Friday nights have become a tradition for your group of friends to gather: you and your friends play poker for fun and you always win. The desk job you have doesn't look all that great anymore, especially since you can earn quite a bit of money playing something you love. If you feel good enough to be a professional poker player, now is the best time to start.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Developing Yourself from Scratch to Become a Professional Poker Player
Step 1. Start young
4 out of 5 World Series poker champions are under the age of 25. Apparently, the younger you start, the better chance you have of reaching the pinnacle of glory. This tends to be due to age, as the younger you are, the less fearful and aggressive you are.
- Knowing how to play poker alone is not enough. You have to learn the overall strategy, how to bluff, and how to detect an opponent who is bluffing.
- In many countries, a person must be 21 years of age and over to enter a casino. However, in some countries, the rules that apply are not the same – and sometimes the rules that apply in each room are different. If you're under 21, find a place in your neighborhood that allows you to play with other people who are just as serious as you.
Step 2. Be a really good person in the game of poker
The thing being talked about here is really reliable. Reliable here means that you win more often than you lose, and go home with some money. It doesn't matter if you play in the same small casino every day, you have to be a regular winner at the game.
- Try to play with all types of people. People you can read, those you can't read, who keep using the same strategy, who have no strategy at all – let your opponents describe all the personalities that exist. When you find an opponent that is your weakness, target him and keep playing with him until your weakness disappears.
- Don't just play hold'em poker. Learn how to play Omaha, 5-card draw, and 7-card stud too. The more variations of poker you know, the more proficient you will be. Also, you might run into a tournament with those poker variations too someday.
Step 3. Monitor playing hours to at least 1,500 hours
When you hear this, you'll say "Oh man, that sounds hard." And indeed it is difficult – to make poker a major source of income, you have to really put in the effort. This means that you have to monitor every game and the final result achieved. Here are three reasons:
- By doing so, you are forced to see how much money you have spent when you lose. So don't lie to yourself. If you're losing, you need to know that so you can stop playing and find something else to win.
- By doing so, you can also see how much money you are actually making. You have to know it to determine the amount of money you can bet and how much you have to play to suit your lifestyle.
- By doing so, you can also see your weaknesses. If you write down enough details, you will see a pattern of mistakes that have been made.
Step 4. Determine the budget
Since you already have a watchlist, this part is easy to do. How much money should you earn in one month to be financially secure? For some people, they need around 70 million rupiah, while for some people, the money they have to get can be almost 350 million rupiah. Have you made your target money playing full time? How much money do you make on average every hour?
If you believe that you have to bet bigger to make more money in less time, then your competitiveness has increased. You can play in tournaments with other reliable players, or you can also play in the local area and develop slowly at a steady tempo. How far are you capable?
Step 5. Play under intense pressure
Playing Jimbo and Bubba from the streets and constantly beating them is not the same thing as beating players in the VIP room on the red carpet constantly. To ensure that you are a quality player, play in intense situations. Can you stay calm in such a game situation?
Keeping calm and thinking logically is a big part of playing poker. Sometimes even good players get nervous and end up doing something they regret. As you get used to intense competition, you'll get used to the anxiety and the anxiety itself will (at least partially) go away
Step 6. Know your bankroll
Bankroll is a term for how much money you must have in your pocket to play. There are two types of bankrolls:
- Limit Poker bankroll. The most commonly used number as a poker limit is the big bet of 300. Determine how much money you have to bet to make your target amount of money. Once done, estimate the earnings rate of one big bet in an hour. After that, multiply the big bet number by 300. If you play with a bet of IDR 130,000 to IDR 260,000, with a big bet of IDR 520,000, you will have an income level (by playing 40 hours a week) of IDR 20,800. 000, and you need a bankroll of IDR 156,000,000.
- No-limit Poker bankroll. This bankroll regulation does not have a predetermined standard. Start with a general rule of thumb, which is roughly 20 to 25 down payment (buy-in). If you have decided to play with a maximum bet of IDR 6,500,000, then you must have a bankroll of IDR 162,500,000.
Part 2 of 3: Honing Poker Skills
Step 1. Find a reliable place to make money
Being a professional poker player doesn't mean you have to be famous in the poker world: being an international poker player means you make poker your job. You don't have to travel the world to become a professional poker player – you just have to make it your main source of income. If you find a suitable place or two, then keep playing there. Such places are your main source of income.
You're also more likely to develop a reputation for yourself if you keep playing in one or two places. People may start to not want to play with you, or worse, they will recognize your habits and strategies. If you feel things like that, you may have to find a new place and play with strangers who don't know you yet
Step 2. If you live outside the United States, play poker online
If you are the lucky person who is a great poker player, but lives outside the United States, you can play poker online to fill your bankroll. Most people find online poker easier – and it's often quicker, less cumbersome, and arguably easier to make money from people you don't meet in person.
If you live in the United States, you can play poker online, but it may not be legal. The United States recently passed a new law that prohibits banks from dealing with online poker companies. However, you can play it for free for practice – or you can hack into the system and get an overseas IP address, though that's not the recommended way
Step 3. Start expanding your bankroll
You need some previously won money to play seriously. You need that money to make a down payment and bet, and also for when luck is not on your side. Every time you win, put half of the money you hold directly into the bankroll. If you play poker often, you should have a sizeable bankroll within a few months.
Don't be tempted to participate in intense tournaments if you don't have enough bankroll yet. You may end up losing all the money you've made and having to start all over again. Be patient
Step 4. Keep an emergency life fund as well
Some people are not smart in playing something that requires expertise. Such people end up losing all the money they have in a single bet that they believe will pay off a big win. They return home with empty pockets and have to ask for generosity from their friends. Don't let yourself be like that! Save enough money for hard times, just in case you become a little addicted to the game of poker and suffer consecutive losses.
If you start to feel addicted, seek help as soon as possible. Gambling addiction can destroy your life, as well as your family members and loved ones. Tell us about your problem or call telephone service if you need one
Step 5. Don't be shy about going back to lower levels
So you've beaten Jimbo and Bubba, then you played in a big tournament at some nearby casino and managed to win, after that you went to Vegas and got beat? Forget self-respect and go back to a lower level. Hone your game, then try again. You don't have to feel ashamed.
Think of this as an opportunity to grow. Where did you screw it all up? What can you do to get better results? Instead of letting this hurt your ego, take it as a sign that you can improve
Part 3 of 3: Reaching the Peak of Glory
Step 1. Enter cash games and tournaments
Regular poker games at nearby casinos run well and smoothly, but to get to something more serious, you need to participate in cash games and tournaments. Visit some of the biggest casinos in your area and join regional poker organizations for opportunities to make money.
Large tournaments (such as the World Poker Tour) require you to pay a deposit of 10 thousand dollars (approximately Rp. 135,000,000). A tournament of this size is held for people who have a lot of money to spend. Make sure that you have a stable financial condition before trying a level so far
Step 2. Learn from great people
Poker has a long history of great and skilled people playing it. Knowledge of great people can be accessed easily. Read a book, watch a video, or take a poker class. Find inspiration from successful people to show that you can do it too.
- Start with Phil Gordon's 'Little Green Book' or Doyle Brunson's 'Super System II'. You will find some aspects of the game that you have never thought of before.
- Some poker sites are deceptive and try to earn your money by providing useless material, especially if you are a good enough player. Do your research before buying anything to know that you are actually getting something legit.
- If you know some poker players who can teach you, then learn from those people. Having a poker coach (even when you're good enough) can drastically change the way you play for the better. You will benefit from learning something and they will benefit from teaching someone they care deeply about. This is a mutually beneficial condition.
Step 3. Move to bigger and better casinos and tournaments
As you learn at local casinos and gambling halls, seek out and be part of bigger tournaments. However, take it slow and think realistically about your finances and skills. In this real world, the slow and steady player wins the race.
At this stage, you should have hundreds of connections that can help you get information about the world of poker. Do some online research, sign up for newsletters, and stay in touch with people who are often part of the tournaments and games that interest you
Step 4. Get out of your day job
Once you have enough money to live on and are confident that you can continue to be rich, this is a good time for you to step out of office hours. But remember: now you have to play poker. Playing poker becomes your only option. The stakes for you are even higher than before. Even so, it may improve your game.
Try to take other opportunities you get when you become a pro, such as teaching, writing a book, or starting a website. This way, poker becomes your life, but you don't have to play 40 hours a week and keep winning. Even if you are a professional poker player, life can still be stressful
Tips
- When bluffing, try not to do it over and over again. If you do, other players will find out about your plan and realize you're bluffing, then you may lose.
- You can buy poker games for game consoles so you can play on your own and practice.
- If you know someone who is great at poker, ask that person to help and teach you what they know.
