Chances are that if you were to ask most online gamblers, they’d tell you they’re pretty good at what they do. In fact, some might go so far as to claim genuinely advanced expertise. But what few seem to realise is that the term ‘professional’ only applies to those who gamble as a profession.
Not those who simply gamble on a regular basis – those for whom gambling is actually something of a job.
Suffice to say, the difference is quite enormous. Even if you play online or in real-life casinos borderline habitually, chances are it is still something you do on the side while maintaining a standard job of some kind. For obvious reasons, the decision to turn pro isn’t one that most people take lightly. Nevertheless, it is absolutely one that many people can and do make every day – some turning out to be more successful than others.
A Matter of Discipline
The single most important role anyone needs to follow if even considering going pro is that of focusing on discipline. Or to put it another way, you cannot expect to succeed as a professional if you do not adopt a professional attitude. Taking things seriously is of the utmost importance – as in just as seriously as you would take any other job.
If you fail to nail the discipline issue, you’ll simply end up handing all your cash over to the casinos and bookmakers you deal with.
On top of this, something else that is important to realise is that it is somewhat possible to try before you commit. That being, to somewhat intensify your gambling practices in a more professional and disciplined manner, though continuing to hold your current job so as to not completely cut off a source of regular income.
That said, you cannot call yourself a professional gambler until gambling is your profession…period.
So with this in mind, what follows is a brief rundown of 10 key steps that could help take you at least a few steps closer towards becoming a professional gambler:
- First of all, carefully researching and selecting the casino games you plan to stick with is of the utmost importance. Not only do you need to think carefully about which games are best for you, but you also need to learn the rules inside out. If you do not have the same grasp of the rules as the dealer doling out the cards, you need to continue studying until you do.
- No professional gambler would even consider doing business with an online casino or bookmaker, without first carrying out extensive checks as to its reputation and overall security. Given the fact that you will probably be dealing with larger amounts of money in both directions than the average gambler, safety and security cannot be taken for granted.
- You cannot call yourself a professional gambler if you ever fall foul of the kinds of bogus bonuses and promotions that exist simply to mislead. Contrary to popular belief, somewhere in the region of 90% of bonuses exist solely for the purpose of getting customers to hand more money over to casino operators. In order to classify yourself as a professional, you need to identify and access only those of genuine value.
- The same also goes for loyalty and VIP schemes, which can be anything from enormously rewarding to comprehensively useless. True professionals do not simply sign up to every VIP scheme that comes along, just because it exists. Instead, they carry out the necessary research and only ever become members of those of value to them.
- One of the most important rules professionals must follow at all times is that of knowing and acknowledging their limits. This means setting concrete spending limitations that apply to every day, week, month and so on, which must be stuck to religiously. Bankroll management is a surprisingly complex and difficult discipline to master, but one that will nonetheless make or break you as a professional gambler.
- Also worth taking into account when looking to explore the professional route are the various banking options available to you. This is because when you find yourself in a position where you are dealing with larger sums of money, those comparatively small commission fees and withdrawal charges may soon add up to heavy losses. There are various e-wallets and other online payment services that can help keep these costs under control.
- Knowing when to walk away following a losing streak is of the utmost importance for all professional gamblers. It is only when you are able to know how and when to cut your losses and accept defeat – albeit temporarily – that you can expect to effectively manage your bankroll.
- The same also goes for quitting while ahead, as you need to know when the time comes to take your winnings and run with them. Once again, it all comes down to extremely professional bankroll management – the kind you should be taking as seriously as a professional accountant.
- Making the most of free tournaments, competitions and general freebies is also something professionals tend to do habitually. The reason being that if there is something that is 100% free and risk-free to enter yet offers the chance to win something in return, it really doesn’t make sense not to take part in as many as possible.
- Last but not least, it is critical to remember that even when you go pro as a gambler, it is still sports to be fun. The moment it stops being fun is the moment you have erased what online gambling is all about and should therefore probably think of a different career to explore. It’s a little like getting stuck in a dead end-job you hate, though assume that sooner or later you will get rich if you simply stick with it. Sadly, you won’t – you’ll just end up digging yourself deeper and deeper into the hole you are already in!