Celebrity poker millionaires such as Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari and so on, are the names that come in to mind, when average people think about professional poker players. The group of players they represent, who live millionaire lifestyle and play in the highest possible stake levels, are... the very small fraction of the truth.
Vast majority of professional poker players are not familiar faces from magazines or TV-broadcasts. They are regular people from all around the world, playing poker to achieve their day's salary.
Only very few poker pro play cash games where big blind is 1'000 dollars. In some countries that one big blind of 1'000 dollars can be more than the average per capita income for whole year! Yet still you might find people from these countries playing professionally.
How much player needs or wants per month is a tricky question. It is a extremely individual thing.
Let's say European or American wants to make 6'000 USD per month. (He would need only 3'000 USD, but he wants that 6'000.) He plays 20 days per month, so he should win 300 dollars per day. Not too hard task, for example playing on $2.00/$1.00 stake level? Even easier on $4.00/$2.00 level? Yet still not totally and absolutely impossible on $1.00/$0.50 level either?
His countryman, two hours drive north from his home, is little bit modest. He doesn't want anything. He only needs something to make reasonable living. For that he needs 2'600 USD per month. He also plays 20 days per month, so he should win "only" 130 USD per day. To achieve that, he hits tables from $0.25/$0.10 to $0.50/0.25. Sometimes he might visit $1.00/$0.50 level, if he feels wild or extremely comfortable. Generally he doesn't want to take any risks with his bankroll.
At the same time on same poker site man from Philippines, woman from Ukraine and man from Nicaragua are ruling the micro stake levels. Day after day. They play regularly on $0.04/$0.02 level and $0.10/$0.05 level. They are extremely skilled and they just rule there! Every each one of the three players make every day 10 USD minimum profit, usually much more. With that salary their income is way above their country's annual average per capita, and they do well in life as a professional poker players.
I have seen these players online. And I have seen their statistics. They are real.
None of these players will ever make the cover of any famous poker-magazine. They are not sexy enough. They don't have luxury cars in their garage, or three homes in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Switzerland. Yet still, they are poker pros. They play for living. And they are good.
Keep this in mind, when you'll go playing next time. No matter what stake level you play... there is, and always will be, both really good players and really bad players. The game doesn't change, even so the amount of big blind does. Only the bankrolls behind the players change.
Links to annual average incomes in different countries:
Per Capita Income
Indicators on income by UN
Gross national income per capita 2009 (PDF)
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