Are You a Professional?

Are you a professional? There are two primary definitions of professional. One definition taken from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs."

Sometimes people debate what makes a professional poker player. My definition has always been someone who makes most of his income from playing poker, which is similar to the definition above. But there are also expert players out there who could make a living playing poker, but just don’t play that much, so I’m not sure if they would be considered “professional” or not, even though they are expert players.
However, the focus of this column isn’t on that definition. Plenty of people make a living playing poker, but a much smaller subset can say they are “professional” about how they approach their profession. Another definition of professional from Merriam-Webster is: “exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.”

There are two key words in this definition. Are you conscientious and businesslike in the manner in which you approach poker as a profession?

Businesspeople are generally organized and work hard at managing their time. The more successful ones generally try to focus on the important things rather than just the urgent things. They often try to find mentors to help them as they grow within a large corporation.

Doctors and dentists must always stay up-to-date with the latest studies and technologies in their fields. They read journals and take additional classes to increase their knowledge within their respective fields.

Most professional athletes have coaches who specialize in different fields to help them in their preparation. One coach may focus on the physical side of the sport and improve the athlete’s strength and conditioning. Sometimes a coach focuses on the mechanics and technical aspects of the sport (a position coach, hitting coach, or swing coach). Sometimes a coach focuses on the strategy, planning, and preparation (a tennis coach or head coach for basketball or football). And there are other coaches who focus on the psychological aspects of a sport.

Poker players would be wise to learn from all of these “professionals.” In business, we learn that it is important to find time for important tasks, not just urgent tasks. Of course, in poker, the urgent task is playing in the next game, as most poker pros are focused on putting in the hours to grind out an income. But what about the important tasks? Do you find the time to analyze your game, read new books, watch videos, or discuss poker with other players you respect? These important tasks are critical in constantly evolving your game to improve (or maintain) your results.
Would you go to a doctor or dentist who didn’t focus on the important task of staying up-to-date with the latest studies and technological advances in his field? If you are a poker player who’s obsessed with putting in the hours, you might find that your game is starting to taper off, and you’ll be left wondering why unless you find the time to constantly improve your game away from the tables.

Professional athletes use coaches, and businesspeople use mentors. If you aren’t improving your game through other poker players, you most likely are missing the boat. At the very least, discussing poker with other players will help you understand how other players think, which will help your hand-reading skills at the table.
Professional athletes also work hard at preparing themselves physically for their sport. This makes sense, given that most sports have an important physical element. Poker doesn’t have that kind of physical element, but fitness is still important for the mind. Numerous scientific studies have shown that exercise and diet impact cognitive abilities, stamina, energy, focus, and concentration. Students score better on tests when they have had a healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep.

Businesspeople are more productive when they eat healthy meals. Seniors are more alert and focused when they exercise regularly. Dimat (the publishing company that I own) recently published a new book, Peak Performance Poker by Travis Steffen, which discusses this topic in more detail.

So, are you a professional? Maybe you are earning a decent living from poker, but could be doing even better by learning from professionals in other fields. A good place to start is setting some goals and organizing your time to help you achieve them. If you are out of shape, find the time to start exercising, and work on changing your diet. Find the time to focus on your game, not just the daily grind. Be professional in your approach to poker and you might see results that you never expected. ♠

Matthew is the owner of Dimat Enterprises, “Publishing Today’s Best Poker Books.” Recent releases include Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha, Volume II and Volume III, by Jeff Hwang; Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em by Ed Miller, Matt Flynn, and Sunny Mehta; and Peak Performance Poker by Travis Steffen. Dimat printed books and e-books are available at Amazon and pokerbooks.InternetTexasHoldem.com.