Today we will begin a look at being or becoming a poker pro, which has been a bit of a topic on the forum. Here is my take on the subject.

Plusses: There are many plusses for my chosen profession. These include:

· Naming your own hours.
· No bosses.
· Potential for huge scores.
· Meeting interesting people.
· Low start-up costs.
· Using your mind.
· Doing something you enjoy.

Let’s take a quick look.

Naming your own hours. I know a number of pros who gamble for a living for exactly this reason. Most pros (including the ones I am thinking of) make very little money, but enjoy considerable freedom, and that lifestyle makes the effort worthwhile.

No bosses. Assuming you can play from your own bankroll, you will not have a boss. Again, this is very pleasant as you are not beholden to anyone for your salary or annual increase or even to keep your job.

Potential for huge scores. There is a Holy Grail in poker and it is multiple major tournament wins, followed by fame, fortune, sex, TV exposure, adulation of the mob, an inflated ego, self-promotion and a ghostwritten book. And millions of dollars. It happens about as often as a Pop Warner football player becomes a Super Bowl quarterback, but it does happen. And it could happen to you.

Meeting interesting people. If you play live, you will be spending countless hours at the table. You might as well talk to the customers. Just yesterday, I had a nice talk with a former backgammon world champion from Europe. Sometimes you even get good advice about an investment, option or sports bet.

Low start-up costs. Unlike several other businesses you might decide to get into as a self-employed person, you can pretty much go into business whenever you wish. You do not have to find a storefront or office, buy furniture, hire staff, contract for utilities, or even advertise for customers. You just have to show up and pay rent while you are using the cardroom. And you can go into business for very little money.

Using your mind. There is great satisfaction from earning your living by simply doing something better than your competition. And it is fulfilling to use your brain to avoid doing “real work.”

Doing something you enjoy. Presumably people who become poker professionals do so because they love poker. (If not, they will be very sorry after a while). Millions of people are making a living doing something they at best tolerate and sometimes actively detest. So earning a living from an activity you truly love to do is very rewarding.

Okay, those are the positive things I can think of right now about being a professional poker player. And they are very seductive. Next week, I will continue this with a discussion of the negative factors about being a poker professional.