Should I Turn Pro?

I receive E-mail after E-mail asking me this question. They're usually from younger players who don't like the idea of a 9-to-5 job. So, rather than answer all of these E-mails individually, I thought I would answer them once and for all in my column.

My decision to turn "pro" was never really a conscious one. It just kind of happened. One day I woke up and realized, "OK, I guess this is what I'm going to do for a living." There was no formal application I had to sign or interview to attend. It was in January of '99 when I finally decided that I'd likely be a professional poker player for the rest of my life.

Before making that decision, I traveled the tournament trail sparingly in '96 and '97. In '98, though, I began traveling often. Las Vegas was a stop that I enjoyed the most, and I finally decided to make it my home.

Playing poker for a living seemed right for me, but I'm not sure that the daily grind would be appealing to you if you knew what it entailed.

As a poker player, you get to choose your own hours, but that freedom doesn't come without some possible drawbacks. Have you ever felt like calling in sick – for a month! Well, as a poker player, nobody is going to fire you if you don't show up. You can take a week off whenever you want – that is, until the bills start piling up and you realize you haven't worked hard enough during the month to cover your nut. Poker freedom can easily turn into flat out laziness!

Poker is great, in that you don't have to answer to a boss, but at the same time, nobody is signing a paycheck for you. It's hardly a stable profession. If you slack off, your bankroll will suffer. Sometimes, even when you do work hard, the cards just don't cooperate. So, you never really know how much you'll make each month, which can be extremely stressful when your rent is due in a couple of days.

It's difficult for me to gauge whether or not someone is capable of playing poker professionally without seeing him play. It's hard to tell how well someone plays by simply receiving an E-mail that states "I'm a good $15-$30 hold'em player … " So, I generally advise people to keep their day jobs. That's not to say they should give up on their poker dreams, it's just a safer way of going about it.

By having a day job, it'll be easier for you to "take a loss." You won't have to worry about poker paying your rent, as your job will be doing that. Anything you can do to relieve the stresses that come with playing for a living is a good thing. So, "supplement" your income by playing poker, rather than depend upon the turn of a card to eat!

It may sound a little like I'm discouraging you from turning pro, but I'm just being realistic more than anything. Despite the growth of poker, there is still just a small number of players who actually lead a healthy, successful lifestyle through poker.

If you decide that you can handle all of the ups and downs and want to take on poker full time, there are some serious decisions you'll have to make. You'll have to decide how hard you want to work, when you want to work, and how much you want to risk going broke (what limits to play). I covered much of this in a previous column entitled "Play Hours Not Results" (March 16, 2001).

One more important thing that goes right along with having a day job is this: "Always leave yourself an out." These are the famous words of Knish in the movie Rounders. Have a backup plan just in case the whole poker thing doesn't work out for you. If it doesn't, don't be too discouraged. It is my opinion, and the opinion of many of the high-limit players I've asked, that only one in a thousand players who attempt to play poker for a living become truly successful. Of course, their idea of success may not be as modest as yours, but you get the picture.

Keep in mind that if you want to be that one in a thousand, you'll have to be dedicated. You'll have to take the game seriously at all times, maintain your focus, and always continue to learn.