Despite what some think, there are many people who can make a living by playing poker, including online poker. Talented poker players live all over the globe and make tons of money by playing the game. Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of people out there who can make money playing the game and handle the lifestyle that comes with it. In fact, more than a few players have had their poker careers cut short simply because they couldn’t handle the lifestyle aspect of the game. If you are in a position to play poker for a living then you need to make sure to do these things so your life doesn’t spin out of control.

For many, becoming a successful poker player is a dream come true since one can make lots of money in the game and live a lavish lifestyle. But this dream can quickly turn into a nightmare when a person lets them self go and starts ignoring their health. The bad part is that this is easy to do since professional poker players sit at tables or in front of computers for long periods of time. That’s why it’s so important for players to get their exercise and eat right at and away from the poker games. Eating sensibly and doing 30 minutes of jogging or biking each day should be enough to stay in good shape.

Don’t become a workaholic

It’s interesting how most people get into poker because it allows them the freedom that traditional jobs don’t. Then they turn around and start putting 60 to 70 hours a week into the game which defeats the freedom advantage of poker altogether. Now if you are a consistent winner, you’re going to want to put in a full workday at the tables to make a reasonable amount of money. But you don’t want to overdo it by making your life all about poker because this is very unhealthy. Plus it can hurt your bankroll in the long run when you start making bad plays due to burnout. Try to limit yourself to less than 50 hours or less a week and spread out the amount of time you’re playing over the course of 5 or 6 days. 

Along with becoming a workaholic poker player, losing sleep is another thing which can negatively affect a person’s play and overall life. But despite this obvious fact, there are far too many poker players who skip their rest for a few more hours at the table or a night out on the town. However, you have to get your sleep if you want to stay sharp and alert at the poker tables. Studies show that most adults need about 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night to keep in good health and feel rested. Obviously you’ll have your rough sleeping nights from time to time but this is a good number to shoot for on most nights.

A lot of poker players out there enjoy a few drinks which is fine provided they don’t make a habit of it and can stay on top of their poker game. But there are also professional players who use alcohol as means of coping with each day which can affect their health and poker game negatively. Even worse, there are players who use hardcore drugs in frequency and this is when things really get out of control. The fact is that you can’t play to your full potential while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and your health will definitely decline as a result of substance abuse. It should go without saying, but you can’t let alcohol and drugs take over or your pro career could hit the rail a lot sooner than you’d like it too.

Stay in touch with family and friends

The game of poker allows a lot of players the opportunity to travel around the world and play in far away tournaments. Considering how hectic this lifestyle can be, a player can easily lose contact with friends and loved ones. But even though poker has become a job at this point, a person should always take the time to keep up with the people they know outside of poker. Simply sending e-mails or making phone calls once in a while is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family.