Reality for the Wanna-bes

While visiting Atlantic City several years ago, I took a walk through the city projects. There were many inner-city youths practicing their basketball shots in the local park, and some were pretty darn good at it. You could see the dream of playing basketball in the NBA in their eyes and in their hearts. I see the same thing on the driving range at the golf course near my home; right after school gets out every day, I see the same kids driving balls, practicing day in and day out, and talking about who won the last professional tournament. The dream of playing on the PGA tour burns within them. Chances are, sad to say, that none of these kids will ever make those dreams reality.

Sure, some will perform admirably, and will make a good effort and showing. And making a good showing is an accomplishment, and is not easy, by any means. But for most of these kids, some flaw will hold them at a lower level than others are capable of attaining. Maybe it's physical, maybe it's mental, and maybe it's emotional or intellectual. But for every one who makes it, thousands break their hearts trying.

The same is true in poker. We have no governing body that regulates the number of members of a professional grouping. Anyone can play! And as is the case with basketball, golf, and other sports, tens of thousands dream of competing at a professional level. There are fewer barriers to taking your shot at professional poker. All you need is money and you can compete. The lifestyle appears to be a grand one. There's great food and tourist destination resort living, and you can be your own boss and surround yourself with the attractive, successful, and interesting people who are drawn to the gambling and tip-income lifestyle.

But, as is often said, it is a hard way to make an easy living. The competition is continuously getting tougher and tougher. Sure, some players make great scores and live lavishly thereafter. However, they are few and far between; for most professional poker players, the reality of their existence is a day-to-day grind at the tables. In order to succeed, you need to come mentally prepared to play every day. To win on a consistent daily basis, you must get up in the morning and want to fight. The emotional swings and stresses involved burn out many who have the intellectual capacity and knowledge. They drain you mentally, emotionally, and physically. Players lose their minds, their hearts, and, unfortunately, over time, their spirit. Poker taxes the human soul.

It is a dark and sad side of the poker world to see, the players with no quit in them who destroy their spirit trying. Some struggle year after year. For a few of them, their persistence pays off and they overcome the hurdles. Even for those who put it all together, keeping it all together is a much harder task.

Players constantly ask me for advice, looking to fulfill their dreams of playing professionally, about whether they should take the plunge. It can be a great life, and has been very good to me personally. It is a profession that is best suited for the young, when your heart is strong and your responsibilities are few. Almost always, my recommendation to those who ask is not to take the plunge. Too few survive. Of those who do, fewer still lead happy, well-adjusted lives. If you have what it takes in skills to make it at the poker table, and you put that level of effort into another field, you will probably do better.

Some players who take the plunge do well for a given time period. Then, as they go through the different stages in life that we all experience, their world changes. Maybe the games get tougher and pass them by; maybe they lose their skills through boredom; maybe they go through psychological changes; maybe they develop substance abuse problems dealing with the emotional roller coaster and stresses of the poker business; or maybe personal issues, relationship issues, or the death of a loved one causes a loss of focus and heart that starts a downward spiral. Often, going into a different stage of life, such as having children, changes the level of demands that you can put on yourself in order to maintain your poker game. Most players do not think about or prepare themselves for such issues until they are faced with them. Then, it is often too late. They have structured their lives with no other alternatives. Life becomes a constant struggle that slowly wears them down. Once the fight within them is gone, their days are numbered. Some have positive family lives and a safety net to fall into, but most do not. It is a sorry sight to see players who are has-beens, on their last legs struggling to survive.

Poker is a great game. It can be fun and social, and if the poker gods smile upon you, you might even win a few bucks. The flash and allure of the lifestyle and "easy money" draw many a soul into the life. Most who venture into the actual reality of it wish they had never started down that road. If you are giving up a lot in order to pursue that life, my advice to you would be to think about it deeply. Analyze what you are risking and have a clear picture of what you are getting into. And if you tell yourself to "do it," the odds are that you will be like most of those kids playing basketball on the blacktop or driving balls at the suburban golf course; your life will perhaps be better for the discipline gained from the effort of trying, but you're not likely to make it in the big show – but some will.

Good luck, and I'll see you at the tables.

Editor's note: Roy Cooke played winning professional poker for 16 years. He is a successful real estate broker/salesperson in Las Vegas – please see his ad below.