Lifestyle of a Pro Poker Player

Poker is a much-loved game across the globe, with players of all standards and abilities able to enjoy the game.

Be it for fun with some friends, to online casinos and poker competitions, there is so much variety. 

With just the basic poker strategy tips you are able to learn the basics of the game and be able to enjoy poker as a game, though those at the top of the game not only study their own game, but that of their opponents.

The life of a professional poker player is one which is envied by all. The ability to calmly deal with the pressure and read their opponents.

The incredible sums of prize money available are also a dream of many and the reality of so few.

Notable Winnings and Tournaments

In 2006 the World Series of Poker $10k Main Event saw 8,773 players enter to leave a prize pool of $82,512,162. By the time the tournament got down to the final 12, they were all guaranteed a pay-out of over a million dollars.

There are different invitational tournaments which are only available to the best players in the world. 

The Big One for One Drop is one of these which requires a buy-in of one million dollars. This brings with it huge prize pools and can make the winner a multi-millionaire. 

In 2021, 48 players competed, and the prize pool was set at $42.67 million in which the winner, Antonio Esfandiari, claimed the top prize of $18.35 million. This total today is still one of the highest pay-outs in poker history.

The basics and some natural ability may help get you to winning at poker nights with friends, but so much work is involved in being a top-level poker player.

Various Poker Styles

With different styles of poker being played, like Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud, there are so many different hands a player needs to learn.

There are 7,462 distinct poker hands and many professional players will claim to have played hundreds of thousands of hands in practice and competition.

As a professional poker player, you can compare the lifestyle in some way to a self-employed person. You are your own boss and self-motivation is vital for success.

It is vital to be able to motivate yourself when you are not winning, or to practice when you are struggling to get in the mood. Big losses or bad hands can infuriate a player and a true professional learns how to cope with the downs as well as the ups.

As the jackpots increased, more people became interested in becoming professional players and more research and training was put in.

The time spent on statistics and data driven training has given new players the chance to compete in a more modern game which gives the professional the ability to balance and comprehend in game probabilities. 

Tips For Being A Top Poker Player

Concentration and composure are key skills which require a lot of training. Being able to sit at the table and remain focused for such long periods is mentally taxing and it is imperative each player is prepared.

The old-fashioned view of the poker player drinking scotch and smoking while playing is a thing of the past. 

In order to maintain concentration and sharpness throughout marathon tournaments player have needed to look after their bodies better. Basic healthy lifestyle tips include exercise, eating well and sleeping enough is key to the game. It is not something that you can just turn up and do well every time.

Famous Players

Daniel Negreanu, one of the biggest stars of the game gave up eating meat in 2000 and went vegan in 2006. He is now in the best shape of his life which he attributes to his success.

He will eat well throughout the day, exercise in the mornings and train/compete for six hours a day through online poker.  During this time playing online, he will have a break to walk for an hour on a treadmill to keep his fitness and maintain his healthy lifestyle.

Justin Bonomo is the second highest earner from professional poker in the world and the American lives in a large apartment in Panorama Towers in the home of gambling, Las Vegas. 

There are around 70 other professional poker players in the building and Bonomo is often seen partying in the city with one of his girlfriends.

The star lives a polyamorous lifestyle, meaning he has multiple partners at the same time and his lust for life also ventures into investing in cryogenics in a bid to find a way dramatically changing the human lifespan. There are other basic investing strategy tips that other celebrities or people have used to maximise their bucks. 

After some controversy around his online poker playing at the start of his career, Bonomo went away from the game to practice and build his skill before returning better than ever.

He started studying books, learning from other players and uses training sites as well. The software available is used by most professionals in the game and has revolutionised how players train. 

Using this software has opened up a more detailed approach to learning how to prepare for each kind of hand you receive. The probabilities of other hands as well as different strategies by running millions of simulations.

Even basic worklife strategy tips can help prioritise your tasks and help you become more efficient for a successful working day. 

Software like PioSolver has given these hard-working professionals the chance to learn and improve further. With the training and commitment to put in, the rewards can arrive. 

Key Takeaway

By working hard putting in the hours to train, the chance to live the envied lifestyle many do is made possible. 

Being a professional poker player is a dream for many, and one with which hard work can bring unimaginable rewards.