Playing poker for a living online isn't for everyone. There are many who quit their day jobs to become a pro before acquiring the necessary skills. Contrary to popular belief, pure poker talent.
One of my least favorite things about being a professional poker player is having to deal with people who simply do not understand what being a professional poker player means. There are certain questions like 'So, what do you do for a living?' and 'Why did you move to Malta?', seemingly casual questions that I hear on a very regular basis, that send a shiver of dread down my spine every time I hear them because I know that the response to my answer will almost never be 'oh, cool' and a change of subject.
Granted, not every stranger I talk to about my job is a pain to deal with, even if they know nothing about poker. There are plenty of reasonable and polite people out there. But here are a few examples of the most annoying types of responses I tend to get on a regular basis (and if you're a professional poker player, too, I'm sure you can relate to this):
1. The wide-eyed awe guy
When this guy hears that I'm a professional poker player, his response is something along the lines of, 'Woooooooowwwww, you play poker? For a living? You make money doing that? You don't have another job? Wooooooowwwww, that's so cool! Are you famous? Have you been on tv? How many times have you been on tv? Have you won the World Series yet? Are you friends with what's-his-face, the really loud, annoying one? Do you know that other guy, the black guy who wins all the time? Is it like James Bond? Do you wear a tuxedo? Do you ever lose? How much money do you make? Can you teach me how to play?' And on and on and on until the cab ride is over or I find a way to extricate myself from the conversation.
Playing Online Poker For A Living Free
2. The I know better guy
This guy tends to fire off a few follow up questions to make sure he heard me right, like, 'You gamble for a living? In casinos? And you think you can make money doing that? How long have you been at it now?' Then the questions get even more pointed: 'So how much have you made exactly? And you don't have another job? You must not have a family to support. Do you have rich parents? Where does the money come from? Right, you win sometimes, but I mean when you lose, where does that money come from?' And then I get the lecture. 'You know you're going to start losing eventually, right? What are you going to do then? Do you ever think about that? When are you going to stop? You better quit while you're still ahead. I had a cousin who lost all his money gambling and he's in jail now. You don't want to end up like him. What does your wife say? Man, if I quit my job and told my wife I was going to gamble for a living, she'd kill me, or leave me, probably both!' Sometimes they're a little more tactful and say things like, 'Haha, well, you never know, I mean, you COULD keep winning, nothing's impossible...' That guy's always a delight to deal with.
3. The I don't get it guy
This guy is someone for whom the words 'professional poker player' just do not compute. He asks questions like, 'Wait, poker? You play poker? Like, the game? As a job? Really? How do you... what do you... where do you go to work? Like, where do you go in the morning? What kinds of hours do you work? Do you get weekends off? Who pays you to do that?' And he'll keep going like that until he eventually gives up trying to understand, scratches his head, look at me in puzzlement, and then wanders away. That guy isn't so bad. He always gives up after a little while and tends not to lecture.
4. The I played poker once, too guy
This guy hears the word poker and immediately needs to tell me all about his own experiences with the game, like how he goes on a cruise every year where they have poker and one time he won, and this other time he lost, and then there was this one time when he almost won but then he lost... Or there's the guy who loves poker but has the WORST LUCK and has to tell me every single bad beat story he can remember... and he remembers them all. But my favorites out of this category are the conspiracy theorists, the guys who are certain that poker is rigged because they lost a hand once... and it was aces! The dealer was out to get him or the online poker sites are all a scam... it's the only way it makes any sense! I mean, he had aces! How could he lose if it wasn't all a giant conspiracy? That guy's the best.
Since my Team Online video came out last fall, I've received a ton of positive feedback, which is always great to hear, but the one thing that has made me happiest to hear is when other professional poker players tell me that they showed the video to their mom or their uncle or their old friend from school who then comes back to them saying, 'Hey, I watched that video you sent me and I think I understand a little better what it is that you do.' It brings me such satisfaction to know that a video about my life could help spread the truth and dispel some of the myths about what it means to be a professional poker player.
If any of you other pros out there have that relative or friend who, like my grandmother, starts every conversation with, 'So when are you going to get a real job, already?', try showing them my video. It might help them understand a little better what it means to be a professional poker player and show them one good example of what the life of a professional poker player can look like.
And if my video can help any of you get that well-intentioned but annoying friend or relative off your back, not to mention cutting down the number of conversations like the ones I describe above that you have to endure per month, I'll be exceptionally pleased. Or, you know, if the video doesn't work, I guess you can try what I've started doing with my incredibly persistent grandmother: tell her you've applied to business school. Works like a charm.
Isaac Haxton is a member of Team PokerStars Online.
Video poker is one of the best ways to make a living in a casino. That may seem impossible to the average person that only gives action to small casinos or the Las Vegas Strip. There are thousands of advantage gamblers in the world that make enough to support them from video poker play.
Basic Strategy Imperative to Learn
Learning the basic strategy of any video poker game that returns at or near 100% is the first step in making a living playing video poker. Our video poker section shows the best play for the types of five-card hands that are dealt in video poker. It is imperative that you not use these plays on machines that do not offer full-pay tables. Some of the moves will change if a full house or flush pay lower than the 100% games.
It is one thing to know how to play. Most casinos do not offer 100% games, and when they do, they are usually for VP games that are tougher to learn. It is nearly impossible to find one on the Las Vegas Strip. A couple of Atlantic City and California casinos offer these. Check out VPFree2.com to find out if the casino that you are visiting offers good video poker pay tables. If they do not, you should not expect to win unless you get lucky.
Getting Video Poker Comps
The Las Vegas locals market is the best place for quality video poker in the world. There are more than 100 video poker machines in Lad Vegas where the pay table returns more than 100% when five coins are wagered. Some games, like 10/7/5 Double Bonus and 10/6 Double Double Bonus, are offered in denominations as high as $1. Full pay Deuces Wild and Joker Poker are common up to the $.25 denomination. These machines also add 0.05% to 0.1% in cash back on the play when a rewards card is used.
It is possible to get mailers with more free play if you give a little action to other games on a visit. This is known as cover play and may help keep you from getting backed off. This type of play can generate offers that may otherwise be withheld.
The cash back is just a sliver of the overall return that can be added to video poker. Expert players know there are promotions that can return far more than a small fraction of a percent.
Many casinos offer point multiplier days. Players that pay attention to mailers or log into players club sites will see special days where more points are awarded. This can be anywhere from three times to 10 times the normal amount. The catch on point multiplier days is that they normally do not apply to the games that return more than 100%. Point multipliers do apply to games that return just under 100%. The goal for the video poker advantage player is to find a game like 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe at a Boyd Gaming property or Triple Bonus Plus and Not-So-Ugly-Deuces at a Station Casinos’ resort.
The points can be converted into comps at Boyd at full price or free play at two-thirds the value. Station Casinos points are redeemable for cash back. This requires a visit to the Boarding Pass players center. Free play may be claimed directly on the machine, except for the 100% games.
Video Poker For A Living
Some casinos hold drawings based on the level of play during the promotions period. This can be a few hours, a full day, or a week. Every so many points receive one ticket into a drawing with these promotions. Winners can receive free slot play, cash or big prizes like a car. Another form of promotion along these lines is hot seats. That is where an active player is declared a winner from the promotions system. These types of drawings are typically awarded every 15, 30 or 60 minutes.
These types of drawings and hot seat promotions are more common at smaller casinos. The problem is that sometimes there are few or no video poker games worth playing. Video table games are often a great alternative at casinos without quality video poker. Those devices often participate in promotions.
Progressive Video Poker Jackpots
Progressive jackpots are one of the better ways to advantage play video poker in markets where there are no full pay machines. Casinos in remote areas with little or no competition often offer progressive jackpots on a royal flush to entice players to give action to machines that are otherwise give poor returns. These do not always hit when they should and can run up well into positive expectation, especially when combined with other promotions. These can be few and far between.
A 7/5 Bonus Poker game with a progressive would require a royal flush progressive of just over $2,000 to return more than 100%. The same goes for 9/6/5 Double Bonus and 9/5 Double Double Bonus. These are the most common progressive jackpot games. Keep in mind that any jackpot of $1,200 or higher will generate a W2G tax form.
Video Poker Quality Not What It Used to Be
It was much easier for an advantage player to make a living during the 1990’s. That is because the pay tables nearly all returned more than 99% during that era. The reason for this is because sites like Wizard of Odds did not exist. Players had to learn video poker strategy on their own without the help of experts and computer programs.
Playing Online Poker For A Living Life
Some casinos still offer these machines from decades ago. Many are found in Las Vegas. Downtown casinos like Plaza, Main Street Station, Fremont, California and El Cortez spread coins from nickels to dollars. Locals’ casinos like Jerry’s Nugget, Poker Palace, Sam’s Town and Railroad Pass also have coin games with great pay tables.