Is it Possible to Make a Living Playing Poker in 2024?

A common goal among poker fans is to quit their 9–5 job and pursue poker full-time. Being a full-time poker player would be similar to owning a business and having complete control.

You are free to come and go as you like, play as much or as little as you wish, and wake up whenever you please.

Nevertheless, most people overlook that being one's boss requires high accountability.

Mental Toughness

Playing professional poker is not recommended for anyone with unstable emotions. If you cannot effectively manage your emotions and see the bigger picture, you have considerable work ahead.

Professional poker players will encounter incomprehensible variance. Arguably, your approach to these swings will be the most significant determinant of your ultimate success or failure. Nonetheless, anyone can improve by developing a winning poker mentality.

The mental game must occupy significant study time for all poker players. A lot of players would benefit from working with a mental game coach.

Set a Budget

For this reason, you should still have enough money to last you and your family for at least three to six months' worth of expenses and food. Ensure you save enough money to cover more than six months of living expenses. Having more is always preferable to having less.

Remember that your bankroll for poker is not the same as your savings. Be careful to keep these apart.

Study

It should go without saying that studying is necessary to become a professional, yet you'd be astonished at how many individuals believe they can get by on their own.

You could, at least temporarily. In 2024, the average poker player has improved and has gotten better. Beating them will require you to dedicate much time to studying poker.

You should research the game, techniques, moves, and tactics used by other successful poker professionals if you want to devote yourself to the game for an extended period as a professional.

Practice in addition to your studies. You may practice all the tactics you learnt at the casino or play online.

Nothing beats practice to master the game, and you'll improve as a player when you mix it with your studies and, after each online session, determine what you did wrong and fix your leaks.

You don't even need to spend much money on study materials, by the way. You can watch YouTube videos or Twitch streams and learn how the pros play in different spots.

Expand Your Poker Revenue Streams

Creating other revenue streams besides your poker winnings is strongly recommended. In reality, there are a lot of ways in which one may profit from poker apart from playing.

Start a poker blog: Surprisingly, most people don't do this. Poker blogs are easy to monetize if you have decent traffic. Blogging won't make you wealthy, but it might be an invaluable addition to your other sources of income.

Streaming: If you become a famous poker streamer, your poker earnings may not matter as much as your live stream on Twitch or YouTube. Several Twitch poker stars are losing players but earn six figures by streaming.

Sponsorship: You can look for sponsorship as a professional poker player. Most successful poker sites hire successful poker pros to brand their company and reach a wider audience.

Build a Pension Fund

Would you not want to be compelled to seek employment after retirement age? I can't imagine anything more depressing than playing poker nonstop until you're 65.

Professional poker players' resumes are not attractive in the job market. After playing poker for several years, you will struggle to get a real job.

You should have interests and aspirations beyond poker that you may eventually pursue. It is prudent to devise and implement an exit strategy proactively. Determine the amount required to retire at a specific age and then save accordingly.

Conclusion

Making a living playing poker in 2024 sounds fancy, but it is not a walk in the park. Most players who can make a living in poker with their disciplined approach and resilience will have better results if they pursue other ventures.