To Be a Professional: The Money

Published: November 11, 2019

Updated: February 4, 2020

What makes you a professional?

If you made $200,000 a year playing poker, would that make you a professional poker player? What if you made $50,000 a year? $15,000? $5,000?

For me, the difference between an amateur poker player and a professional poker player is the reason they play. An amateur does it for the love of the game. A professional does it because they made a commitment.

But for most people the difference between an amateur poker player and a professional poker player is the money.

But how much money does it take to make a difference? Would you be a professional poker player if you only made $500 a year?

There is a threshold, a minimum amount that you need to make to be a professional poker player.

The exact number varies from person to person. For some people, it’s what they make at their current job. For some, it is the minimum amount they can live on. For some, it is half of their total income. Or three-quarters. Or all.

The common thread is that you are not a professional poker player until you depend on your poker income.

Professional poker players depend on the money they win in poker.

When you depend on the money you win in poker, you are no longer an amateur playing for love, you are a professional with a commitment to poker.

To fulfill your commitment, it is not enough to be good at poker. You need to play regularly. To do that, you need to maintain your bankroll. And to do that, you need to understand your bankroll requirements and keep good records.

What else do you need to be a professional poker player? Leave a comment.