How to Make Money From Poker For a Living

Monday, July 26, 2010

How to Make Money From Poker For a Living

I hear these song words intruding on my brain as I write this blog “Love the One Your With, Love the One Your With!” Obviously this song has nothing to with poker but this is my writing here and when I write EVERYTHING has to do with NL Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud or online poker! In this case loving poker and how to make money from it, the obvious is of course win!

“Love the one your with” is something every single one of us should do both on and off the poker tables. I went through an online poker “fad” of playing only heads up. I was really, really worried. I was thinking over and over that this could affect my other games such as poker tournaments and cash play. I was however making money.

Poker is like riding a bike; we never forget how to play. Once we learn certain skills they may need a touch up now and again, but they are there forever! Mastering skills is the issue. We can play poker for a life time and will never actually master the game. Back to the point >

For weeks I am playing only heads up poker and had the thought this would affect my other games. I consulted friends and associates with great knowledge on the game whom I have the utter most respect for. They told me it would make no difference to my other games, while you are having fun, making money and loving it – stick with it!

I did just that, I loved heads up and continued loving the game (one) I was with at the time. This actually improved my other games. When I am heads up at the end of a tournament, I rarely lose. When I am playing against only one other opponent in a Texas Hold’em cash game (as everyone else has folded), I usually take down the pot.

Many people that play poker overlook the fact that they are there to make money. It is a job that so many of us enjoy but it can also be monotonous. Let me ask you something, would you rather play poker and make money or work a monotonous factory job? Some players grind $3.30 Sng’s all day. These players play poker for a living and make a truck load of cash.

Playing poker can be a very boring task when you do it as a daily grind. Gotta love it though; love it a lot more then stacking boxes or magazines or watching tins go past in a dead end job right? Again love the one your with. Playing poker to make money isn’t all about the thrill of winning a big tourney. It isn’t all about playing deep stacks and gloating that you took it down. Poker as a career means playing a lot of boring stuff. Again though if you are making money, say $100 an hour. Why would you choose anything else? Yes you CAN do it!

If you sit and play double ups (I suggest 10 seater) all day long you are going to make a mint. Have 5 of these running at once (Do not need much attention paid in double ups) and at $10 a hit and you are making at least $100 and hour. Not many people make that much. Again, it is not about the gloating and rubbing big wins in peoples faces, its about making money from poker as a living. May the grind begin and time it like a job and LOVE the work you do!

“Love the one your with” and stick with it for as long as you love it. That’s my motto anyway!