At What Point Can a Poker Player Be Considered 'Professional'?

Alex Sentsov · Nov 16, 2016

In that moment, when he will be able to make a living playing poker for a living.

Crazymoney16 · Nov 16, 2016

Should I do consider myself a professional? It is necessary to pursue their goals and develop their game. Let others talk about your professionalism or not. Is your purpose just consider yourself a professional?

shody · Nov 16, 2016

I consider you are a pro when you win enough to live just from poker.

BubbleWizard · Nov 16, 2016

I believe a player becomes professional(or a master) when they eat poker, sleep poker, dream poker.

I don't think you can call "professional" a player that makes a living grinding the 0.05 cash tables.

Take a look at some poker pros: Negreanu, Hansen, Dwan or Phil Ivey... all they know is poker and they train hard everyday to become better. Some of the training they do is nosebleed cash tables with blinds going up to 200$-400$.
I believe a pro player is someone that has been in the game for at least 5 years and during these years they felt the crushing defeat and crippling self-loathing that comes along with poker and somehow they're still in the game with a profit.

roddypra · Nov 16, 2016

For me it is a set of factors that have been mentioned. Have this as the main source of income, because the dedication will be intense. Know how to merge your game and make it with a lot of variance to try to fool your opponents. And mostly have massive poker winnings. That will give you a lot of status.

Lheticus · Nov 16, 2016

To me, the word "professional" necessarily implies that you do for a living whatever you're a professional of. No more, no less. I suppose you could partially make your living from poker and partially from something else, then you'd be a professional poker player and professional something else too.

Dmytro Lysyuk · Nov 16, 2016

Professional poker player can assume that a player who is involved in various live tournaments, win first place, has a professional poker skills, but can be a professional online poker.

kucu2014 · Nov 16, 2016

It produces as much profitit make a living out of it

PapaC · Nov 16, 2016

This may be stupid to you, but I've been playing a long time and during that time, I've seen it and and been told by some poker players who made a small income from doing it. Pro poker players are not just the ones that play big tourneys, and big cash games. I have found that there are pro players at every level. If a player can crush 2nl 80% of the time, and moves up to 5nl, that player is a pro at 2nl, and right on up. When I was at 10nl, I noticed these two players that played that level all the time and they won good every day. So I asked them both why didn't they move up to 25nl. They told me that they could win all they needed playing at those tables. They were pros at 10nl and they preyed on weak players just like any pro will do

quick · Nov 16, 2016

Interesting question with some interesting poll choices. Most would consider being "pro" as earning the majority if your income/bill paying money from poker. However, one could also argue that being "sponsored" could be a sign of being a pro. After all there are many activities and sports where one can be considered a sponsored "pro" and not gain most of their income off the thing they're being sponsored for. Olympic Athletes come to mind. As do chess players, video game players, extreme athletes, etc. Sure some make all their income off everything that comes in from being that "pro" but others have other jobs.

Poker is trick though right? Since we measure almost everything in $$$. The money is literally the score.

acemenow · Nov 16, 2016

You are a professional at anything when you are making a living at it. You can sustain yourself and maybe your family with all bills. Anything less than that is a semi-pro or amateur IMO. Also, if you are independently wealthy obsessed with this game and its all you do but you are not winning significantly not sure what that is but not really a poker pro IMO - I am thinking of trust fund kids, or someone that made their fortune in life and does need to do anything else. Calling them a pro unless they ae making serious money from it would seem premature at best.

kidrock1211 · Nov 16, 2016

I think when its all you do you eat sleep and dream poker, A big plus your making money! A pro football player may not win every game but there making money win or loose!!

Havik · Nov 16, 2016

This question is asked all the time. There isn't really a way to determine that you're a professional poker player. Imo I would say if you doing good enough to make a living off it or poker is your main source of income. You could call yourself a pro at that point I believe.

Ezekiel162 · Nov 16, 2016

idk... I guess when you can pay your actual bills comfortably and on a consistent basis just from playing?

jingler · Nov 17, 2016

Poker player can be considered 'professional' when wife stopped to scold him for playing poker

marakhovskii · Nov 17, 2016

how to play poker and to ask for the money you're talking about)) I pro

dino · Nov 17, 2016

if you can earn enough to support yourself and family, pay all bills, etc... then you're pro.
Otherwise, you're not.

It's tough field.
But, you can get lucky in few tournaments and hit big, why not.
It happen before and will happen again.
You never know.

CriesuaID · Nov 17, 2016

C) You turn pro when you get sponsored.

Earn to quit your job isn't safe enough.

Syltan · Nov 17, 2016

Professional poker player is one who lives solely on the money earned from poker.

0546474 · Nov 17, 2016

professional is a player who plays in a stable plus !!! and the game is his main job !!!!

Ezekiel162 · Nov 17, 2016

jingler said:
Poker player can be considered 'professional' when wife stopped to scold him for playing poker

LOL, nice one...

Ezekiel162 · Nov 17, 2016

CriesuaID said:
C) You turn pro when you get sponsored.

Earn to quit your job isn't safe enough.

No offense meant, but I don't necessarily agree that just name recognition is enough to call one's self a pro... I've seen plenty of poker players w/o status that make enough to support themselves/family that are better than some of the "so-called" pros I've seen/heard of... Just 'cause you aren't in the "limelight" means that your aren't a Pro?

again, jmho...

Vonick · Nov 17, 2016

Professional is the key word.it means tha you play poker for living.

antonis32123 · Nov 17, 2016

BlackRain79 said:
When it pays the bills imo.

^ This . It has to pay the f*ing bills , or else I wouldn't say you're such a good player to call yourself a pro , you wouldn't be able to quit your job to be a full time poker player and play many games , have some good results , get noticed and later get a good sponsorship ,oulalaaa

TheMagic · Nov 17, 2016

Well , in your initial conditions , I would say a professional poker player is a person that has enough money to pay his bills and to waste the rest with what he wants. He can goes to the mall , buy new clothes, new electronic stuff, and in the end of the month, he can sleep without thinking about money issues.

At What Point Can a Poker Player Be Considered 'Professional'?

What would you consider makes a poker player professional?

You turn pro when you earn enough playing to quit your job.

You turn pro when you make enough money to play lots of live games and get noticed.

You turn pro when you get sponsored.

You turn pro when your manager buys another Bentley GT.

Alex Sentsov

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Crazymoney16

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shody

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BubbleWizard

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roddypra

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Lheticus

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Dmytro Lysyuk

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kucu2014

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PapaC

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quick

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acemenow

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jingler

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