Poker Pro Named one of World's Coolest Jobs

To hear pro poker players describe their profession, it's often a tale of highs, lows, wild variance swings, and depressing years followed by great years. In short, playing poker professionally is a jumbled mix of emotions and uncertainty.

Still, you can't deny the obvious good parts of being a poker pro, which include making your own hours and the potential for big money. TheRichest.com writer Eli Zwillenberg recently celebrated some of the good parts by adding poker to the site's "Cool-List Jobs."

Of course, the name Cool-List Jobs might have you thinking that this is some fluff piece, harping on about how awesome Phil Ivey is and filling page space with pics of his Cabo San Lucas beach house. But Zwillenberg really nails the true experiences of an average professional, from diligently studying strategy to the earning potential.

As for the latter, Zwillenberg writes, "The amount each player aims to make varies, but a good win rate can be anywhere from $20-$50 an hour at typical live casino games." He goes on to describe how much of a grind this can be, and some days will be winners while others are losers. Obviously, the larger your bankroll is, the more earning potential you'll have at the table. The site adds that patience weighs heavily into how players' profits margins look at the end of the day.

Another interesting topic that Zwillenberg hits upon involves the typical poker office setting, which can be a "laptop, a casino, a bar, or all three." He describes how, even at the lowest stakes, the work-to-pay ratio can't be beat. The typical day for a grinder begins when they wake up at noon, study some strategy, do some table selection at online and/or live poker rooms, possibly spectate the table(s) beforehand, and use their own "personal (playing) style" from here. At the end of the day, one enters their hands into equity calculators and reviews a session to work on fixing leaks.

As for how people can get started on the path towards this Cool-List Job, Zwillenberg gives the following advice:

If you think you may want to become a professional poker player… you can easily start yourself on that path. There is no degree necessary, and millions of people around the world eager to give you a very expensive education the moment you let them. If you want to be a winning professional poker player prepare to study, study, study, and throw away all your preconceived notions about how to play.

Learn the math behind every hand and situation you are likely to encounter. Subscribe to poker forums and participate in conversations. Realize you are a fish and learn to take criticism. Learn to divorce your emotions from your game.

By no means is poker a perfect job. But as you can see on TheRichest.com, the freedom and potentially high salary sure beat a lot of other professions.