Article Surfing Archive

Making a living playing online poker is certainly not for everyone. However, it can definitely be done. And for some it can be accomplished easier than you ever thought possible. Follow these seven steps and discover if making a living playing online poker is right for you.

1) Know What Games to Play

If you want to make a decent living playing online poker you must know what games to play. Yes, I can tell you which ones are more profitable than others but this decision is also dependent on you as an individual.

You personality and behavior traits are important ingredients to deciding which games to play. For example, if you are an impatient person don't play Free Roll tournaments. These tournaments usually take a minimum of fours hours to complete and the payout is very low for the time invested. You may be better off playing short-handed sit-n-gos.

On the other hand, if you're a fisherman who can sit out on your boat for six hours and not worry about even getting a bite on your line than big tournaments may be worth it to you.

2) Know Where to Play

Believe it or not some poker rooms are better to play than others. I have my list that I play at exclusively. But this has taken some trial and error and research to figure out. The reason I play at the rooms that I do is because, frankly, they're easier to win at. They have more inexperienced players that I can beat easily.

3) Use a Proven System

Flying by the seat of your pants is not an acceptable nor winning poker strategy. If you're new to poker it may be wise for you to do some research on different poker strategies to discover what works best for you. Don't worry you can always adjust it and update to fit your personality and playing style. But please understand you must have a system and apply that system if you want to win consistently.

4) Manage Your Bankroll Properly

Don't jump into a $100 sit-n-go 10-person table if you're just starting out. Get a feel for the game by playing at the smaller buy-ins and then move up the ranks to the larger buy-in tables.

I will say this. The money is made at the larger buy-in tables. For example the $30-$50 buy-ins. The reason? Because you don't have as many crazies as you do at the $5 tables. What I mean is anybody and everybody will play like a fool when they're only risking $5. But when they're playing with $30 or $50 they play a lot differently. However, they can still be beat quite easily!

5) Know When to Stop Playing and When to Keep it Rolling

If you're down on your luck stop playing for awhile. It makes no sense to keep playing when the cards aren't coming for you. On the other hand if you're on a winning streak play as long as you can. There is no reason to buck the trend when its going your way.

6) Schedule Quiet, Uninterrupted Time to Play

To be really successful in online poker you need to play in an uninterrupted, quiet setting. I do poker coaching for some of my students and it kills me when they have their two year old in their lap trying to play poker. How can the possible stay focused? They can't! Don't make that mistake.

7) Know What Time of Day to Play

Everyone is different here. Some say don't play during the day because that's when all the pros play. Others say don't play at night because that's when all the pros play. To me it doesn't matter when you play as long as you are following a sound strategy and system.

However, if you are mentally weak and need a perfect time of day to play. Test it out for yourself and then make a plan to play at that time every day.

Follow these seven steps and you'll be well on your way to making a living playing online poker.