Taking Your Poker Hobby to the Next Level

One of the great byproducts of this decade’s poker boom is that it has created new careers for thousands of people. Most notably, perhaps, is the increase in the number of people around the world who rely on their online poker winnings as their primary source of income. And now that Peter Eastgate, the 22-year-old who shunned college for poker, has become the youngest World Series of Poker Main Event champion of all time, even more poker enthusiasts may begin to look at poker as not just a hobby, but a career. If you are one of these people, I present to you some advice as you make the transition to a poker professional.

This is Your Job

Almost without exception, those who play online poker for a living point to the freedom to make their own hours, the ability to work at home, and the lack of a boss as the biggest perks of their unorthodox careers. These perks may lead one to believe that once you go pro, your typical day is all fun and games. To think this way is a big mistake.

When you go pro, you must treat poker as your job, because it is your job. Set up a work environment conducive to playing poker. Have a schedule – go to work at a certain time and leave at a certain time, just as if you had an “office” job. Understand that, even though you are playing a “game,” that this is a job and not play time. Of course, everyone works differently, so I’m not about to tell you every little thing that you should and should not do (hey, if having a television on makes you a better player, have at it), but always remember that while you should enjoy the perks of your job, work comes first.

Write it Down

Or type it out on the computer, whatever floats your boat. Keep records of everything work-related. Record the results of every session, not just so you can keep track of your basic cash flow, but also so you can be better prepared come tax time. Yes, you have to pay taxes. Organize your work expenses – things like your computer, your internet connection, even part of your mortgage or rent can be tax deductible (of course, consult a tax professional before taking my word for it). And, if you don’t already, purchase poker analysis software such as Poker Tracker, as it will allow you to keep track of every session and every hand in every situation. This will both help your financial record keeping and assist you greatly in the analysis of your own game.

Continuing Education

Just as professionals in other industries seek further training every year, so you should continue to learn beyond simply playing. Read poker books, engage in strategy discussion on internet message boards, check out poker training websites. Even if you don’t always agree with everything you read, you will come to understand the thought processes of other players better and will be able continue to refine your own.

Contingency Plan

For the love of all that is holy, if you are going to be a full-time internet poker pro, please, please, PLEASE invest in a backup internet connection. It does not have to be as robust as your primary one, just a cheap dial-up or low-end high speed service. Just make sure it’s ready to be hooked up to your computer within a few seconds. The last thing you want is to be a huge pot with the nuts, only to have your hand folded because of an internet crash. Think of it as a monthly insurance policy; you don’t want to ever have to use it, but you’ll be very thankful you have it if you ever need it. Secondarily, an uninterruptible power supply isn’t a bad idea, in case you lose power. At the same time, however, they can typically only power your computer (and you’d need to connect your modem, router, and monitor to it, as well) for a couple hours at most, so if you have an extended power outage, you’re out of luck.

It’s a Job, Not Your Life

For a lot of people who work at home, including me, it is sometimes hard to separate work from life. You are at home all day. Work time and free time can tend to blend together. And with online poker, there is always a game going on, so it’s easy to just hop on the computer during “non-work” hours and play, thus blurring the lines between work and home life further. So, while it can be hard sometimes to do so, especially considering you aren’t getting paid a salary, be sure you give yourself time off. Take a vacation. Spend a long weekend with family, away from poker. Refresh your mind. All of this is especially important if you are in the midst of a downswing. Sometimes a break is just what the bankroll needs.

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