In this year ending blog, I am going to go over in detail my thoughts on the experiences one would find waiting for them if they were to partake on a journey of playing online for a living. I think it will be a good read for anyone who is contemplating playing as a sole source of income as well as for those who have already started that journey. I'll cover all of the benefits as well as the disadvantages of taking the career path that many are not bold or skilled enough to take on. (After finishing writing this all out, I do realize it may be a bit long so hopefully you guys will get through it and enjoy the read)

One of the best parts of playing for a living is the freedom that you will have to live your life. Being able to make one’s hours and schedule really allows the ultimate flexibility in being able to fit any activity or hobby into one’s lifestyle. There really does not ever have to be a missed birthday or anniversary because of work related issues; Vacations can be taken as needed as nothing is truly set in stone. You really are the boss and do not have to answer to anybody which can be a very gratifying feeling.

However, this ability to create one’s own hours can also be a problem for some players. Those who procrastinate will often find themselves spending less hours playing than they should be and much time is spent on other endeavours or activities. Without a set schedule, one’s work ethic and focus are truly the main factors that will influence the number of hands played in a year. There are many other interruptions in life that can disrupt a set play schedule as well. A friend, for example, may call right before a session wanting to meet up for drinks or to hang out and it can create a tricky situation. A decision will have to be quickly made as to whether to put in time working or spending time socializing. Say no and some people may not take it well, especially since some believe that because you make your own hours, you should work around their schedule and just put in your session at a later time, but this can become problematic for obvious reasons if one has a flourishing social life. I think the best way to handle this situation would be to try to let those around understand that there is a schedule in place that is strictly adhered to unless there is good reason to not play.

It can be tough though to establish a strong social life because at most other jobs, you will have coworkers and bosses which will usually lead to outings where you also meet their friends or have work parties, but online you will mainly only be conversing with your colleagues through msn, aim or skype. It can be a very isolated work environment and also stifle one's romantic life. If one is single and no longer going to school, it can be very difficult to meet new girls other than through friends or going to clubs. A lot of people end up meeting their significant others through work, school or through social circle hookups, but if one is playing poker online for a living then none of those channels will really apply to his life except for dating through friends. One would actively need to set aside time to work on building his social circle or love life.

The friends that you meet through poker can definitely be great people, but unfortunately there are also a number of scum bags these days that you have to watch out for. And the friends that you are fond of usually only get to meet with you annually for the WSOP in Vegas unless you happen to live close to one another, are willing to fly out for a trip, or end up living together. I do think living with a group of professional players would probably be the best way to alleviate the work environment issues and it would create a better social environment while making it easier to improve one's game.

The way most people look at you is certainly different if you are a professional poker player. From what I gather from most players, they are often humble or embarrassed when describing their occupation with family, friends or prospective girlfriends. I believe declaration of the profession can be perceived in both a positive and negative light. On the one hand, it is a job frequently seen in a negatively. A lot of people have preconceived notions about "gamblers" and think that you are a degenerate from the get go. However, I believe most people in their early twenties are starting to understand playing poker as a profession as a lot of people that I have met in that age bracket usually know at least one person who does it for a living. And there are some out there who will truly appreciate the talent required and quite frequently, there is genuine intrigue created when one mentions playing for a living since it is a much more unusual and exciting job to hear about than someone telling you that they are an accountant or work in finance (sorry to the number guys out there but it's true). I believe that if you are proud of what you do and believe in it, then playing for a living will come across much better than those who are unconfident or embarrassed about it. Often having a stronger frame of mind and belief than someone else will be enough for them to join that frame or at the very least give more weight to what is said. You cannot overcome other’s uncertainties unless you are absolutely certain. But confidence in this profession can waver much more than most.

In the game of poker, one often feels the most confident when everything is going right. Pots are being won with rags, monsters are taking every chip in someone’s stack, the bankroll grows higher and higher and all the moves made feel perfectly timed. However, things do not always go so smoothly as I’m sure any experienced player knows… sometimes things go downright disastrous. Even when the right moves are being made, things do not work out. Endless streams of coolers, hands that do not hold, big hands losing to bigger monsters, bluffs being picked off and all the such.

With luck playing such a large role in every session, one can be sure that there will be losing days, weeks or even months. Not a lot of people can handle the emotional swings involved and the mental distress. There really is no set hourly. Every table is different and every session you play will be unique. This obviously creates an unstable source of income and it can be difficult to keep emotions in check. This may make things tough for those around you depending on your personality and how you will be able to cope on days where nothing seems to go right. Being able to compartmentalize and keep poker related problems away from family and friends is ideal, but can be difficult to put into practice. The longer a breakeven or losing stretch goes, the more it will take its toll on one’s confidence and mood. And as one’s confidence becomes in doubt, his play is consequently going to suffer as each move made begins to become questionable as to whether or not it is +EV. The more one plays poorly or starts to tilt, it will only lengthen the amount of time breaking even or downswinging. I believe this is the toughest aspect that comes with playing for a living. The fear of being unable to make money playing anymore, going busto, having a diminishing “hourly” or having to drop down in stakes can really be very taxing mentally. It takes hard work, determination, and self conviction to be able to pull through these rough patches and end them as soon as possible.

Being able to deal with the swings will require proper bankroll management otherwise you will end up being the next JRB (but he seems to live a pretty sweet life with a bankroll of $0. Having rich friends is good). Not only does one need to set aside money for downswings, variance and his normal standard of living, but must also take into account unforeseen life emergencies. This can be especially important for those with families or loved ones that need to be looked after. Playing for a living means that cash flow is essential. Without money, one’s ability to earn wages through poker will disappear.

One of the kinder aspects of the poker world is that often, the amount of effort one puts into the job is going to be reflected in his income. Whereas, in most regular jobs, there are often various factors that can prevent someone from being able to achieve a higher salary. I used to work for a clothing retail store a while back and decided to quit when I went back to school. When I gave my two weeks notice, only then did the manager offer me a raise to keep me on because I had done such an exceptional job. It kind of angered me a bit, but that is how things are in business. No matter how good a job I was doing, the manager would never really offer a raise since keeping employee expenses down would make her look better and only when it was absolutely necessary did she offer it to try to prevent me from leaving. But in poker, there is no ceiling. One has the freedom to jump between limits without needing approval (assuming you are not being staked) and the more hours worked often means a higher, expected annual salary. The more time spent working on one’s game, often will eventually translate into higher win rates as well. You really do get what you put in with poker for the most part. The concept however of always being able to work and make money can prove to be a hindrance for some. However, playing online for a living does open up other opportunities.

One is able to travel pretty much anywhere in the world and have the ability to still earn money, well not America for now I guess, but seems that will change very soon. This is great for those who are not tied down with a family as they can go and travel the world. There is something very comforting in being able to make money wherever one goes as long as there is a deck of cards and people willing to gamble. I remember back in high school when Holdem was just starting to get big, I needed some lunch money since I did not have enough cash on hand so found a few guys that were willing to play. They were friends of mine so they were willing to let me play on a tab and I would pay them later if I lost, but fifteen minutes later I had enough to buy a warm meal and then some.

But with the ability to always be putting in time working and trying to make money, there can often be a feeling looming about that prompts one to put in hands instead of taking time to meet with family or friends. Or there may be a feeling of guilt or laziness if one partakes in recreational activities that do not have much importance like playing video games or watching tv. The opportunity cost is always there. For those who are unfamiliar with that term, opportunity cost is the cost of doing one activity over another. For most people who work regular jobs, this is never an issue. For a poker player, he could wash his car or he could spend that time grinding and take it to a car wash. He could spend a couple hours cleaning his house or he could spend that time online and hire a maid cleaning service that would surely do a better job. It can be a struggle to maintain balance for those with high enough hourly rates as spending time away from the tables often means a lot of money being missed out on to take care of more menial tasks that everyday normal people usually handle.

The future of poker is unclear and a regular job offers much more security (not to mention health benefits or pensions). Playing for a living will be vulnerable to legislation that may ban the online games, sites shutting down without notice which can take a substantial amount of one’s bankroll away for an unforeseeable amount of time, and the games becoming more and more difficult as time passes will always be a threat.

But no matter what occupation one chooses, there are always going to be pros and cons. In the end, each person must decide if the journey is worth taking. Take some time to figure out what exactly it is that you want to do in life. It may not be an easy or simple process, but once it is done and you know what you want, don’t let anything stand in your way.

“The fact is that in order to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can”
-Sydney Smith