Can You Earn a Living by Playing Online Poker in 2025?

Online Poker Evolution

If you’re considering playing poker for a living, that’s perfectly fine. However, before going all in, it’s essential to understand how poker has changed over the years.  Have you ever wondered how much harder it’s become to beat the games compared to the poker boom era?

Anyone looking to play online poker for a living in 2025 should know that the skill requirements are very high.  The poker boom era is gone; most recreational players don’t burn their hard-earned money. 

In 2025, the poker landscape looks vastly different:

• Increased Competition: Players are studying poker more than ever, learning Game Theory Optimal (GTO) techniques and other advanced strategies, making them more skilled than ever before. For instance, contemporary players often use preflop charts and solvers to figure out the best ranges, which leaves little room for guessing. 

• Technological Advances: New tools, such as heads-up displays (HUDs), real-time assistants (RTAs), poker solvers, and mass data analysis, have changed the online poker landscape. One example of this is using PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager to find holes in your opponents’ games and exploit them.

• Regulatory Changes: Some countries have made the rules for online poker stricter, while others have made it legal, which brings about new opportunities and new problems.

What You Need to Succeed

Before deciding to go pro, there are some factors you need to consider.

Be Honest About Your Skill Level

Do you have what it takes to compete with today’s top players? First off, you gotta take a good look at your skills, and honestly, that can be a bit tough. 

It is easy to think of yourself as a skilled player just requiring a bit of extra luck. Any player considering the prospect of making a living playing online poker has an optimistic view of their poker skills.

Nonetheless, venturing out into professional poker is a choice requiring more than mere conviction. The most effective method is to approach the situation unbiasedly and concentrate on aspects like your results/win rate.

If you’ve played poker for a while, you know how you’re doing overall. Playing online is straightforward since you can use poker software to check your win rate or track your tournament results with SharkScope. The only question you should ask yourself is, “Are you a winning player?” If your results indicate an overall loss or merely a breakeven period, you’re likely not yet prepared to pursue poker as a full-time profession.

The reality is that your results won’t magically improve overnight just because you’ve chosen to consider yourself a professional. If you rely on online poker as your primary source of income, challenges can arise quickly.

Study

Do you really believe you can rely on your natural talent to succeed in online poker? You should reconsider that! 

These days, if you’re not putting in the study time in online poker, you’re starting with a mental chip disadvantage even before you hit the table. Playing professional poker goes beyond the hands you play; it’s really about understanding the complex math and psychology that influence your winning choices. 

Most successful players dedicate around 20% of their poker time to studying the game. The aspects of the game you study every day should include both focused learning and real-world application.

Do hand review sessions first thing in the morning, reviewing spots where you weren’t sure or made mistakes? Use poker tools to check your decisions, find optimal ways to play, and fix your leaks.  For instance, analyzing a hand where you faced a tough river decision using a solver like PioSOLVER can highlight whether you’re bluff-catching too wide. Don’t just passively watch training videos from well-known professionals; take notes and consider how to apply what you learn.

Bankroll Management

Making a livelihood as a poker player requires careful financial management. If you’re good at this part of poker, you’ll be around for a long time.

An amateur player can play any game because they don’t have to worry about their bankroll, but a professional player needs to be careful.  It is wise to proceed with caution when you are starting. Have a sufficient bankroll with at least 100  buy-ins for online MTTs.  Let’s say your average buy-in is $10. To counter variance, have at least $1,000 in your bankroll. For cash game players, having 50 buy-ins to cushion you when dealing with downswings is recommended. 

You should also increase the number of buy-ins as you move up in stakes since the games get more challenging. It will protect you from financial ruin in the case of a losing streak.  Furthermore, having ample buy-ins available will enhance your performance.

Sticking to your budget and bankroll will show you whether you’re making or losing money and help you figure out how to improve.

Game Selection

There are so many poker games out there online to pick from — the choices you make count because they shape what you do.

If you’re new to the game, it’s a good idea to kick things off with cash games rather than jumping straight into tournaments. That’s because, in tournaments, you can’t play at your pace. You can set your schedule for cash games, which is excellent. It is a great way to make some cash while also juggling your social life and other parts of your life. 

Playing 6-max cash games online at $0.25 or $0.50 stakes, for instance, can help you build a strong base while still giving you flexibility. This solid foundation will be very valuable when you transition to play tournaments. Even though tournaments have higher variance, players can make more money than they would in cash games if they hit a big score since it attracts more recreational players. 

Emotional Stability

Emotional stability is essential for getting a clear and different point of view in challenging circumstances. When you play online poker, you make decisions based on the expected value of a particular action.   To build mental strength, you need to develop a growth attitude. Every bad beat you experience is an opportunity to learn something, and every mistake is a chance to improve.  The best poker players don’t just get through bad times; they use them as inspiration to get better at what they do.

Good physical health is also essential. Consistent physical activity, enough rest, and a well-balanced diet significantly affect your playing productivity. You are an athlete in poker, so think of yourself that way. 

Future of Online Poker Economy

Many people are using this downside as their main reason for not choosing a career in online poker. With players getting better globally, some are worried that AI might destroy online poker in just a few years.

Even if things get a bit rough down the line, live poker will still have tons of good spots to make some cash, and there are many ways to use your poker skills to earn outside of online poker.

1. Coaching: It can be profitable to share your knowledge with others.
2. Content Creation: You can make extra money by starting a YouTube account or a Twitch stream.
3. Affiliate Marketing: Working with poker sites to get paid to refer new clients.
4. Investing: Putting the money you win at poker to work by buying stocks, crypto, or real estate.

Is It Still Worth It?

Making a living playing online poker can be challenging, and that’s the reality. The rewards can really pay off for those who are passionate, disciplined, and ready to put in the effort. Consider this: 

• Do you like to keep learning all the time?
• Are you able to deal with the emotional highs and lows?
• Are you ready to approach poker as a business?

If you said “yes” to these questions, online poker might be a rewarding career choice for you.