Is online poker a hard way to make an easy living?

[nabmom]

As a somewhat "older player" (I will not share my exact age, even if my gray hair does! ) I remember the golden age of enormous poker fish tanks online. It seemed that poker was so easy to beat online. Playing NLH almost felt like printing money. And online Omaha was perhaps even easier to win.

Now as we near the end of 2024, I find myself wondering if there is still a way to beat this game. What do you think? Can online poker still be beatable and profitable?

 

[Pokerpoet2]

I am not afraid to tell you, that I am in the same boat, Being close to 70 I have been around the block a time or two, and yes I suppose in the early days of on-line Poker, it was easier to play, but easy to make a living from? I doubt it
There is no such thing as "Easy Money" or "Get Rich Quick" schemes, If someone told you it was "Just too good to be True" it probably is a Scam!
I made a little money playing On-line, and I have built several small Bankrolls from freerolls, but Being the Old Cynical SOB I am, I never trusted any poker site to be totally honest, So being afraid that they could scam money from my Bank account, I never gave any site my Banking details.
I used On-line Poker as a training tool, being able to play any time and as much as I wanted without it costing me a single Cent, built my confidence up so that I could play reasonably well in Live games, It is in that type of environment that I enjoy playing most, and have made more money from.
On-line Poker for me has always been a little bit of Fun! A useful way to get better at the game, and getting all the practice I needed to face players in a real Game. I pride myself, that at my age I have a good sense of judging people and can usually get good solid reads on players I have come up against, and yes sometimes I get it wrong, but in my defence, I have never walked away from a Poker table totally penniless, because I have the sense to walk away when I feel I am getting shafted or going on "Tilt".
It all comes down to being in control of your losses, and learning from your own mistakes, makes you a better player, and a solid bankroll Strategy that keeps your head above the mucky waters of playing Poker.

Good Luck!

 

[hardongear]

Older dude here as well. Started just before the Moneymaker poker boom. If you mean as a way of making a living I'm going with NO if online poker is the only way you plan to make a living.

I mean look around the poker world. Does any player only make his living from online poker alone? Does poker make their loving only by play poker live or online? I think the answer to both is NO. Everyone of these pro's and high stakes players have other means and other ways they make money. None of them seemingly do in only by playing poker.

With that said the good news is yes even in 2024 poker online and live can be a good and decent side hustle. Source: 20+ years experience and myself. Who's just an avg dude.

Cheers!!!

 

[pentazepam]

The games under 10NLH and 10PLO are still very soft.

But when you recall that 100NLH to 400NLH was even softer 15 years ago it makes you realize how saturated the online poker market has become.

I'm not saying it is impossible but if you don't use any RTA or are a part of a stable/team it's very hard to make over 1000 dollars a month in today's climate just from playing.

 

[hilary antonik filho]

Nothing is easy in this world, we have to work hard to achieve something, forThat online poker is something quite difficult, creating an illusion in some people that it is easy to win or get rich, just by playing

 

[Suns of Beaches]

It depends what Stakes you play and how much time you are willing to invest in study and play. It also depends where you live and what your personal situation is.

It's probably a very hard way yes because the swings are brutal and the games/stakes where one would be able to make a living are tough online in 2024.

 

[Station_Master]

Yeah you basically need to be a crusher to 'earn' minimum wage in most western countries.

To earn a little money it's not too hard as long as you find a game you can beat.

 

[redmast]

I found a way to make money playing poker for myself. These are freerolls. I don't see any other way out for me to make money on poker. Yes, of course, this is scanty, but it is always a plus and without nerves.

 

[Spielkind]

yes---but if u have money and luck--only one player can win the big pot in each tournament--good luck

 

[Poker Orifice]

As a somewhat "older player" (I will not share my exact age, even if my gray hair does! ) I remember the golden age of enormous poker fish tanks online. It seemed that poker was so easy to beat online. Playing NLH almost felt like printing money. And online Omaha was perhaps even easier to win.

Now as we near the end of 2024, I find myself wondering if there is still a way to beat this game. What do you think? Can online poker still be beatable and profitable?

When I began playing poker online (2009) it took only a few months before I was able to be a 'winning player' (winning as in able to keep a +ROI%). This took a bit of studying at the time which was mostly reading some of the better books at the time, & joining some training sites to watch their videos (ie. Cardrunners, PokerSavvy Plus, PokerXfactor, Tournament Poker Edge, SitnGoGrinders (Glitr), DragTheBar... & at one point or another I had joined or received promo memberships to all of the sites I just listed). Back then you'd have A LOT of depositing recreational players who were not good at the game (but likely didn't realize it)... many from the USA. LOADS of folks were able to grind out a living playing online poker... some making a good go of it with a bunch moving on to becoming live high stakes pros after Black Friday (going through the lists of bigger events and you'll see many names that were very popular in the online lobbys back pre Black Friday.

Over time there has become a vast amount of information helping players to get better and to do so at a faster rate (if they choose to, if they work for it, if they access good info. & are disciplined & driven). BUT there's far less fish in the game. So it's like a school of sharks going after a bit of chum instead of a few barracuda swimming into a massive school of goldfish.

2024 Can online poker be profitable?

Micro stakes cash games - it is actually difficult to grind out much of a bankroll. It is possible but the rake is very high.
Low & Mid stakes - it seems possible but you get a higher & higher percentage of good players vs. recreational (weak players).

To gain a better perspective it's possible to watch some of the guys who are playing the different stakes and to see them doing it live (on 4 or 5 min. delay) on Twitch TV & Youtube. Currently the 'winningest' micro/low stakes player online streams fairly regularly and also offers up a course which is excellent value for the money (CashGame Hero) ... felt I needed to put a plug out there for him as I've gotten to know him a bit via his channel & site. (Scrimitzu). Another guy putting out fantastic content is Saulo Costa.

imo the tables above 25nl look tough, 200nl looks REAL tough to play. At certain times of the day, even the 10nl & 25nl tables are difficult (imo). Table selection, especially time of the day, day of the week and the actual poker site you're playing on all make a huge difference

Tournament Play online
These days in micro/low stakes you'll find 1,000's of players who are grinding very large volume... ie players from Ukraine, Belarus, Thailand, chile, Russia, argentina, and of course brazil.... where winning while even at a lower winrate % are able to earn enough to provide a living for themselves. And you'll find less players from U.K., canada, germany, etc. There is definitely stiffer competion vs. 15 years ago.

BUT, tournament play still attracts the largest number of weaker players (< for lack of a better word) and if a person has the patience and emotional stability, this is the way to earn more money in my opinion. (hence the large numbers still in the tournament lobbys vs. cash game lobbys).

Competition gets stiffer as you move up in buyins, larger % of competent regulars vs. recreational (fun) players.

TLDR
As we near the end of 2024 I KNOW that online poker is still beatable, especially in tournament play. I know some folks who are able to make a living at it (while residing in Canada) & know of many others who are profiting from the game. You can also find players online who are beating the games while live streaming on Twitch TV (keeping their stats. available for viewers to follow so you can see exactly how much or how little they are winning or losing)

 

[Poker Orifice]

Now as we near the end of 2024, I find myself wondering if there is still a way to beat this game. What do you think? Can online poker still be beatable and profitable?

Great question btw.

 

[mattiebumpo]

I do not think it is possible to make a living playing online poker. I think it can still be profitable but only if you are able to put in the volume and pick the right games. For me, being in the US, I do not think there are enough legal sites to make it easy. I also think there is rampant cheating so would not commit much actual money to a site.

 

[SL-247]

Online poker can be useful for your playing skills, but making a living from it is a bad idea.

 

[Poker Orifice]

I do not think it is possible to make a living playing online poker. I think it can still be profitable but only if you are able to put in the volume and pick the right games. For me, being in the US, I do not think there are enough legal sites to make it easy. I also think there is rampant cheating so would not commit much actual money to a site.

I know a guy who just started playing ~4yrs. ago - part-time and just having some fun with it at micro/low stakes MTTs. He got involved with a guy who was just starting out streaming on Twitch and became one of his mods. (with no prior experience). He did this in exchange for some coaching.
3yrs. later he has quit his job, stopped being a twitch mod. & is now playing low stakes MTT (and some mid.) full-time on USA friendly sites ( Global is the main one he plays on but also, ACR, Bodonk, & SB). He lives in Florida.

It is possible. It depends on how much you want it.

 

[yuriko oyama]

I believe that with the democratization of the internet and the knowledge it brings, many more people would have the opportunity to learn about and learn poker. I only had internet access at home when I was 38 years old, and that was when I had my first contact with poker.
I believe that given this leveling of players, what will really make a difference will be the psychological aspect and bankroll management.

 

[Tero]

Yes, to both question.

In fact, yes is the only politically correct answer we should ever let out of our mouths. No matter how we feel personally.

Keeping the dream alive is the only thing that can help this industry to grow and keep everything afloat.

If we told NO to everyone then what would even be the point of this site? Reminiscing about the good old days? Nah...

 

[dori111]

if you want poker to be your only income, you should consistently win at least 1000 dollars every month, if you don't win that much, it's better to go and work at a normal job

 

[najisami]

As long as poker exists, of course some players could beat it, a lot of them are doing it right now.
The question of beating it to the extent of making a living out of it depends on many factors though. How dedicated one could be, how disciplined etc...

But another important factor emerged lately, related to the amount of money a player could make to ensure a decent living since poker is not as easy as it used to be, which brings up another question: Where in the World can a poker player afford "life" just by playing? In certain countries, the cost of living is too high and relying on poker only might not be enough to pay the bills, while in some other countries, making just an average of $40 a day could be plenty to live on.

 

[R.Holynskyi]

I think it all depends on the skills, experience, discipline and perseverance of the player. Online poker can be profitable for those who set a goal and work hard to achieve it for years.

 

[dangbaonguyen93]

I don't appreciate online poker, probably because to be fair, online poker is just the written term for setup. For me, live poker is still better, for intellectual games you definitely need to face

 

[Toruk Makto]

I believe that nothing is easy in this life. And this is what motivates us to continue evolving, the same is true with poker, it's not easy, however, those who study and dedicate themselves will have advantages over others... and it will always be a fun and stressful way to earn a living.

 

[Dejana]

The old player here!
Yes, it is possible! Although, I will always say it is easier to "take" money in live games...

 

[steve01991]

to make any money at online poker, firstly you have to be a good poker player and secondly, you have to play a ton of poker, and thirdly, you still have to have luck on your side.

 

[RALF_AK]

Poker nowadays has evolved a lot, as most players are seeking knowledge and paying attention to new strategies that emerge every day... for those who are looking for evolution, this is a good way to have a good financial return.

 

[TeUnit]

Depends on your ability, effort, and where you can play.