Gamble Like the Pros: 7 Ways to Make a Profit

Many casual casino gamblers are fascinated by the prospect of turning their passion into a profession. While the dedication and skill necessary to accomplish such a feat are elusive, it is within the realm of possibilities.

If your goal is to gamble like the pros, these seven ways to make a profit will get potential pros started on your journey to becoming a professional gambler.

1 – Discipline Opens the Door to Winning

Self-discipline will make or break your potential career change. Discipline is necessary for every aspect of your life as a professional gambler. 

First, you need to stay calm and composed at the tables. Gamblers tend to have a strong competitive streak. That inner competitive spirit that drives us to succeed can also lead to untimely meltdowns.

Professional gamblers can’t afford to go on tilt. They must never chase losses or push all-in out of frustration.

Keeping an even keel while playing in the casino is a trait you’ll find in nearly every successful professional gambler.

Secondly, you need to have extreme discipline when it comes to money management. Remember, it’s not just your casino bankroll that’s riding on your successes and failures.

All of your living expenses, including rent, groceries, phone bills, car payments, and even birthday gifts for friends and family, are riding on how well you manage your finances. Both on the casino floor and out in the world, every decision you make affects the bottom line.

You’ll have to resist the urge to jet off to paradise after a good month because your main goal will be weathering the ebb and flow of casino gambling.

Chances are that you’re going to have some bad months, and when these come, you’ll need savings to work your way through. Overextending on finances has sunk the dreams of more than one aspiring professional gambler.

2 – Start Counting Cards

Card counting has been glamorized on the silver screen in films like Rainman, 21, and The Hangover, among others.

The main reason for the somewhat romantic allure of card counting is simple—it works. There have been several card counting teams that have been able to take the casinos for millions.

It seems like a pretty great job if you possess the mathematical prowess to pull it off. You can work when you choose, make a ton of money, and you get to beat the casinos at the same time.

Contrary to popular belief, card counting is perfectly legal. However, the casinos don’t take card counting lightly.

If a casino suspects you of card counting on any level, you’re going to be escorted out, and your chips will likely still be sitting on the table.

Worst of all, the casino will ban you from the casino and distribute your picture for other casinos to be on the lookout.

Obviously, getting caught will diminish your opportunities to cash in on your skills severely. Casinos make a ton of money, and they go to tremendous lengths to protect their investment.

Still, if you can evade the casino’s ever watching eye, there are few better ways to ensure you have a long-term positive expectation than card counting.

3 – Become a Poker Star

You don’t actually need to become larger than life poker personality to make a sustainable income playing poker.

You don’t need to be the best player globally. You don’t even need to be the best player in the casino. You only need to be better than the players you’re competing with.

I have a friend that now has a very successful roofing company. In the early days of his company, he found that the competition was fierce, and he was having a difficult time making ends meet in the slow season.

From March through September, when the big thunderstorms start firing up across the South, business was mediocre. Still, he was struggling to make any money, let alone paying his crews.

So, he did what any 30 something roofer would do! He started playing poker.

He actually started winning. He would run his roofing business during the day, and several nights a week, he would hit the casino poker rooms.

Soon, he’d spend the entire weekend fleecing the fish and returning Monday morning to the roofing business. This semi-pro poker career floated his business for over two years while he established his business.

I never asked for a specific number, and he never gave one, but he once confided that $10,000 profit was a slow month for him at the tables. He did let me in on his secret to success: It’s all about knowing who the weakest players are at the table.

If you’re not sure who that is, then it’s probably you. Don’t walk away from the table in that instance.

4 – Betting on Sports Could Net Millions

More than a few fortunes have been made in the world of sports betting. In fact, casino empires and sports franchises have been built on the back of skilled sports bettors.

You can make billions. That’s not a typo, billions with a “B” if you can create a system that works.

If a sports bettor can get it right 52.5% of the time or better, they can essentially print their own money.

Of course, this is far more difficult than it may seem to the layman. Betting on sports is a coin flip at best for most gamblers.

When you introduce things like the line and account for the vig, you’re going to have a hard time just breaking even.

However, if you can do the research required to find a system that focuses on finding value at it’s prime, you’re on your way to untold riches.

Don’t fall for thinking that sports bettors work two hours a day picking games from the sports page in a smoky bar. Today’s sports bettors are highly dedicated analysts that put countless hours into honing their craft.

Suppose you’re looking for a part-time schedule as a professional gambler, best of luck. Don’t even consider working fewer than 70 hours a week as a rookie sports bettor.

5 – Start Your Own Casino

What gambler doesn’t love a sure thing?

Well, when it comes to making a living from gambling, nothing beats owning a casino.

Casinos are almost guaranteed to make money. All you have to do is get people through the door. 

Obviously, the initial investments involved are immense, which makes this almost impossible for most of us. 

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to hire a team of lawyers and fill a corporate roster to own a casino.

I’m not advocating that you hire a couple of armed guards and start an underground casino. I’m merely pointing out that some people do, and they can be quite lucrative.

Still, if you’re unable to start a casino that’s on the up and up, you’re probably better off sticking to other methods of vocational gambling.

6 – You Must Embrace Winning

Winners seem to have a sixth sense. It gives them an extra shot of focus, determination, or confidence at precisely the right moment.

This isn’t unique to gambling. Winners in sports and business have the same innate ability to excel under pressure.

Before you can become a successful professional gambler, you need to determine whether or not you have this natural ability to embrace winning.

If you don’t have the skills to win, you’ll need first to discover the art of winning. This can be as simple as gaining the necessary confidence to allow wins to come in many cases.

Understand that knowing what it takes to win is a vital aspect of any successful person, and gambling is no different.

7 – You Could Always Cheat, But You Shouldn’t

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Cheaters never win.” Well, it’s an old saying that I buy into 100%.

People have allowed greed to push them to cheat since the first games of skill and chance were played for money. It can provide the cheater with a giant profit in the short-term.

However, besides the moral aspect, there are some major downsides to altering a game or event’s results.

For starters, many poker cheats were shot where they sat in early America. It’s probably not as likely today, but if you get caught cheating in an underground game of dice or poker, you’re looking at retribution of some form.

I’ve seen guys get roughed up to the point of blatant excess for trying to cheat in a dice game. It was enough to ensure not only would I never cheat; I would never go back.

When the casino catches up to you, you’re going to face a list of felony charges. This means huge legal fees and court costs.

Then, you may still be facing prison time. I would imagine this means losing a job, possible relationships, and most importantly, your freedom.

After all of that, you’re in prison with hardened criminals who won’t be impressed with how you colluded with a blackjack dealer to make thousands off the casino.

Don’t sink to this level. If you’re too lazy to become skilled enough to become a legitimate professional gambler, keep your day job.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market to gamble like the pros as an up-and-coming professional gambler, these seven ways to make a profit will provide a base for every type of gambler.

Be sure to do it the right way. It’d be a shame to waste a successful gambling career sitting in the pokey.