Poker reality > Thinking about becoming a poker pro? Think again.

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***********SECOND WAY OF THINKING********************************

Another persons perspective.

Thinking about becoming a poker pro? Think again.

Sure, it seems like the dream life. Work when you want. Be your own boss. Achieve fame & respect as one of the best players.

It's not that simple. The first thing to understand about poker is that it is primarily a game of luck. Luck is almost always going to be the deciding factor in whether a player has a winning or losing session on any given night.

The reason good players can win is simply because there is a small amount of skill in poker - enough where if you play the game over & over, that small advantage can turn into profit. Just like a casino's 5.26% edge on a roulette wheel, it's guaranteed to make money in the long run.

So what's the problem then? If a player is good enough at the game, why not just play day after day, and bring in the money? Well, there's multiple reasons why playing poker professionally is not only difficult, but unprofitable.

The first thing to realize is that whether you're playing online or in a casino, the house is taking a rake. Sure, it may not seem like much - maybe only 5% of each pot, but this 5% may significantly weaken or maybe even eliminate your advantage as a skilled player. Some players prefer the lower rake of online poker, but online poker isn't a solution, either.

What makes winning online even difficult is the fact that most of the players are good. Maybe not as good as you, but good enough that they'll rarely be in situations to pay you off. Players learn faster online. Not only can players play anytime they want online, but they get to play hands much faster than in a casino. This lets them see & practice many more situations. As quickly as you learned some tricks, your opponents did to. And now your skill advantage nearly disappears - because your opponents are almost just as good as you.

Secondly, players aren't bad anymore. Sure, every now & then, someone sits at the table and plays sub-par poker. But hoping that you're going to pick up a hand, he's going to pick up something second best, and that your hand will hold up - all before someone else takes his money, is slim to none. Back in the old days, no one knew a thing about poker. Anyone who did understand how to play had a tremendous advantage. Things are different now. Professionals from the 1980's and 1990's, who regularly dominated cash games and tournaments back in their day, are now even-matched with young players who basically mastered the game online. Things are different now.

Next, there's the bankroll issue. With any normal job, you get paid, and you cash your check. With poker, it's different. If you want to win in poker, you need to have a large supply of cash to play with. Playing a game like 5-10 No Limit, which has a max buy-in of $1,000 means you need about $20,000 to play with. Why so much? Because the luck in the game naturally means you are going to go on losing streaks. Sometimes these streaks last days, sometimes weeks. Even professional players report having losing months at times.

Lastly, the reason professional poker isn't the dream job it seems is because it makes people unhappy. Take a good look at the people in a card room and you won't find too many smiling faces. Poker can be a very depressing game. The inevitable swings of bad luck are enough that players often swear the game off for good.

In conclusion, poker may seem like a dream job, but it isn't. Not only does the house significantly weaken your advantage with rake, but players are generally much better than they used to be. Even when players do win, they need to reserve a good portion of their money for poker, simply to avoid going broke.