Learn Texas Holdem

It is the dream of nearly every no-limit hold'em player who plays regularly: to turn pro. To give up their dreary day job and spend their days and nights battling it out over the felt, enjoying all the luxuries the world has to offer paid for by naïve tourists and overconfident amateurs. To be sure, the opportunities for professional poker are great, with a large pool of no-limit Texas hold'em players provided by online poker sites and a constant flow of poker tournaments held at various casinos. Whether or not it is a realistic goal depends on the individual.

Reasons Why Professional No-Limit Hold'em May Not Be for You

• Remember that it is estimated that only ten percent of poker players are long-term winners. This means that there are a great many people who think they are good or even excellent poker players who are not. You may not be among them, but you should be aware of the tendency of players to overrate their skill level.

• Like many other activities, what is fun as a hobby can become dreary when it is work. As an amateur player, you play whenever you want. When you win, it is a nice bonus and when you lose, you can always wait to replenish your bankroll to play again. When no-limit online Texas Holdem becomes your job, you need to play on a regular schedule even when you don't feel like it, and you must play your best game at all times. A bad beat can have you worrying about paying the rent. If you have a family dependent on you, the stress is even greater.

• Your avenues for success may be limited. Between U.S. rules regarding Internet gambling, allegations of cheating on major online sites and the simple thinning of the herd of very weak players from the flock, the pool of easy marks at online hold'em games is shrinking. The average opponent may be tougher to beat which could make a huge difference in your bottom line.

Reasons Why You May Want to Try Professional No-Limit Texas Hold'em

• You are single with no family obligations and are content to grind out a simple living at reasonable limits. When you are young is the perfect time to try a career in professional poker. If you lose your stake, no one suffers but you and there is still plenty of time to embark on a different career if things don't go well. In addition, your financial needs are probably less than someone with a mortgage; for example, so you can afford to play patiently at low limits and work your way up.

• You are good at a variety of poker games. Sure no-limit Texas hold'em is where the money is right now, but if everyone switches to Omaha, you want to be ready. If Stud becomes the game of choice, you should start out with more knowledge than players first switching over to the game. If you become highly successful at no-limit hold'em, you may be asked to join high stakes mixed games where you will have to have a wide array of poker skills.

• You are a winning player. Be honest. If you've kept the records and tracked your play for many months, being careful not to "forget" about a few losing sessions, and you're ahead, you might want to give it a shot. Remember that it will be a job, and you want to treat it with all the professionalism that you would give to any other occupation.