Why Parents Should Not Worry if You Decide to Become a Poker Pro

7 years ago
Why Parents Should Not Worry if You Become a Poker Pro
15:39
25 Jun

(Photo: CNBC.com)

When I was growing up, my parents were keen for me to find a job, settle down, and buy a house. I will spare you my rant about wishing they believed in bigger horizons for me than that, but it is certainly true that our parents usually want what they believe is best for us and have our best interests at heart.

Many young people have taken the plunge and sought to build a career for themselves as professional poker players. Following Black Friday, many online poker players even went as far as emigrating to a different country so they could continue to play online poker and try to make a living. This is quite a drastic life change, but it shows how serious these players were about staying in the game.

I wonder how their parents reacted to the announcement that their beloved child was following such an unconventional career path. I am sure many parents, with the very best of intentions, got very worried about the prospect of their child becoming a professional poker player. It was probably not what they had in mind as they waved them off to college or the answer they expected when they asked:

What are you going to do with your life?”

It is the intention of this article, however, to highlight of a few of the reasons why your parents and loved ones have no need to worry if you inform them that it is your intention to become the next Phil Hellmuth or Phil Ivey rather than the next corporate king. It might also offer you some helpful tips as to what you should have done or be doing if you are thinking about turning pro.



You Have a Proven Track Record in Poker

Your decision to become a professional poker player is not one you should not have taken lightly. Before you take the plunge, you should have a proven track record in the game so you know that you are able to earn money for your economic survival. This is not simply one big win but a record over time that demonstrates you have a legitimate edge in the games.

It is very easy to overestimate your poker abilities based on one good result or a short term period of success. Unless you can show multiple excellent results in tournaments or a reliable graph over a reasonable time period in cash games, then you are increasing the risk of not being ready, or not being good enough, to support yourself as a professional poker player. Playing lots of poker before relying on it as your sole source of income also prepares you for the times when you don’t want to play but must do so in order to get your hours in. Being able to “grind” is an essential skill of a professional poker player, and it is not called “grinding” because it is easy.


There is a Contingency Plan

Basing your earnings on the turn of a card is risky and you cannot feel too negative towards loved ones who note this fact. By having a contingency plan in place for if things go wrong or do not pan out quite as well as you hoped, you are reducing the risk of ruin.

Your “Plan B” does not have to be unrelated to poker. Streaming poker on Twitch is a popular way of monetizing your poker play and if you enjoy that type of user engagement and can multi-task you can build yourself a successful sideline by building a subscriber base that can bring in income as you play poker.

If you are good enough to be a professional poker player you may possess the technical skills to teachothers how to play better too. This gives you an opportunity to become a poker coach where you can earn anything from $25 - $150 per hour helping aspiring players polish their poker skills. This type of risk-free money could be a nice little sideline that offers you a bit of stability as you cope with the inevitable swings a poker player must endure at the tables.



You Manage Money Well

Bankroll management is very important for anyone who plays poker. Keeping your gambling money separate from your “life” money is vital to ensure bills and responsibilities are taken of no matter what. It also demonstrates to worried parents that you are not an irresponsible gambling addict being reckless with your life but that you have thought this through.

Although your parents would not understand this particular point, your chances of success are increased if you always play at the correct levels for your bankroll and manage your buy-ins by moving up and down as required. Be conservative with your bankroll as you cannot afford to go busto if you have no other income to replenish it. You must be able to play in order to win and without a bankroll this is impossible. Nurture it carefully!



You Are Not Work Shy

Parents will worry you are just plain lazy and you do not want the rigors of full-time work. This is a fair comment because most professional poker players do not mourn that they do not have a full-time job! However, you should dedicate a portion of your time to reviewing hand histories and working on plugging those leaks in your game that could cost you money over time. Discussing this development plan with your parents will reassure them that you are not simply planning to play a few hands of poker each day then chill out. You are going to makea serious commitment to beating the games and putting in the required amount of work to improve on an consistent basis in order to win over the long term.

When you can demonstrate that you can beat the games, that you have a plan for if things do not work out, that you work hard, and that you manage money well as a poker player, then you can genuinely reassure loved ones as you pursue this unconventional life route. There are lots of examples of players who have made the decision to turn professional and found that it was the best decision they ever made. There is no reason you cannot do well too, but you must do it in the right way. You owe it to the people that care about you not to cut any corners and take unnecessary risks with your life.


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Malcolm comes from Consett in the North East of England and is an avid poker player and writer.Read more

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