For those looking to earn a living outside a traditional job, Poker can be an option. There's plenty of money on the tables in casinos, and good players have the ability to make a lot of money. But it's certainly not an easy way to make a living, and there's no guarantee that poker players make money every day.
Andrew Neeme Reveals Life of a Poker Player.
Poker vlogger Andrew Neeme has grown massively in popularity over the past few months.
He's amassed more than 50,000 YouTube subscribers and is now widely regarded as one of the best vloggers on YouTube. His posted content is viewed consistently by a loyal fanbase that gets a peek into the look of a life of a professional poker player. And in one video, Neeme revealed exactly how much someone in the profession can make.
Poker in Terms of Blinds.
Neeme analyzes the game of poker in terms of big blinds. In his opinion, the best players win exactly 10 big blinds per hour. In a 1/2 game, that would be $20 per hour. If someone works 40 hours a week, that's $800 per week and $3200 a month.
That income would be $38,400 a year before taxes, and insurance isn't covered. If we look at poker like this, it's not really possible to earn a solid living, especially given the variability of poker.
The true money comes from the higher stakes 5/10 games. Neeme suggests that 7 big blinds an hour, or $70 an hour, is a reasonable win rate. With those higher earnings, a player can earn more than $100,000 per year, but only by working at least 40 hours per week. Those earnings are enough to earn a living, but they don't come easily.
Study and Hard Work.
As with anything in life, poker requires a lot of Hard Work and study. When poker is your job, one has no choice but to take it extremely seriously.
Analysis of previous hands and analysis of various spots helps players to understand what their options are and what their actions should be in every hand. If players aren't studying, they lose part of the edge that make them a professional poker player.
The question of whether or not one can make a living as a poker player is silly. There are people out there, including Andrew Neeme, who are doing it right now. But it's not easy to play professionally and it requires a time investment that many people aren't willing to make. Additionally, players need to be disciplined with their bank roll and finances. Poker players tend to have additional gambling issues, and should be focused on solely poker, which is the game where professionals have an edge.