Professional poker is a way of life for more and more players now thanks to the online poker explosion. It can be said that online poker has made this possible thanks to the availability that it offers that was not possible a generation ago.
You will find that there are more professional poker players than ever before. What may surprise you is that most of these professional poker players play exclusively online. Professional poker's days of being just something available in a Las Vegas card room or in back alleys are thankfully behind us.
The biggest obstacle that many aspiring professional poker players have is their ability to adjust to online poker in comparison to playing in person at a real poker table. "Tells" or clues that are obvious at an in person table are more difficult to pick up at an online poker table. That being said there are other ways to read your fellow competitors online including their playing history and their betting styles. You most successful online professional poker players are able to pick up on these various behavior patterns quickly.
You will find that as you play more online poker you will get a better read on other players based on your own experience. Experience is clearly the best teacher and guide to make it in professional poker. That is why it is advisable to not try and go to fast on your way as experience can be very costly if you aren't prudent and start off slow and careful.