A professional gambler is someone who makes a living from betting or playing to win money. They devote a decent portion of time to studying and working out where to bet and how. A proper professional makes their money from winning more than losing- and winning enough to live on.
For myself I have visions of a professional gambler as being dressed casual with a sweater sporting sunglasses with a drink in hand. I think they also smoke. A very generalistic view that is totally incorrect for most!
Gamblers also, I picture always being in a casino. Could this be due to the bond movies or other Hollywood portrayals. Also a falsehood.
Today you can gamble from home or in a cafe or anywhere thanks to the smartphone! Being from the UK myself, the guy exiting the bookies is also a strong stereotype.
The truth is we are all very individual, this doesn’t change for gamblers and in many cases they possibly don’t change their look after going professional.
Is turning pro a good idea?
Please note that you need to take responsibility for your gambling and only bet that which you can afford to lose. This rule applies to everyone. If you break that rule you should not turn pro.
Being a professional gambler is afforded a few who have a very select set of skills. You can group these skills in two categories. Gambling skill and Admin and Life Skills.
Admin and Life Skills
Professional gamblers need the following skills as a basic set.
The list is a starting minimum.
- Record keeping
- Money management
- Time management
Analytical skills- for your chosen type of game or sport you will need to be able to analyse results of the past and come to good solid conclusions. If you gamble on Horses you study the form guide and breeding among other metrics.
Emotional control- Specific to Poker you need exceptional emotional control to not give away your hand. Emotional control also applies to the way you bet. How do you feel. Do you gamble when angry or to win back money? Surely not throwing out the game plan is better.
Bankroll- You will need to plan and have enough to ride out bad luck so that the fruits of your analysis can pay off. The bankroll is your cash flow and for a pro it is a vital value that needs careful attention more than any. It is possibly the thing preventing you from trying to Go Pro since you need a health stack to begin with.
Pick your game wisely
Picking and sticking to the best subject (for you) is important- A skill game is one in which there is an element of skill that can overpower luck. As an example of such games they may include Sports betting (Horse Racing, Motorsport, Football etc), Blackjack, Poker, Spades and Esports..the list is big. You may have a favourite sport and this is a good place to start. But don’t discount a sport that you do well in. Performance should be the overriding factor.
Blackjack is a skill game that has been the centre of many a win for those with the ability to play when the time is right and the odds favour you.
No professional gambler plays purely a chance game such as roulette. However the odd pro has found the odd chance game with a flaw. Biased roulette wheel. Possibly only a very analytical mind would spot it.
Conclusion: I am sure that after some small success many try to go pro. The betting highway is littered with the carcasses of dead wanna be pro gambler careers. Like many vocations it is best eased into. Some of the best Professional Gamblers show this through their lives and how they got there.
If you are really serious then put in the time and gradually switch out from the day job. Like any professional you put in the time the same as an Olympic athlete.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to comment. All spam will be deleted.