If you are someone who loves casino games, you’ve probably thought about becoming a professional player at some point. This is not impossible, in fact, there are lots of professional players who actually made a fortune by gambling. However, only certain games of skill allow you to go pro, and actually increase your winning odds. Moreover, this path is difficult and even the best started out by losing and learned from their mistakes, in fact, they still occasionally lose. So, let’s see what are some of the skills you need in order to tilt the scale of fortune in your favor.
Knowledge of Casino Games
The first and probably the most important thing you’ll need is knowledge of how the games work, and what is the house edge for each game. This may vary depending on the casino you play, but overall traditional games have the same rules. The games in question are poker, baccarat, and blackjack. These are available on any canada online casino site with great welcome bonuses along with other games like roulette, slots, and craps. You can use no deposit bonuses or other promotions just to give them a try and see where you currently stand. The rules are straightforward, but when you think about them it becomes clear that with certain skills you can affect the odds. So, let’s see what those skills are.
Mathematics and Analytics
If you really want to become a professional you will need to be good at math and analyzing your situation. In games like poker and blackjack, the cards that are on the table really affect your odds, so you need to always calculate your chances on the spot before you can decide on the best course of action.
The reason why this is difficult is that you are gambling with real money, which makes the stakes higher and the whole situation is tenser. Professional gamblers have learned to detach themselves from viewing money as a personal sacrifice; these are just a means or currency for playing. That’s why you need to be responsible and only gamble with money you are ready to part with. Getting too emotional only hurts your odds. It can also help if you practice with friends in a situation where no money is at stake.
Focus and Concentration
In addition to calculation and analysis, you will have to memorize different patterns or rules. This is mainly for blackjack as the game already has an elaborate strategy that dictates the best course of action depending on the cards that are on the table. This means you will have to be focused and learn these things on a daily basis until you know them by heart, and then you can advance to the next level which is counting cards.
Once again this requires math, but if you are able to learn this you actually have more chance of winning than a casino. There are those who actually manage to win against the casinos consistently, which resulted in their ban. This is why playing online nowadays feels better, as you can create multiple accounts on different platforms using a different email, or play on your friend’s account.
Empathy and Composure
As humans, we are slaves to our own habits and impulses, and those do not do us any favors when playing poker. If someone notices your behavior patterns at the table they can get a read on you, and that will reduce your chance of winning. So always remain collected and try to observe others. If you learn how to read them you will have the upper hand, and if you are composed you are less likely to make reckless decisions.
Conclusion
This was a rough and general overview of what you need to become a professional. Of course, you don’t need all of this to win, as casual players still manage to have fun and to win money. Moreover, you will mostly play against casual players if you play online. The skills mentioned here are for tournament gamblers who devoted their lives to this craft.