Feb 23, 2010 How to Become a Professional Poker Player. Friday nights have become a tradition in your friend group: you all settle down to a friendly game of poker and you always win. That desk job you have doesn't look so glamorous anymore. How to Become a Professional Poker Player. If it was easy to become a professional poker player, believe me the world would be full of such people! However, if there is one card game that can often take a lifetime to master it is poker, and not every player is going to have what it takes to become a professional poker player.
floatingflops
over 4 years ago
Although I agree that you have to treat poker as a business if you are going pro, let's paint a more realistic picture of what expenses really look life for those that don't have their own personal chef.
Rent for a one bedroom in Las Vegas: $700
Utilities: elec, internet, etc. $300
Food: $400, less if you eat with your comps
Car + insurance + gas: $400
Total: $1800
If you make $20 hr x 2080 hrs (full work year) you get $41,600
Taxes are not 30% in this bracket but for sake of argument we will use it. Gross after taxes: about $29,000
Monthly income: about $2,400.
Income - nut = $800 disposable income every month.
Anyone working their tail off now at a job they hate have an extra $800 at the end of every month? Me neither.
Replytrentbridge
over 4 years ago
Become A Professional Online Poker Player
Except floating flops - if you worked at a regular job that pays $20/hr - you get a paycheck every two weeks - the income tax is already taken out and your employer pays half of your social security. (6.65%) Plus you might even get two weeks paid vacation to go to the WSOP in Las Vegas.
Self-employed as a pro poker player, you aren't guaranteed any income and you owe 15.3% self-employment tax in lieu of social security.
You can't reduce a decision like this to accounting - you have to be comfortable making your living in a skill/talent based business that has nine folks at your place of business who believe they are as talented/skilled as you are - all wanting to take your money. It's the same world faced by writers, actors, musicians, comedians, artists, and professional golfers. The rewards at the top are extreme but there are no guarantees that more than 2% will ever reach those heights. Even established players are eager to take on sponsors - write books / do commercials/ sell teaching videos etc to make some income away from the felt.
ReplyHow To Be A Pro Poker Player
skippy01
over 4 years ago
Pro Poker Players
$1,000 per month for food? And you are a vegan?
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Vegan-4-00-Day-Conscious/dp/1570672571