Can You Make A Living From Gambling?

Most gambling fans play real money casino games such as online roulette or blackjack more or less casually, but there are some hard-core gamblers who have even managed to make a career out of their favorite pastime. While this may sound too good to be true, it is certainly possible.

However, we must keep in mind that becoming a professional gambler is not an easy feat. Even though some successful players may boast of having a winning strategy for a particular game, it’s not like there is a set of instructions telling you how to consistently earn a living this way.

Still, there are some things that are common for most people who play casino games professionally, which is what this article will focus on.

What Does It Mean to Be a Professional Gambler?

If we’re going to discuss gambling as a career, we might as well first define the notion of a professional gambler.

First, we must note that there are many passionate gamblers who spend inordinate amounts of time playing casino games with more or less success. Therefore, it is not easy to draw a line between gambling for fun and gambling as a career. Still, I’ll give it a shot.

An obvious determinant of a professional gambler would be that this person derives most of their income from playing casino games. Therefore, merely spending a lot of time gambling does not make one a professional. On the contrary — this can often be a sign of gambling addiction, which can lead a person to lose much more than they’ve earned.

Another trait of a career gambler would be using a thought-out strategy or any systematic approach to gambling, including constant learning, practicing, and improving of one’s skills.

While some professional gamblers learn tips and tricks from their fellow players, others like reading books, watching instructional videos, or even hiring a personal mentor to help them hone their skills.

What Games Can You Play to Earn a Living?

Not all casino games are played by professional gamblers. The fundamental distinction to make here is between luck-based and skill-based games. Understandably, the luck-based ones, such as online casino games and video slots, are not suitable for building a career on since their outcomes are difficult to predict. Sure, you may be on a winning streak occasionally, but the house will always win in the long term.

Of course, all casino games come with some element of luck, but some of them don’t depend on it heavily. Therefore, if you want to have some degree of control over the outcome of the games you play for a living, you should choose those based on skill. These games include blackjack, poker, video poker, daily fantasy sports, and sports betting.

Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games and one of the few games where you can use your skill to beat the house. We’ve all heard stories about brilliant blackjack players who’ve managed to make a fortune. One of the more famous instances is the tale of a Hollywood heartthrob, Ben Affleck, who was banned from Vegas casinos for counting cards, but not before he managed to scoop hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings.

While card counting may be an excellent strategy for increasing your chances of winning, it’s not easy to master, not to mention that it’s frowned upon by casinos. Players who do manage to use it successfully had better blend in well with other players and master the art of calm and collected demeanor, or else they might suffer the same faith as our A-lister above.

Poker

When it comes to playing poker for a living, things get a little more complicated. Needless to say, playing poker well is a feat in and of itself, but being exceptional at poker is an achievement that takes a lot of time, effort, and, let’s face it — talent. What’s more, apart from playing against other players, you also have to take into account the rake percentage that most cardrooms charge.

Therefore, to even begin considering playing poker as a career, you have to be well-prepared, read some books, get enough practice and become quite confident in your skills. You also need to create a habit of tracking your winnings and losses, as the latter may add up over time.

Also, take into account that most professional poker players earn money by playing against weaker opponents, so make sure not to go for the big fish immediately, as you may end up being the one getting eaten.

Video Poker

In certain ways, playing video poker is similar to playing slot machines, as it is difficult to influence the outcome of the game. However, there is one big difference — in video poker, you know the odds of winning, so it is possible to calculate the amount the progressive jackpot has to reach for you to have a positive expectation of winning.

However, most gamblers who play video poker professionally do so in a team. Usually, the team finds a progressive video poker game that has a jackpot amount, which provides higher odds of winning. Then, the players start playing the said games and do so until they’ve won a jackpot, after which they split the reward.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Playing daily fantasy sports is one of the most contemporary ways to earn money gambling. To make a consistent income, you have to beat the other contestant more than half of the time since the casino takes a fee for facilitating the game, thus decreasing the prize pool.

In case you decide to participate in a contest with many players, you won’t have to win as many times to profit. Another way to succeed in earning a living with video poker is to play against less experienced players. Still, it goes without saying that you should be prepared to face more advanced contenders, as well.

Sports Betting

Betting on sports is one of the most popular ways to earn money gambling. However, becoming a good sports bettor — not to mention making a career of it — is no walk in the park. Most of it comes down to the simple math of calculating the odds of winning and taking the sportsbook vig into account.

However, sportsbooks have their own systems in place that allow them to collect money while paying out the smallest amounts possible. That’s why, in order to be a successful sports bettor, it is important to be well-versed in sports betting systems and know the bookies’ inner workings.

Final Thoughts

Although becoming a professional gambler sounds like an easy way to make money, you have seen that it can be quite complicated to get started. However, not only is it possible to make a living gambling, but it can also turn into quite a lucrative career, especially if you have the talent, invest a lot of effort, and get a little help from Lady Luck.

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