As the popularity of poker is steadily growing due to televisized shows such as Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and Fox Sports Net's Poke , more high-skilled players are quitting their regular jobs to make a living by playing online poker.

Talented poker players quit day jobs to make a living online

As the popularity of poker is steadily growing due to televisized shows such as Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and Fox Sports Net's Poke , more high-skilled players are quitting their regular jobs to make a living by playing online poker, www.onlinecasinonews.com reported.

One man who quit his job in April this year to take a chance on poker, has cited the increasing number of novices making bad plays on online poker sites as a reason why more experienced players are now able to make their living from playing poker at online casino.

For Silver the risk was worth taking, as he is confident of being able to earn an annual income of $100,000, twice the amount he was earning on his regular job. He said his earnings increased as more newcomers joined the online poker community: “You'll see people make terrible plays routinely. For the most part these people call too much and play too aggressively”.

Online poker offers lucrative money earning opportunities for those who take the game seriously, with reports of people who do not go so far as quitting their jobs earning an extra $20-30,000 on top of their salary, by playing on evenings and weekends.

PokerPulse.com, a website which tracks the amounts of money spent on online poker games, stated that last month the figure hit $136.1 million, from $11.1 million in January 2003.

For newcomers, or less experienced players, who are eager to have a crack at the kind of money that can be won, there are now many sites who offer free training games while they develop their playing skills, as well as user guides, expert advice and tips, and recommended strategies – a good idea to use as preparation before entering the money earning arena.