“How to become a professional poker player?” If you like playing poker, this is probably one of the questions you’ve asked yourself.
After all, imagine being able to spend your days playing and still make money from it? No boss. No clock in or clock out.
Learning how to become a professional poker player is like dreaming of being a soccer player.
Making a living doing what you love and what you enjoy sounds too good to be true. But, in fact, it is possible.
However, just as a child who dreams of becoming a professional soccer player needs to train hard and dedicate his body and mind to the game, a poker professional must also dedicate the hours of his day to preparing for a match.
As the old saying goes “hard training, easy game”!
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How to become a professional poker player? What you need to know before you start
Becoming a professional poker player requires a lot of study and training. That’s what the best players in Brazil say.
In practice, you need to spend more hours studying than playing.
With that in mind, let’s move on to the rest of the tips on how to become a professional poker player.
Legality of poker in Brazil
This subject generates a lot of doubts among Brazilian players, so it’s worth pointing out that poker games are completely legal in Brazil because they are not considered games of chance.
According to § 3 of article 50 of law 3.688/41, games of chance are those “in which winning and losing depend exclusively or mainly on luck”, such as casino roulette wheels.
In other words, professional poker players can continue playing without the risk of being seen as criminals or stopped by police inspection.
Therefore, poker tournaments are legal and there is no ban on them. However, casinos are prohibited.
Precisely because of the ban on physical casinos in Brazil, online poker has become the most accessible and convenient option for those who want to become professional players.
There are several online platforms that offer a wide variety of poker games, from tournaments to cash game tables. We’ll tell you more about them later in this article.
Develop your skills
In order to make money playing poker online, it is essential to develop solid skills in the game and adopt a strategic approach.
To do this, it is essential to dedicate time to studying advanced poker strategies, such as:
- game theory
- hand analysis;
- bankroll management (the name given to the amount of money set aside exclusively for playing poker).
Speaking of which, mastering poker terminology is essential to being a professional in the sport. Can you imagine a soccer player who doesn’t know what offside is? lol
To help you in this stage of your preparation to become a professional poker player, we have created the guide; “Poker Dictionary: get to know the expressions and terms of the game”.
Be disciplined in your betting
One of the commandments of how to become a professional poker player is that you need to be more rational and less emotional.
Maintain discipline and avoid playing at tables with stakes beyond your available bankroll.
You should manage your bets responsibly, setting aside a portion of your profits and avoiding excessive risk.
An interesting way to increase your stakes without increasing your risk is to take advantage of bonuses and promotions offered by online poker platforms to increase your initial bankroll.
| Keep an Emergency Reserve: Set aside a portion of your bankroll as an emergency reserve to cover unexpected expenses or prolonged periods of bad luck. |
How to make a living from poker: 5 practical tips for becoming a poker player
Making a living from poker requires not only technical skills in the game, but also a professional and disciplined approach, which includes the following tips on how to become a professional poker player:
- Set realistic goals
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Study continuously
- Diversify your sources of income
- Manage your bankroll
1. set realistic goals
Mastering the rules of poker is a primordial necessity, which I don’t even need to talk about here, do I?
So let’s get straight to the setting goals stage. After all, setting realistic and measurable goals for your career, as well as working to achieve them, is essential to having good results in any business. Poker is no different.
2. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
By becoming a professional footballer, you are becoming an athlete.
We’re not exaggerating! The Brazilian Confederation of Texas Hold’em has stated that the Ministry of Sport is working to create a study group to regulate poker as a sport in Brazil.
As a sportsperson, you should take care of your physical and mental health, including regular exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep.
Get out of your head the movie scenes in which the poker player turns in late nights and drinks a lot of alcohol. This can happen when you’re an amateur, but not when your goal is to make a living from poker.
Read also: 11 types of Poker: how to play, tricks and rules to evolve as a player
3. Study continuously
To become a professional poker player, it is important to study a variety of topics related to the game, such as:
- Game Theory: master the fundamental principles, including concepts such as expected value and equity.
- Study different game strategies, including pre-flop, post-flop and tournament strategies.
- Learn to analyze poker hands, identify mistakes and make more informed decisions during the game.
- Master bankroll management techniques.
4. Diversify your sources of income
Relax! You don’t have to work in another field. In poker you can earn money in different ways.
As well as playing, consider creating a mentoring business for new players, for example. You could develop content such as coaching, create a YouTube channel (and monetize the videos) and even invest in related businesses.
5. Manage your bankroll
Defining an adequate bankroll is crucial to ensuring solid and sustainable financial management in poker.
To do this, assess your willingness to take financial risks and set a bankroll that is within the limits of your comfort.
As a general rule, it is recommended to have at least 20 times the buy-in of the game you plan to play. For example, if the buy-in for a tournament is $100, you should have a bankroll of at least $2,000.
Along with this, consider the variance of the game you intend to play. Games with higher variance, such as multi-table tournaments (MTTs), require larger bankrolls to cope with swings.
As you advance in your career and gain confidence (and knowledge) you can move up in limit, adjusting your bankroll to accommodate the new buy-ins. Similarly, if you’re on a bad streak, reduce your limits to protect your bankroll.
| Avoid putting your entire bankroll on the line in a single session or tournament. Divide your bankroll into smaller parts and play only a fraction in each session to minimize the risk of ruin. |
A bonus tip on how to become a professional poker player is to follow the greats. André Akkari is one of the best and most famous professional poker players in Brazil. So how about hearing some of his tips by watching the video below?
What are the main online poker sites in Brazil?
Do you want to start putting our tips on how to become a professional poker player into practice? Then online games can be a great way to go. Check out the following platforms:
- PokerStars: one of the largest and most trusted online poker platforms in the world, PokerStars offers a wide variety of games and tournaments for players of all levels.
- 888poker: with a user-friendly interface and attractive promotions, 888poker is a great option for beginners who want to start playing poker online.
- Partypoker: with a large community of players and a variety of game options, Partypoker is a popular choice among Brazilian players.
Becoming a professional poker player in Brazil can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.
By playing poker online, joining local clubs and investing in study and practice, you can turn your passion for poker into a lucrative and rewarding career.
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