So, you read our recent article on how to become a professional gambler, and while you might not be considering it as an actual career quite yet, you may be toying with the idea a little. Before you say goodbye to your office desk and hello to the gaming tables however, it’s worth bearing the various pros and cons of professional gambling in mind first, such as…

You get to be your own boss
No one calling the shots, no one to report to or answer to. Ah, blissful freedom! Plus, unlike other freelancers or entrepreneurs who still have to work to their clients’ schedules, you have the freedom to set your own hours as well. Want to sleep till noon and work all night? You can go right ahead – and in fact, this may be the best time to get to work, as many non-pro players log on after their regular 9 to 5 jobs and play in the evenings themselves.

Sure you’ll have to be dedicated when you do actually start your working day (or night) but you won’t have to check in with anyone, and you won’t have to clock in. And if you need to take time off to see the doctor, run an errand, or even go on holiday, you won’t need to ask anyone first. You can just… go! It may seem strange at first, and it’ll require some adjustment on your part to ensure you’re still productive, but being your own boss is by far one of the biggest benefits to gambling professionally. So enjoy it!

You have no salary cap
Obviously, you need to be good at gambling, and you need to be dedicated and apply yourself to the task at hand. But if you work hard, you’ll have almost unlimited earning potential, with no salary negotiations or requests for promotion needed. Sure, since you’re working for yourself, you may not get the extra Christmas bonus that more traditional jobs often pay out – but think about the jackpots that are there for the taking!

While the idea of limitless earning power is a hugely attractive one, it’s important to remember that as a pro gambler, you won’t have a stable income month to month. Sometimes you’ll be up, sometimes you’ll be down, sometimes you’ll have good months, sometimes you’ll have bad. That’s why it’s wise to have at least a few months’ salary saved up before you make the move to professional gambling, to ensure that you have at least some financial security when you start out. The more you play and the more experienced you become, the more chance you’ll give yourself of earning a good income. Stay committed, stay dedicated, and the sky could very soon be the limit!

You’re in charge of your career path
We’ve talked about being your own boss – what comes hand in hand with that is being responsible for your own career trajectory too. Now there’s no more need to prove yourself to your superiors in order to move up the ladder – instead by putting in the work and the hours, you can move yourself further in the industry through your own skill and experience.

What you will need to bear in mind is that as a pro gambler, your bankroll will become more important than ever. You won’t be able to sustain yourself if you stick to low limit bets throughout – it’s only by taking part in games with higher limits or bigger buy-ins that you’ll increase your winning potential and move up the ranks. However you’ll still be in control at every step, and you won’t ever have to answer to anyone else – and that’s priceless.

You’ll have fun
At its heart, gambling is all about having fun, no matter what game you’re playing, or what you’re playing for. Now imagine being able to have that same kind of fun every day, and do it for a living too! It’s a huge contrast to the daily grind of an office job, and it’s a huge benefit as a result – being able to play games, and earn a salary while you’re at it. Sure, some days it’ll seem like a job (which it is) but other days it’ll be just as fun and exciting as it always has. You’re playing a game, and you’re doing it on your own time and your own terms. What could be more thrilling?!

You get to travel
Ok, not all the time, and probably not if you’re just starting out. But if you have the bankroll for it, you could go where the money is and join tournaments all around the world! Place your bets in exotic locations like Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, the Caribbean, and other faraway places, and see the world one game at a time. Sure you’ll need to be a successful pro gambler in order to be able to afford the travel expenses and the buy-ins in foreign countries too, but if you reach that level, what a life!

There are a few more advantages to gambling professionally (like becoming famous as a result) but by and large being your own boss and playing your game, your way is the biggest benefit. But what about the drawbacks? Let’s take a look.

You could get bored
Remember how we said gambling was all about having fun? Turns out if you’re doing it as a job, it can become less fun. You have to play regularly whether you want to or not (those bills don’t pay themselves) and you always have to be on your game – no slacking off or losing focus in the middle of a hand. When you go from doing something once a month or once a week to every day, it’s natural for it to eventually become monotonous; however if you become stuck in a rut, you’ll lose your edge and could find yourself on the wrong end of a losing streak as a result. When moving into pro gambling, it’s important to realise that some days will be fun, and some days will just be plain hard work. Keep going through the grind, don’t let the bad times get you down, and make the most of the fun times whenever you have the opportunity.

You could need a helping hand
We’re not talking about emotional support here, although that’s always important. We’re talking about the coping mechanisms some vulnerable players turn to when the game doesn’t go their way. Drugs and alcohol might seem like a solid way of dealing with job stress, but ultimately they’ll affect your decision-making, they’ll drain your bankroll, and they’ll eventually lead to you losing your edge over time. If you’re dealing with stress, you’ll need to resist the urge to anaesthetise it with liquor or chemicals. Instead you’ll have to find other ways of managing your anxiety and worry, such as exercise or therapy, and ensure that you’re always as mentally strong and healthy as possible.

You’ll have losing streaks
It might not be something you like to think about, but it’s a fact of life – whether you’re a part-time or a professional gambler, at some point or another you’ll find yourself on a losing streak. Perhaps your luck has just turned for no apparent reason; perhaps you made a decision that didn’t have the outcome you were hoping for. Either way, it’s important that you resist the temptation to become annoyed, frustrated or even depressed. Instead, you’ll need to accept that losing streaks are a part of life, especially if you’ve chosen gambling as a career, and you’ll need to put certain measures in place to help you deal with the psychological impact. Whether that’s placing lower bets to minimise your losses, or walking away completely and coming back the next day with a clear head, that’s up to you – as long as you realise that becoming angry and discouraged will only ever have the opposite effect.

You’ll need to work hard
Gambling professionally isn’t about waking up at 2pm and playing Blackjack all afternoon in your pyjamas. Instead it’s about hard work, commitment and discipline. It’s about enhancing your skill set, gaining experience, and doing constant research in order to maintain your edge and always stay at the top of your game. If you go into pro gambling underestimating just how much time and energy is required to succeed, you’ll soon come up short. Instead you’ll need to recognise that it’s a job like any other, and one that you’ll need to work at in order to improve and earn the type of salary you’re looking for.

Of course, don’t forget that it can also be a huge amount of fun, and hugely rewarding too – so take all the pros and cons into consideration first before you make your final decision. Will you stay with your regular 9 to 5 job, or will you take the plunge and become a professional gambler instead? Take some time to think about it and assess it from all angles, and then see what your future holds!

Happy Spinning 🙂