Online Gambling Agency Guidelines
If you have found this article it hopefully means you are looking to make some extra income from playing poker online, you could even be looking to quit the rat-race for good and go full time. I run a small website and poker school and have been a full-time online poker player for 4 years, playing part-time whilst working a regular job for four years prior to this. If you are considering playing poker online for a living you might benefit from reading the following.
In lots of ways playing poker online for a living really is one of the very best jobs in the world:
You will have no Boss.
No one to tell you how to handle it, nobody to improve your workload because others are incompetent, no one to suck up to just because they have been at the company longer than you so they are 'in charge'. As you can probably tell, I do not like bosses. Not have, never will.
You work when you want.
No getting up at 6.30am to make it to the office on-time. If you want a day off you take a day off; if you want every week off you take a week off. You've got no boss, you can do just what the hell you like!
You don't necessarily have to pay tax on your wages.
In the event you are from the UK, for example, income from playing poker is tax-free. (For many of you outside the UK this isn't the case, your profits are fully taxable by law. Make sure you are fully informed about your tax obligations in relation to professional gambling).
You may work anywhere on earth.
Have notebook: will travel! Good invention this internet thing is not it? Personally, I have travelled a whole lot over the past 4 years, lucky me gets to go to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada to name but a couple of. At the time of writing I'm in Buenos Aires. If you have visit the following page desire to view the world, playing poker online really does fit the lifestyle like a glove. An added bonus here is that you certainly will be earning in US dollars (GBPs or Euros too) if you decide to live anywhere where this currency is stronger than the local currency you are going to feel that much richer!
You can enjoy what you do.
Poker is a good game, it's always throwing up new situations, a new set of challenges to overcome and new opportunities to learn. Sure, there will be times when you won't enjoy playing, you'd rather be out socialising with the 'regular 9-5ers' but I can honestly say that after all this time I still have a passion for the game. It is not such a bad way to meet people too. You can forge strong links with fellow online players from all around the world. You have a common interest, you're bound to get along!
Convinced? Thinking about how you certainly will be telling your boss what you really think of him, or her, while you hand over your letter of resignation? Wait just a minute, life as a full-time poker player isn't all a bed of roses, playing for a living is not for everyone. Read on and also you shall find out why.
Say goodbye to most weekends and evenings.
In reality, if you are within the UK or Europe you might well become nocturnal. The truth is it's much simpler to find profitable games during the night and at weekends. This is whenever a lot of casual players will sit down for per hour or two, many seem to just hate their cash and are eager to give it away. Even the largest poker room online has far fewer, and far tighter tables through the United States of America day time than through the evenings.
Your income is unstable.
Even the best players experience long losing streaks, it's unavoidable. These streaks lasts weeks, as well as over a month in extreme cases. It's entirely possible you'll play near-perfect poker for every week yet still wind up losing money. Not simply do you need the bankroll to withstand this additionally you need the temperament to manage with one of these swings of fortune, they do happen and it is not fun when they do. It is vital therefore to maintain your bills separate through your bankroll, this helps ease the pressure in the event the fish are feeding on you. Stick to your solid game and you will experience the correction in fortune. Poker is a game of skill, within the long-term luck plays no part in your profits. Providing you are adequately bankrolled you will win back any loses, in fact you are going to win much more.
"Dear Mr Bank Manager, I would like a loan to buy my dream house/car/holiday/bride. I am a professional poker player and my once-a-year income is $(insert crazy figure here!)".
Find out how your lender reacts to that! You will not convince too many people to lend you any money if they find out what you need to do. If you are going to be needing to borrow money to make a significant purchase in the near future think long and hard. For advice on securing loans for pro-gamblers seek a qualified Independent Financial Advisor.
There is a whole lot to consider when you are thinking of relying on poker for your income source. Without doubt the wisest way to proceed is to maintain your steady job; play poker as your hobby in the early stages, it's probably best if you give it at least one year, probably more. Perhaps you can only manage 10hrs play a week? Over the weeks and months you will learn advanced skills that may increase your profits significantly. At the same time you will still possess the security of a regular salary.