What it takes to be succesful playing poker

Title: What it takes to be succesful playing poker

Author: Andrew C

Article:
There are certain qualities you'll need to make a long term
profit playing poker, if you're lacking in any one of them you
shouldn't give up the day job just yet. You'll need the
following traits to make a successful online poker player:

1. An ability and willingness to learn. You should read
many poker
books and articles, you should re-read many poker books and
articles, and you will have to continue to read many new and old
poker books and articles! Playing poker for a living is a
process of continuos education, you'll need to constantly
re-evaluate your play and learn from your mistakes. Believing
you know enough or refusing to take the advice of those who know
more than you will only cost you money.

2. An ability to handle numbers. You'll need to be able
to perform simple calculations quickly, and often under
pressure. Some people seem to be born with this ability, others
have to work at it. If you struggle with numbers help is at hand
from a variety of poker calculators available online.

3. Discipline. You'll need it by the bucket-load. Two
hours of perfect play can easily be undone in two minutes of
undisciplined play. It's easy to lose your poker discipline at
first. Imagine it: you've lost to the underdog in each of the
three last pots you've contested and to top it all off just had
your aces cracked by some clown cold-calling with Ten-eight
off-suit. Mere mortals will tilt on such occassions, becoming
overly aggressive with vulnerable hands, calling down with
second best hands because they 'can't believe' they'll lose
another pot to such a lucky player. Being a profitable player is
as much about minimizing losses as it is about maximizing gains.
Without the discipline to stick to your winning formula you
won't make it. When you start to let your emotions get the
better of your common sense at the poker table: walk away. Check
the 'Sit Out' option for 10 minutes. Take a break, think about
something else. Only return to the table when you feel calm and
confident.

4. A sufficient Bankroll. There's no getting around it,
sometimes the cards can be cruel. Sometimes the cards can be
cruel for a long time. If you don't have enough money to cover
this downfall that's it, game over! As a simple rule most
experts recommend having a bankroll of at least 300 big bets. If
you plan on starting at a $1/$2 table this means you'll need a
$600 bankroll. This doesn't mean you need to have $600 in chips
at the table every time you want to play a $1/$2 game. But it
does mean you need to have $600 in your pocket to cover any risk
of going bust over a month. If you play well but hit a terrible
streak of bad luck you are extremely unlikely to bust out with
300 big bets in the bank. The luck will even itself out
eventually, and you will recover.

If, after reading this article, you feel you have a weakness:
address it. Overcome it. Turn it into a strength. A well known
saying goes something like "Playing poker is a hard way to make
an easy living". What more than compensates for this is another
well known saying: "Money won tastes twice as sweet as money
earned".

Becoming a full-time
online poker professional is no easy task. Online poker is
potentially a fantastic way to generate at the very least a
useful second income, from the comfort of your own home and at
the hours you please.

About the author:
Full-time Internet poker player and Perpetual Traveller, I have
just my laptop and passport with me as I travel the world whilst
supporting myself by playing poker online for a living. I am
also the webmaster of www.thepokerprof.com where I run a poker
school for new players.