Nathan Williams of BlackRain79Poker outlines practical strategies for serious poker players aiming to pull in a steady $1000 per month. Learn about game selection, bankroll management, and the realistic challenges of poker income.
Nathan Williams: Nathan Williams, known in the poker community by his online moniker 'BlackRain79', has established himself as an expert in small stakes poker. He has a remarkable story of starting from the bottom with just $60 in micro stakes games back in 2004 and climbing to notable success to the point of quitting his job in 2007 to play poker full-time. Nathan has created one of the highest winnings in online poker history at the small to mid stakes, and he has authored best-selling poker strategy books. His online content focuses on providing valuable insights and strategies for beating small stakes poker games, and he runs the website blackrain79.com. Aside from playing, Nathan dedicates his time to coaching and educating players through his videos and written content, emphasizing the importance of a tight and aggressive playing style, table selection, and consistent play to make a sustainable income from poker. Living in Southeast Asia for nearly a decade, he also understands the geographical influence on the feasibility of poker as a professional career. Nathan uses his platform to give a realistic view of poker as a career, underscoring the difficulties and the mental challenges associated with the game, while also providing tools like his free poker 'cheat sheet' to help aspiring players succeed.
Possibility of Earning: Making $1,000 a month playing poker is difficult and not attainable for most beginners; it requires a strong work ethic, considerable skill, and emotional control.
Choosing the Right Game Format: Low stakes cash games are recommended for more consistent earnings compared to tournaments and sit-and-goes, which can have higher variance.
Appropriate Stakes for Profit: Playing at least NL10 or preferably NL25 online cash games can help achieve the goal when combined with multi-tabling and volume.
Playing Strategy: Adopt a tight and aggressive playing style, being selective with starting hands and maintaining aggression after the flop to maximize winnings.
Table Selection: Profitability in poker is greatly influenced by the skill level of your opponents; therefore, seek out tables with less skilled players, often referred to as 'fish'.
Handling Variance in Tournaments: Be prepared for high variance in tournaments and sit-and-goes; one might experience significant fluctuations in income.
Sustainability and Professional Play: Poker as a sole income source can be unstable and is not recommended for most people; consider it as a part-time source of income and be prepared for the game's inherent volatility.
Making a Stable Income: Addresses the common question about the feasibility of making a consistent income of a thousand dollars a month from poker, emphasizing the challenges due to the game's difficulty and variance.
Cash Games vs. Tournaments: Recommends playing low stakes cash games rather than tournaments or sit and go's for more consistent earnings, while acknowledging the appeal of tournaments despite their higher variance.
Playing at Suitable Stakes: Advises playing at least NL10 or preferably NL25 for making a thousand dollars a month, using multi-tabling and volume to achieve the target.
Tight and Aggressive Strategy: Advocates for a tight and aggressive poker strategy, suggesting selective hand choice, positional awareness, and aggressive post-flop play.
Finding the Right Tables: Highlights the importance of selecting tables with weaker players (fish) to maximize profits, and describes indicators of a recreational player.
Poker as a Professional Career: Discusses the realities of pursuing poker professionally, the importance of a trial period to prove consistent profitability, and the influence of geographical cost of living.
Skill Development: Encourages continuous learning, refining strategies, and understanding the mental aspects of the game to succeed in poker.
Additional Insights: Mentions potential future videos on more attainable earnings for poker beginners and stresses the importance of emotional control in poker.
This article is a summary of the video How to Make $1000 a Month Playing Poker (5 Ways) by BlackRain79Poker published on February 13, 2021 at 12:48:59.
Q: Is it possible to make a consistent $1000 a month playing poker? A: Achieving a consistent $1000 a month playing poker is difficult and only a few people manage to do it. It is more realistic for beginners to aim for lower amounts like $200 or $500 a month as they develop their skills and work ethic.
Q: What kind of work ethic and skill development is required to make consistent money from poker? A: To make consistent money from poker, players need to have a strong work ethic, play consistently every day, and develop a reasonable amount of skill. Emotional control is also key as poker can be a very up and down game.
Q: How can I control my emotions while playing poker to avoid tilting? A: To control emotions and prevent tilting, players should focus on maintaining a rational mindset, practice stress-reducing techniques, and take breaks when necessary. It's important to manage frustration and remain disciplined.
Q: Is multi-tabling a necessary strategy to make substantial income online? A: Yes, multi-tabling is often necessary for online players to make a substantial income. This involves playing multiple tables simultaneously to increase volume and maximize profit opportunities.
Q: How do I find and get a seat at poker tables with less skilled players? A: To find and secure a seat at tables with less skilled players, observe game dynamics, look for signs of recreational play, such as frequent limping and chasing draws, and choose tables where these players are present.
Q: How do I deal with the high variance in tournaments and sit and goes? A: To deal with the high variance in tournaments and sit and goes, it's important to have a solid bankroll management strategy, recognize that significant scores may be infrequent, and maintain a long-term perspective.
Q: Is poker a reliable source of income? A: Poker is not always a reliable source of income due to its inherent variance. Even skilled professionals experience downswings, and success in poker requires adapting to the ups and downs over the long term.
Q: Can I make a living solely from poker? A: Making a living solely from poker depends on your living expenses and personal circumstances. In higher-cost areas, it may not be feasible. It is important to have a trial run to prove consistent profitability before considering poker as a main income source.