
How to Make Money with Online Poker
Novices often wonder if playing online poker for money is doable. Since this is a game where dynamics and trends keep changing, a more appropriate question would be, "Can I personally profit from it?". Before determining your potential winnings, it’s crucial to consider whether you possess the necessary strategy and psychological skills to be a profitable player.
How long does it take for the game to become your source of income? Generally, it can range from several months to a couple of years for most individuals. However, only some manage to make great strides in this field. Within a few months, one can progress from a neophyte to an intermediate reg, whereas another gambler might never beat micro-stakes in Texas Holdem (or any other variation).
Is it Possible to Make Money with Online Poker?
In today's reality, pursuing poker as a means of income requires considerable commitment, passion, and a strong drive to succeed.
Are you ready to invest countless hours into grinding and parsing your play?
Keep in mind that even with diligent off-table work and correct decision-making, seeing sound results could take some time. However, you will find yourself in the black in the long run.
Key requirements to swiftly become a winning player include the following:
- playing at least 3 hours every day;
- daily study of game strategy;
- watching educational video content (VODs);
- being active and open to discussing various game strategies with more seasoned players;
- using dedicated poker software and regular game analysis.
Our team strongly believes that one should only venture into online poker real money action after gaining confidence in your mastery. For beginners, it is better to hone their skills through play money games and freerolls.
What’s Average Player's Salary?
This is actually an unanswerable question. Poker is not a typical fixed-salary job; every professional inevitably encounters downswings. Sometimes people can make their yearly profit in just a single day, while during downswing periods, they may go weeks/months breakeven or even suffer tremendous losses. However, shedding some light on card players’ average earnings is yet possible. An essential factor to comprehend is that amounts and earning rates can vary greatly according to the selected format: tourneys or cash games.
Only through constant motivation and practice can you make a living playing poker. Well, how much time is then needed to become a winning reg? Several additional factors influence it, and we’ve pinpointed them below:
- time spent playing NLHE, PLO or whatever other disciplines
- time dedicated to examining strategies (basic & advanced)
- qualities of the content under study
- practical application of poker math
- personal skills and abilities to learn, diligence, and motivation
- limits (stakes) you play

According to the Hendon Mob rating, Justin Bonomo has won the most in the field: nearly $62 million (as of July 2023).
Perfect online rooms for beginners and regs

1. Players must be aged 18 and above to participate in this promotion.
2. Welcome Bonus and Honeymoon promotion for new players only over a limited period .
3. Welcome Bonus only available to new players that make an initial deposit. The minimum deposit necessary to obtain a matched bonus is $10, or if a player chooses the $100 in rewards the minimum deposit necessary is $20.
4. $50 Free Play offer made up of $52.50 in free All-In Or Fold SNG tickets from Welcome Bonus and $2.50 in free tickets from Daily Freebie.
5. Free tickets automatically credited to eligible players’ accounts over a six day period.
6. A 100% matched deposit bonus worth a maximum of $600 can be claimed by players selecting ‘Match Bonus’ when making their first deposit(s) over a limited period.
7. Bonus cash is released at a rate of $1 for every $5 paid in net rake/tournament fees.
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The following are the terms and conditions of the "£20 Bonus Package Promotion" (the "Promotion") for www.888poker.com (the “Site”). The Promotion is organized by 888 UK Limited.
This Promotion is an ongoing Promotion, currently without an end date, we will provide reasonable notice of when the Promotion is to come to an end (the “Promotion Period”).
888poker may cancel, modify or suspend the promotion, and any of the bonuses or benefits offered hereunder, where required for security reasons, to comply with applicable law or regulation, due to abuse or otherwise where the promotion is not capable of being conducted as specified as a result of exceptional circumstances. Other than where necessary to prevent fraud or other similar unlawful behavior, any such modification, suspension or cancellation will not apply to you if you have already opted into the promotion, made a deposit in expectation of receipt of a bonus or other benefits offered, and/or commenced play in relation to the promotion, bonus or special offer prior to the date of the communication of the modification, suspension or cancellation.
No-one under the age of 18 may participate in the Promotion and the Promotion is only available to eligible members located in the UK.
You may be asked at any stage to provide us with a proof of age and/or identity.
You may only enter this Promotion once.
For security and verification purposes, we reserve the right to limit participation in this Promotion to: (i) one per household; (ii) one per computer terminal; or (iii) one per mobile device.
During their engagement period and for a period of 24 months thereafter, none of our officers, directors, employees, consultants or agents or any other company within our group of companies or our suppliers, vendors or white label partners are permitted to participate in the Promotion, nor is any supplier or vendor. This restriction also applies to relatives of such persons and for this purpose 'relative' means any of a spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling.
If you have a pending message on the Site’s cashier regarding your recent gaming activity, we reserve the right to revoke your eligibility to participate and/or continue to participate in this promotion. In such event, any bonus and/or other benefit which you have received and/or are eligible to receive under this promotion, shall be forfeited by you.
The Promotion is a new registration offer with the Site and completely replaces any similar registration offer with the Site.
All bonuses and promotional offers, and any winnings generated through the wagering of either of the aforesaid, will be cancelled at withdrawal if any of the applicable conditions have not been met in full.
You hereby agree to these terms and conditions which govern the Promotion, along with the "User Agreement" which includes but is not limited to the "Bonus Policy".
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Promotion
You may only participate in the Promotion, if you have not previously registered with the Site. If you benefit from this Promotion you will not be eligible to benefit from any other first deposit bonus or first deposit offer with the Site. If you have benefited from another first deposit offer with the Site you are not eligible to benefit from this Promotion.
You may not combine this registration offer with any other type of registration offer provided by the Site.
In order to be eligible and receive the Tournament Tickets (as defined below) granted under the Promotion, during the Promotion Period: (i) you must either download the 888poker client on PC or mobile application or click ‘Instant Play’ on the English non-download version of the Site; (ii) open a new user account with the Site; and (iii) verify his/her e-mail address by clicking on a link within the e-mail body or by SMS to the phone number entered within 14 days of the Site sending the email to you, otherwise the bonus offer will expire and you shall forfeit the bonus offer.".
Under the terms of this Promotion, eligible players will be entitled to receive £20 worth bonus (granted in USD at equivalent value of USD 25 in accordance with the Exchange Rate as defined in the User Agreement referenced above) that will be given as Tournament Tickets, according to the following allocation: 50 tickets of $0.1buy-in and 20 tickets of $1 buy-in.
Once claimed, Tournament Tickets will be granted in batches as follows:
First batch worth $5 (10 tickets of $0.1buy-in and 4 tickets of $1buy in) will be granted following your fulfilment of point 3 above.
Second batch worth $10 (20 tickets of $0.1buy-in and 8 tickets of $1buy in) will be granted 3 days after the bonus was claimed.
Third batch worth $10 (20 tickets of $0.1buy-in and 8 tickets of $1buy in) will be granted 7 days after the bonus was claimed.
If you don’t use the Tournament Tickets granted under the Promotion within 24 hours of being credited to your account, such Tournament Tickets shall expire and you shall forfeit each of such Tournament Tickets.
Tournament Tickets
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A Tournament Ticket can’t be used by a player to re-buy chips or to add chips to his/her stack during a tournament.
Tournament Tickets may not be: (i) exchanged or converted into cash; (ii) joined together to create a higher value ticket; or (iii) transferred by a player to another player.
For further terms and conditions in relation to the use of Tournament Tickets, please see our Bonus Policy.


100% First Deposit Bonus
Make your first-ever real money deposit using the bonus code ‘STARS600’, and we will give you a 100% bonus up to $600. To claim the full value of the bonus, you can make up to three qualifying deposits in 60 days.
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How the 100% First Deposit Bonus works
Once you’ve made your deposit, you need to earn redemption points by playing real money games. Unless stated otherwise, you will earn 5 redemption points for every USD $1 you pay in rake or tournament fees (6.5 points per £1, 4 points per CAD $1, or 5.5 points per EUR €1).
Every time you reach 180 redemption points we’ll credit your Stars Account with $10 cash. You have four months after each qualifying deposit to earn all the redemption points needed to release your bonus.
You may only take advantage of one of our first deposit offers, but may be eligible for further deposit bonuses open to existing players. You can view any bonuses you have, alongside information on expiry dates, redemption point requirements and more, under the ‘My Stars’ menu.
Please note that redemption points will not be earned at pot-limit or no-limit tables with blinds of $5/$10 or higher, 8-game tables with stakes of $20/$40 or higher, or other limit games with stakes of $20/$40 or higher.

How to Make Money Playing Online Poker
Game strategy plays an important role here. Mainly, the TAG (tight & aggressive) approach is recommended for making a decent income. It means that you should carefully select your hands and play most of them in position post-flop. Also, don’t forget to learn to use HUD and exploit the weaknesses of your opponents to your advantage. You should study and follow the latest tendencies to stay ahead.
Earning funds through virtual poker is a broad concept covering several sources of income. Which is best: SnG, MTT or Cash? Let's now discuss the main disciplines.
Single-table competitions
Sit & Go’s are a fantastic option for novices to start earning money, as they offer less variance compared to multi-table tourneys and require a smaller bankroll. Although prizes may not be massive, you won't need to spend hours or even days playing. SnG kicks off at any convenient time and may last only a few minutes. Most poker sites deliver this format with a wide range of limits to suit your preferences.
Features of multi-table tournaments
MTTs are in high demand because of their colossal guarantees. One can buy in just $100 and potentially win several thousand (or even a hundred thousand) dollars. A prime example is the aforementioned top-ranked tournament player on the All Time Money List – Justin Bonomo. In 2018, the American won the $1 000 000 Big One Drop at the WSOP series, earning as much as $10 million for first place. This result is still his best live cash.
It strikes the attention that all three WSOP Big One for One Drop champions are in the top 25 of the List. In 2012, winning the tournament with a million buy-in brought Antonio Esfandiari more than $18 million. In 2014, Daniel Colman took down the event and earned $15 000 000.
But, there is one noteworthy caveat. Portals like The Hendon Mob and similar often accentuate the total prize funds won while ignoring the expenses people incur through buy-ins. The net profit of a tournament player calculates by subtracting total buy-in costs from money earned. Their real prizes are often much lower than many assume.

The year 2013 marked a significant milestone in the pro's career, and in the latter half of it, he released his actual results and shared them with the public.
The Canadian competed in 51 events, and his total earnings amounted to an impressive $944,126. However, it's worth noting that Daniel only managed to get in the money in 11 tournaments out of those 51. If the guy hadn't secured two significant victories (WSOP APAC and WSOP High Roller), he would have gone into the red that year.
Generating earnings at cash tables
Unlike tournament users, cash grinders have a more consistent income. However, it's essential to have sufficient bankroll and psychological stability to be profitable in this format in the long run. Cash players’ skill is evident from the limits they are beating. Most novices start at NL2 and gradually move up the stakes. In the current landscape, a skilled online gambler can aim to win around 5-7 big blinds/100 hands at mid-stakes.
For instance, an NL50 (0.25/0.50¢) reg with a 5BB/100 win rate can earn $2.50 for every 100 hands played, $25 for 1,000 hands, and $250 for 10,000 hands. Savvy players typically aim to play around 2,000 hands per day at regular tables or up to 5,000 at ZOOM (or alternative fast-paced games). While people may experience ups and downs, their win rates will ultimately align with the accumulated profits over the long run. On this occasion, we suggest watching a video on how to make a solid income per month:
What’s the major source of profit in any format? Fish (weak opponents), so be engaged in searching for such individuals. They betray themselves by the following actions:
- post big/small blinds without waiting for their turn;
- play lots of starters and move on to the flop even having the worst ones like 2-7 offsuit;
- call any bets with a drawing hand, hoping to hit a straight, flush, etc.;
- place minimum bets on the flop and check a lot;
- often shove ANY two cards preflop;
- fish is vulnerable to tilt.
Alternative Ways of Earning Funds
How else can you make money playing poker online? There are other options to generate income that are worth discussing. These ways provide opportunities to boost your start-up capital and obtain additional finances while adhering to specific nuances.

Building an initial bankroll can be challenging for micro-limit gamblers. Freerolls require no entry fee but offer real prizes (typically cash or tickets to more pricey tourneys). The advantage is that the competition here is naturally weaker, giving you better chances to win and boost your bankroll.

Online rooms run different promos and special offers regularly. Most operators provide gifts to newcomers upon registration: no deposit perks or additional bonuses on the initial top up, to name a few. Taking advantage of them can result in a steady monthly income, albeit less significant than direct winnings.

If you plan to occupy yourself with Internet poker intensively, it’s advisable to consider rakeback (player refund) options available before registering with a platform. The more hands you play, the greater the potential cashback. Professionals can benefit from rakeback significantly, sometimes returning up to 70% of fees. You can find the exact percentage in online room reviews on Cardmates.

This term refers to the practice of investing in a player. Even those who do not know how to play poker can earn profits through backing (but they should be good at recruiting experienced and skilled individuals). A backer purchases a portion of the player's buy-ins and receives a predetermined share of their winnings. Note that backing also carries risks: you won’t get anything if your ward losses.
Final Thoughts
So, can I make a living playing poker? Well, it’s not as easy to do as it sounds. Even the best players do not win every time they join the table. This is a dynamic game, so users of all skill levels (both newbies and experts) need to enhance their game constantly. In addition to choosing the right format, you need to make sure that you are familiar with the latest strategy trends (3-betting isn’t as a powerful weapon as it used to be earlier).
Staying updated is essential here, and one effective approach is to explore current strategies, watch educational videos, and consistently analyse your table behaviour. Moreover, having competent friends within the community can help increase your chances of success.
FAQ
During the early 2000s, Internet poker proved to be a lucrative activity, even for micro-stakes users. As competition grew, it became more challenging to earn a solid profit. Nonetheless, tens of thousands of gamblers worldwide still make a living from the game. Yet, achieving profitability requires more effort, constant skill refinement, and studying advanced strategies. Effective methods of learning include working with a coach and utilizing ad hoc software.
It can be quite challenging as online poker doesn't guarantee daily profits. However, achieving a consistent income (in the long run) is quite possible. Tangible earnings can be obtained at NL25-NL50, and if your room offers a favourable cashback %, your monthly revenue will be even higher.
Generating income is best in classic Hold'em and standard PL Omaha (newbies should focus on full-ring tables and micro-stakes tournaments). These disciplines have a plethora of educational materials and software tools to aid players. Comprehensive strategies have been developed for them, so now all that's left is to delve into them and gain proficiency.
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