When you think of the lifestyles of the best online poker players, you may picture flashy automobiles, exotic vacations, and extravagant shopping sprees. Poker, however, is not all glitz and glamor. It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to achieve the success and wealth seen on television.
Extreme time and effort are required to achieve success professionally through online poker games. Let’s take a look behind the scenes at the daily routines of your favorite poker pros. After that, you’ll know for sure whether the adage “is poker a hard way to earn an easy living?” is accurate.
Misconceptions regarding professional poker
First, we need to clarify some common misunderstandings about the poker industry so you can get a feel for what it’s like to be a professional player. Many people think that professional poker is an easy way to earn a lot of money in a short amount of time. Contrary to popular belief, there is no fast money to be made in poker.
Some poker pros may have easy lifestyles, but those that play the game professionally online or off have to put in a lot of hard work. Most successful people are thrifty by necessity. When it comes to everyday expenses like groceries, even poker pro Daniel Negreanu recommends cutting down. Professional poker players may make a living or even a fortune, but the vast majority don’t even come close to the top earners in the game.
Contrary to popular belief, poker players are not all after the same large score. A poker player’s life is well-planned. No, they don’t “live on the edge.” The key to winning in poker is more than just confidence and brashness. Your heroes aren’t wasting time trying to luck into success; they’re busy putting in the effort necessary to become even greater.
How professional poker players live their lives
Source: marketwatch.com
Long working hours
Modern players have more freedom in their schedules because of online poker, but they still put in long hours. Workers in the professional sector are often put in anywhere between eight and twelve-hour days. The average professional poker player spends around 70 hours each week honing their skills.
Constant study
Poker pro Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu suggests devoting at least 20% of your effort to learning the game. This could sound extravagant in any other profession, but it’s consistent with the habits of the best poker players online and off.
If you want to win in poker, you need to use your brain. Even if you’re dealt a good hand, a skilled opponent with a bad one might steal your money.
Pro athletes adhere to a rigorous study schedule. They devote two hours daily to studying internet poker videos and high-quality poker manuals.
Bookkeeping and self-evaluation
Poker players are no strangers to maintaining records and evaluating their own performance. Database reviews and poker session reviews are two common synonyms for this kind of analysis.
After a long, challenging day, professionals don’t just sit back and rest. The players instead keep meticulous records of their expenditures and winnings throughout each session. This may be challenging since these experts play simultaneously at many online poker tables.
Keeping accurate financial records is essential, and self-assessment is a vital part of that. In order to improve their play and avoid making the same errors again, professional poker players often examine their hands after each game and make mental notes. They can manage their funds better with the aid of bookkeeping, and they may monitor their progress and identify areas for development by doing self-evaluations.
Taking responsibility for their health
Source: theargus.co.uk
While traditional players weren’t always renowned for prioritizing their health, today’s best players recognize the importance of physical fitness. A contemporary player’s daily routine consists of actions that improve their psychological and physiological well-being. To that end, it’s important to schedule in time for the gym, plan ahead for nutritious meals, and pursue activities like sports and gardening.
Professional Matthew Wheat believes that success in best online casinos that payout requires a well-rounded lifestyle that includes activities other than poker. This might include time with loved ones, participation in pleasurable extracurricular activities, or a renewed commitment to a fitness routine.
Playing poker well requires a keen mind. Professional athletes train hard and watch what they eat to achieve this. To show that this is the norm, consider the bodies of the best tournament players.
Successful gamblers realize there is more to winning than just luck or good judgment. It all comes down to how you keep yourself in check.
Defeats in games
In the eyes of the public, professional athletes compete in a few high-profile contests, collect their paychecks, and then retire. Professionals often play dozens of games every day. They make the most of their time by playing many games at once. This implies that their opponents are vastly diverse in terms of skill level.
This means that even the best players lose some of the time—just numbers. Losing is inevitable if you play often enough. They expect to lose sometimes, but that doesn’t stop them from continuing to play.
Having fun with burnout
Source: stackedhomes.com
The professional level requires daily practice and games. Burnout is inevitable under these conditions. Professional poker players have reported feeling exhausted for weeks after engaging in extensive multi-tabling.
However, they understand that playing at the professional level is more like running a company than playing for fun. A player’s commitment to the team requires them to play on good and poor weather days. Becoming a professional poker player means demonstrating your commitment daily.
Frequent travel
People who like playing poker live will have to travel a lot. Since internet poker still needs to be wholly permitted throughout the United States, many players choose to make special trips to attend specific tournaments. Many professionals in live tournaments spend the vast majority of their year in various hotel rooms.
Tournament preparation
Source: pokernews.com
Time management, commitment, and preparation are all essential, but they must be amplified many times over to prepare for a live or online poker event. Additional preparation time is needed to formulate a winning tournament strategy. The best players spend a lot of time honing their techniques and perfecting their skills. In a lengthy, exhausting competition, it is not usually the newly acquired talents that will help them but rather the methods they have honed over time.
It’s crucial to keep your mind sharp over a lengthy tournament. Professional poker players know to stay away from sugary meals before a tournament. As a result, they choose a diet that is high in protein and other nutrients. Although sleep may be disrupted by the long hours required to succeed in the poker industry, obtaining enough shut-eye in the days leading up to a tournament is essential.
There is no “right” strategy for preparing for a tournament since some players enjoy kicking back and unwinding while others work hard to perfect their game. No matter how they roll, booze is never acceptable.
