It does of course take a lot to become a successful rugby player, you need to have fitness and strength on your side and have the sheer determination to win.
However, those are also traits that could help someone become a professional poker player too, and fitness and strength of the mind rather than the body is required to succeed when playing poker.
So, what are the chances of a rugby player becoming a pro poker player, well that is something a small handful of one-time rugby players have been able to achieve, and it is also something that anyone can do too.
Today therefore, I am going to be looking at what is required to become a poker player but much more importantly, one that will have a much greater chance of winning when playing.
The main thing to keep in mind about poker, is that unlike most other card games, there is a huge element of skill built into that game and a certain level of luck of course, and as such mastering the skill of playing is important.
Have a look at the list of poker sites listed on top10pokersites.net to learn about the licensed and legal UK poker sites if you are planning on playing poker online.
However, be under no illusions, just like when you are learning the ropes of playing rugby, there is a lot to learn about playing poker long before you set about buying in to a game and placing your poker chips into the pot.
Anyone however can learn to play poker optimally, and if you have the time and are prepared to put in the effort then the rewards of playing can be there for the taking.
Learn the Basics of Texas Hold’Em Poker
If you do have your heart set on playing poker professionally, then the one game you should concentrate on is Texas Hold’Em poker, for that is the most commonly available poker game variant, so you will have no difficulties finding somewhere to play it.
But, and this is a big but, you need to fully master the mathematics of the game long before you buy into any game or tournament, and that is going to entail you setting aside a huge amount of time to learn not only how that game is structured, but the true value of every card and hand you will be dealt out at various points in each game too.
It will however be easy for you to find a poker site or poker app that is going to be offering you a access to free play poker tables, and that is one way you can get a huge amount of playing experience, which is something you really are going to have to do.
When and only when you feel you have a full understanding of the game should you then set about playing for real money, but initially try to stick to pot limit Texas Hold’Em games as opposed to no limit poker games, for that way you are going to have some control at least over the stakes you are going to be gambling for.
Consider Entering Poker Tournaments
The only thing stopping you from playing poker for real money is of course money, for you are going to have to put together a bankroll to play poker with, and dependent on the type of cash ring games you want to take part in, saving up a bankroll could take quite some time.
However, if you only have small set aside poker playing bankroll, there is a lot to be said about entering poker tournaments, for many of them offer you the option of paying a relatively small and modest sized entry fee and by doing so you then have the chance of winning what could turn out to be a huge cash prize.
You will of course have to make it to the final table of any tournament to pick out some of the best cash prizes associated with any poker tournament, but as long as you have mastered playing poker and are prepared to take your chances in a poker tournament, then as long as you have a chip and a chair you have a chance of winning something.
I should however point out that when playing in poker tournaments, a lot of players will tend to play a much more liberal and high risk type of playing strategy,, and as such many players will often throw the rule book out of the window so to speak and will play in a very dangerous and high risk fashion, in the hope they can get to the final table, which is something you should always try avoid doing.
You Must Always be Prepared to Learn by Your Mistakes
Even the top poker players in the world will admit that they never stop learning when at the poker tables, and that is something that should always be kept at the forefront of your mind, and you must be prepared to continue to learn when playing your chosen poker game variant.
There are however several other variants of poker available, other than just Texas Hold’Em poker, and much like when you learn that game if you are ever tempted to play any of those many other games, you need to fully master playing them, for there will be different playing structures attached to each game type.
However, you will always be best advised to stick to playing just one variant and concentrate all of your playing efforts on playing that game, for you cannot be the jack of all trades or so the saying goes, and you will leave yourself open to making too many playing errors and mistakes if you try to play any poker games that you have not vast experience of playing.
There is of course nothing stopping you from playing poker games that you may never have come across before for free and at no risk, and keep in mind too that you can download quite a number of poker training apps that are going to teach you how to play off every single possible hand optimally, so do consider downloading one and using it each time you have some spare time.
