. Results should not be considered an essential factor when deciding whether to continue playing or leave the game. It's all about how well you play and how accurate your decisions are. Listen to your mind and body. If you're ready to play poker, go ahead. If not, don't blame yourself. You can always find a game tomorrow.
Immerse yourself in the game
Any successful poker player has some addiction to the game. To fight the competition in online games, it is essential that poker is in your brain at all times and that you feel immersed in the game. If this sounds intimidating to you, then you do not understand these words correctly. This immersion can include constant playing, studying Hold 'em Management, hand histories, and so on. Do not confuse gambling addiction with fanaticism. Plus, there are many other ways to improve your performance in the game unconsciously.
Any aspiring poker player is usually concerned that he wants to watch every possible poker show. You have a unique opportunity to learn how the best players in the world play. It will be great to watch cash games like the old seasons of High Stakes Poker or Poker After Dark.
If we talk specifically about training, then the best TV shows on poker will be live broadcasts, where the players' cards are unknown. As an example, you can take the live summer broadcasts of the WSOP, which are accompanied by comments from some best game analysts. In doing so, you can use your hand-reading skills to try to decipher all players' hands. Plus, on many websites, there are numerous interviews with poker players that are worth reading. Quite often, they come across sensible clues.
Encourage yourself
Poker players of all levels, from beginners to professionals, are often unable to manage their money. They have problems with bankroll management, risk management, or they live too "luxurious." These questions are usually covered in poker articles and books, but there is almost no mention of the reward system.
If you are already a regular income player, then it is evident that your game is beneficial. However, if you never withdraw this money, then, in fact, you are not rewarding yourself. Conversely, if you constantly start everything you earn, building up your bankroll and moving on the rates will be complicated.
If you take poker seriously, it is essential to reward yourself for your efforts. Think of poker like any other workplace, where you receive a monthly salary on the same day of the month for a year. For example, you decide that $12,000 in your online bankroll is enough for me to deal with the turmoil you might have to face when playing $1/$2 and $2/$4 games. Pick a date when you will be withdrawing all money above this minimum. Thus, you pay your own "salary.”
As you can imagine, such a system implies that you pay yourself thoroughly different amounts every month based on how much you manage to earn. However, this approach means that you regularly "reward" yourself. It allows you to take poker more seriously than your usual work or entertainment.
Consider a situation when you suddenly went into negative territory according to the results of the month. In this case, it is recommended to go lower in rates or invest a little money to keep the bankroll size within the normal range. If you play at an average level of stakes, you do not need to keep a lot of money on your balance. It is best to keep this money in a bank in a savings account and gradually accumulate interest. It gives you a sense of calm and comfort when the end of the month approaches and bills need to be paid.
Remember that you can lose
If you are already at a big disadvantage, naturally, you will start to get anxious. Losing money every day is a truly awful feeling. Remember that many players are faced with this. Moreover, a losing streak can last for several tournaments. However, you can always return to the sunny side. You can thank the poker gods, talismans, or yourself for that. You should never despair!
Secure yourself with a positive balance, and be prepared for any setbacks. Being prepared for the situation and understanding will lead you to a positive outlook. Getting frustrated when you're ready is much easier. If you suddenly find yourself caught in a prolonged downswing, try not to let it break you.
Remember that you are already lucky, as you can play poker professionally and make money on it. You are doing what you love, and this is of great value. Just imagine that you would have to sit in an office or work in a factory to feed yourself and your family, and you will understand how lucky you are that you can earn money just by playing on the computer every day. The sooner you accept the idea that failure is inevitable, the better. Don't blame yourself for every loss. Once you understand these nuances of poker, you can experience downswings much more quickly.
Conclusion
Poker is not an easy game that requires a responsible approach. However, it would help if you did not give up your hobby and the opportunity to play. Today, gambling houses accept thousands of players from all over the world who want to play. This article lays out the basic rules to help becoming a professional poker player. Follow the tips in this article, and soon, you will be able to share your experience with other players. Become one of the professionals, learn regularly, and strengthen your skills. You will certainly be able to make big money online. We wish you good luck!