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Poker.co.uk - Poker News Archive
Wednesday 6th October 2004 Increasing numbers quit jobs to go pro in online poker
A new trend being noticed as a by-product of the global poker explosion, is the increasing number of keen players now quitting their jobs to play the game instead. It seems many a professional is replacing their annual employed income with the proceeds earned from poker, and finding themselves better off for it. The expansion of the online poker industry is providing more opportunities for keen and skilled players to earn good money from the game, with many now confident enough to abandon their monthly salary to live a life as a professional online poker player.
For newcomers to the game however, before they should be tempted to join them, the word skilled is important in setting apart those able to earn a good living from the game. One man who quit his job in April this year to take a chance on poker, has cited the increasing number of novices making bad plays on these online sites, as a reason why more experienced or skilled players are now feeling able to make their living from playing them rather than their usual career. For Silver the risk has turned out to be a good one, as he predicts he will now earn an annual income of US$100,000 this year, compared to the US$55,000 salary he was earning. As he says, his earnings have increased as more newcomers join the online poker community: “You’ll see people make terrible plays routinely. For the most part these people call too much and play too aggressively”.
Online poker now does offer lucrative money earning opportunities for those who take the game seriously, with reports of people who do not go so far as quitting their jobs earning another US$20-30,000 on top of their salary, from playing evenings and weekends. More and more stories of successful poker players are emerging as the craze for all things poker continues.
Although it is not officially known how many people have quit their job to play the game as their profession, it is estimated to currently be a figure in the thousands, and one that is continually growing. PokerPulse.com, which continually tracks the amounts of money spent on online poker games, states that last month the figure hit US$136.1 million, compared to US$11.1 million in January 2003. A fact which signifies the growing opportunities for won earnings for the online gambling community. For newcomers, or less experienced players, who are eager to have a crack at the kind of money that can be won, there are now many sites who offer free training games while they develop their playing skills, as well as user guides, expert advice and tips, and recommended strategies- a good idea to use as preparation before entering the money earning arena.
Source: OnlineCasinoNews
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