How to Make a Living Playing Poker

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Don't quit your day job!

   This is one of the most common things you will hear poker players say because when the cards aren't going your way, you need to make sure you can still pay the bills.
   
   Figure out the minimum amount that you can work in order to just pay for the essentials.
   
   Another option for some people is investing, whether it's in stocks or whatever you like if you have the opportunity.
   
   This option is ideal for those of you wanting to dive into poker full time head first because it frees up your schedule so you can get more time at the tables.
2. 2

   Step 2: Make a plan/schedule and stick to it.

   It is very important that you treat poker as a job now.
   
   Take it seriously and don't veer off course.
   
   Force yourself to play between 4-6 days a week for at least 3 hours a day, rain or shine you need to be at that table (or computer). , A good rule of thumb is that you should never bring more than 20% of your bankroll to the table.
   
   But that is for amateurs, you are moving up in the game and that has an inverse effect on how you manage your account.
   
   Since now that money is actually what you live on, you need to cut down on the percentage used at each session.
   
   You should cut your use down to 3%-5% at each session in the long run because you are playing more hours, so it evens itself out whilst still protecting you from total loss.
   
   Now this only applies to those of you who are very serious about making this change because you need to have a substantially large bankroll to make 3%-5% worth the trouble, but if your account isn't already large you shouldn't be considering this option anyway.
   
   Now since hopefully you listened to step 1 and didn't quit your job, you have to treat your bankroll as if it where a stock or a bond that you receive dividends from monthly.
   
   Since you are still receive a paycheck, what this does is it allows you to grow your bankroll and your bank account simultaneously.
   
   This is done by gradually adding a percentage of the profit from the months play into your bank account.
   
   At first it will be a small amount, because it doesn't need to be large since you are already paying your bills with your paycheck.
   
   This allows for maximum bankroll growth early on.
   
   Then gradually increase the percentage of the "dividends" going into your bank account.
   
   This will simultaneously allow you to cut back on the reliance of your weekly paycheck.
3. 3

   Step 3: Control your bankroll efficiently.

Detailed Guide

About the Author