Professional Poker Players, a breed of its kind, very hard to describe and comprehend unless you are in their shoes. While some look at them as poker machines with no emotions, very much like a poker Terminator; others look at them as hi life, club partying animals, enjoying their time 24/7 put on the spot light and do nothing but enjoy life. Many of these interpretations might be true, but they are complex creatures, that need to be understood from a different perspective. So we went ahead and looked for some of them and ask them to explain us many of the day to day situations they live and here are some of those stories. For their own protection we have decided to keep their identities undisclosed, what is important is to show the poker pro as they really are:
Morning Live:
Been a poker player is definitely not easy. An office person can spend hours in front of a desk but still have some times to spare where then can relax and enjoy, even if it’s a coffee for a while. A poker player’s job if preparing for a big live tournament consists believe it or not on training! But not poker: physically. We normally undergo a heavy training for our backs and knees, for us the non so young ones any more, been seated in a position for 16 hours a day is not easy and consequences show if you don’t prepare properly. Diet is an important factor, as a serious player you have to watch what you eat and how often, you don’t want to turn into a non seater every 5 minutes to excuse yourself to the bathroom because you couldn’t resist one of those nice all you can eat buffets at a nearby hotel. And of course there is the alcohol factor, if you have been in this business as long as many of us have been you will see this frequently and it will be part of your life. For some players it is this particular area where the fail, but that is another story.
Our morning routine on a way to a big event is waking up early, and having a good healthy meal, that is light but nutritious. Some still do the typical Rocky scene with the eggs and all, I even know a guy who does that and runs up the hill and does some little air punching after he gets to the top. For a 50 year old, with fat on the front and years passed by, it is not a good image.
Exercises come into place once that is done, from weights to cardio, yoga or Pilates, you need whatever you can do for 2 or 3 hours during the morning. Once you are tired and soared back home for lunch and relaxation, we have to try to rest as much as possible as well, once in a tournament life is gone.
During night time, we train our minds, look at odds, old games, hands, as much information as we can.
Tournament Live:
Being in a tournament, especially in Las Vegas is not easy, Sin City, this is a place where you will find something to do at any moment of the day, no matter what time it is. When you are in the poker city capital and you are professional player, you are considered a celebrity; so you can be sure there will be someone with a camera taking pictures, asking for an interview for their online or TV show and of course the autographs. Some fans will even invite you to a have a drink with them or go party. These can be very harmless, real problem is other Pros, specially the younger ones, they have much more stamina and their training consists in partying every night with gorgeous women. If you are married things get complicated here. At the end of the day, not counting poker you spend hours awake in social events with other pros, fans and if you are committed sponsorships, you can really get tired.
Every day playing start at noon the earliest, spend most of the day playing and then doing social events, your back hurts, your head hurts, and you have to do this for a month at the WSOP. Add that up to the tournaments you most play as well like EPT, WPT and other events around the world. And there is always the money factor: everything comes down to money.
Being a professional poker player is not easy life and it is not meant for everyone. All I can suggest to players out there is, enjoy poker as your escape not as your career.
This is just a small fragments of many situations explained to us by the pro’s themselves. Keep on reading us for more inside thoughts of the ones we admire and follow in this amazing world we all love.
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