How You Can Actually Earn a Living as a Professional Gambler

The life of a professional gambler is full of challenges, but no office job can offer that thrilling sensation you feel when you win a big prize.

Placing a bet on your favorite soccer team every now and then or playing a game of blackjack in a casino can be fun and might even earn you a few pounds. At some point you might even consider combining business and pleasure and making a living out of your hobby. However, being a pro gambler is no fun and games.

Veiled in mystery, the profession has many advantages, but it also implies a lot of responsibility and discipline. It’s certainly nothing like what you see in the movies. Most of the pros out there don’t do it just for the money. They’ve worked hard for years, in order to perfect their skills and turn gambling into a real art.

You won’t see these guys in a regular British poker room or casino. Most of the time they’ll be hiding in private rooms, only going against people who can afford to play no-limit. In just one night, they risk amounts of money that others earn in a whole year. Many say they do it for the rush they get every time they sit down at a table.

Read the following tips and suggestions to find out more about how you can earn a living by working as a professional gambler:

The world’s best poker players have won millions of dollars using their skills:

• Antonio Esfandiari – $25,497,310

• Daniel Negreanu – $21,824,255

• Erik Seidel – $20,573,885

• Phil Ivey – $19,019,874

• Sam Trickett – $18,739,447

Know your game – Some are good at calculating the odds for a football match, others think sports betting is too risky and prefer to use their skills to play poker. First thing you need to learn about this profession is that winning is not all about the numbers. Counting cards or learning neat tricks won’t be enough. You have to know all the rules to your game and practice it as much as you can.

Work hard – Speaking of practice, simply playing a few hands on an online gambling site in the UK won’t do. Becoming a professional gambler requires hours and hours of research and hard work. Ian Erskine, a famous pro gambler, has this to say about his profession: “If you want to earn good money you have to treat it like you would any other profession of similar income.”

Be disciplined – Continuing the same line of thought, the fact that you don’t have a boss anymore and don’t have to be in at the office by 9 a.m. does not mean that you can afford to be disorganized, distracted or lazy. It is very important to be disciplined.

Use your head – Stick to what you know and don’t take any chances. There is no place for irrational decisions in this line of work. If you’re not sure about which team to wager on, stay out of it. Don’t sit down at the poker table just because you “feel lucky”. The beautiful woman next to you won’t make the dice fall in place just right, simply by blowing on them. Base your actions on your knowledge, not on whims.

Learn to read the hidden signs – Psychology plays a big part winning at casino games, especially in poker. You have to learn to read body language, watch for every vibe your adversaries give off, and use the information to your advantage. And, of course, you’ll have to do your best not to give away your own secrets.

Get your life in order – Figure out what’s more important for you in life: having a family or being a professional gambler? Unfortunately, the two don’t seem to go well together. Your personal life and career life cannot interfere.

Always be ready – Being a pro gambler has the advantage that, as you’re not tied to a specific company, you can live anywhere you want. But it also means you have to travel a lot and be ready whenever you’re needed.

There are several perks as well, because casinos tend to shower their best clients with drinks, food, complimentary rooms, access to special tournaments and much more. The best part is that, once everybody gets to know your name at a certain casino, you’ll be able to negotiate a discount for your losses.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose – Well… this advice is pretty much self-explanatory. Losing is inevitable and as long as you can’t avoid it, make sure you can at least afford it.

Learn to lose – Accepting that you’ve lost and not letting it affect you is probably one of the most difficult things in being a professional gambler. The important thing is to not let it get to you. Keep working harder, stay focused and never give up.

Though it might be hard, especially at first, becoming a pro gambler is certainly a viable career option. It implies getting used to a whole different lifestyle, but for some people it’s completely worth it. Do you think you have what it takes to become a professional gambler?