The world of professional poker has exploded in the last few years; many people make a living as a professional poker player, online or at cash tables-- not big poker tournaments. No matter what kind of poker you play there are thing you must do to become a professional.
As a professional poker player, you must put in the time. Generally a player has logged no less than 500 hours of poker play before deciding to become a professional. Many professional track their statistics of how much they make an hour when playing cash games or online. A person looking to become a professional poker player must know what game they will be best at to get a good hourly rate.
Discipline is needed as a professional poker player. You are the boss and need to be motivated to put in the hours in order to make a significant living. Most players have at least 3 to 6 months of living expenses saved up before trying to become a professional. There will be swings of good luck and bad luck so you need money to live off when your luck is down.
As a professional poker player you need a sizable bankroll. The thought among most professional players is to have 200 times the bet for a bankroll. For example if the it is a game with $10 to $20 limit your bankroll should be $4000. This will let you still have money if or when negative swings occur.
A combination of patience, discipline, preparation and a decent bankroll is needed in order to become a professional poker player. Once you have these things you are on your way.