Millions of people log on every year to play online poker, and more and more of them are gamers that are shelving some of their old favorite games and taking to the online poker tables instead. For some it’s not so much a sudden love affair with the game of poker but more a simple economic reality; top online poker players can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and all from the comfort of their own home.
And the news gets even better for gamers looking to make the switch to poker, as many of them have already developed several skills that can help them succeed at the online poker tables. The biggest advantage is adapting to the fast-paced nature of online poker, especially when it comes to playing at more than one table at a time. Winning poker players that have an edge over their opponents typically make more money if they play more hands, so many will play as many as 15-20 tables at a time. Gamers who have experience with RTS games like StarCraft have proven especially adept at poker, as the multi-tasking practice gives them a big edge when it comes to playing poker.
It’s also possible to adopt a low-risk strategy when it comes to online poker, with some sites giving players a set amount of money each month based on how much they play (which is called “rakeback” in the poker world, and is based on how much rake the player pays each month at online sites). Many gamers have gravitated towards playing for rakeback, as it rewards those who can play tens of thousands of hands each month without blinking an eye — something many gamers can handle with ease — and can add up to being paid $5,000-$10,000/month, with any profits made at the tables being a bonus on top of that.
If the life of a poker pro sounds great, hold your horses a bit as making a living from poker games isn’t quite as easy or glamorous as it may seem at first glance. It can be lucrative but also very repetitive at times, and it does require many long hours in front of the computer without much variation in your daily routine. You’ll also have to deal with the inevitable bad runs where luck isn’t on your side, as even the best poker players go through losing weeks and months when the cards don’t go their way.
