Poker for a Living...? Really?!?

This was taken from a thread on the PokerManila forums, and is a nice thread to read because it is an issue that will come up constantly - and by "constantly" I mean "whenever anyone in your family so much as sees you holding a deck of cards...

"I'm just curious. Who among you plays poker for a living? I mean, the profession is not really popular here in the philippines, I think...I have lots of questions... I'm just curious about the ups and downs of playing professionally. I mean, in a desk job you dont risk your money to earn money.  

I just find the concept of playing poker as a profession really fascinating... I'm sure Im not the only one who's curious..."


The more common thread once this starts being discussed is of course the "isn't this just gambling?" issue.  Another key issue: "is it just a game meant to be fun, or can you really live off it?"  To this I offer the analogy of the stock broker and the professional basketball player.  One is truly gambling with a suit on to look like he has a real job.  The other is truly just playing, but gets paid to do it.

So where is the poker pro between these two archetypes?  Well, I don't believe we are gamblers, and I do believe we are making money out of having fun...


".....is it as financially rewarding as it is fun?"
One forum poster said:


"When poker is your living, it's either fun or financially rewarding, it can't be both..."

...kind of a  half-joke-half-truth here.  in general i believe it can be both, because it's fun when it is (long-term) financially rewarding.  It's the moment to moment swings between "fun AND financially rewarding" to "f@#kING RIVER" that turns this hobby/job into a psychological beatdown...

One of the keys to surviving this is to step out of the player box and round yourself out.  I got into poker to use it to become a better person.  Yes, i take other people's money with no remorse, but that is the price for the "entertainment" we are "selling" (the thrill of the game and the chance to take my money as well) - i believe this was a previous poster's point about likening us to the entertainment industry.

Back on point:  approach it like you would any job - as a complete professional with a passion for it.  Just like the way an employee who just punches in and out daily to do what he's told is not going to have fun or experience growth, I believe in having a sense of ownership in your industry and its community.

So you need to have a plan, do your homework, study your profession (skill up!), your "market" (places to play, players who play, etc...) and CRUNCH YOUR NUMBERS!  It sounds like a happy-go-lucky life, but maybe you will have to hire an accountant to take care of headaches like cashflow projection into the next six months...

Again, like any job or entrepreneurial endeavor, you have to have a reasonable capital and start scraping income from the entry-level.  The "promotion" might come in two months, or it might come in two years.  You gotta put in the hours and put your back into it like anything else.  Seriously.

As an industry/community, Filipino poker is a baby, but it is undeniably growing, so part of "going pro" is to grow with it not just as a player, but as an actual invested professional that contributes to the big picture.  (If you are what they call a "company man" you know exactly how this works.)  There are so many things going on off the table that you can get into as well!

For me, that is a big part of the profession that keeps it fun, and allows me to keep half-a-foot in the semblance of a workforce/society.  Kill the tables for profit, but show love for your industry's community by doing things off the table.