It’s great to be a professional poker player. Not many people can say that they do what they love for a living. But there are disadvantages too. Even the best poker players have downswings and it helps to have alternate sources of income to smooth out the bumps when you get a bad run of cards.
Fortunately adding alternate sources of income doesn’t have to mean getting a “real job.” There are plenty of things you can do to add money to your bankroll that still involve the game you love. Here are some ways you can supplement your poker income when you’re running cold.
Stake Other Players
As discussed in a recent pot, you can buy a piece of another player and share in their profits. This is a risky way to make money when done sporadically, but if you commit to a solid investment strategy over the long term you can make a lot of money staking other players.
Become an Affiliate
You can promote your favorite poker rooms both on and offline as a poker affiliate and earn money for every new player you refer. This option requires a lot more work that it sounds. If you choose to become an affiliate, you have to run it like a business. You need to have a solid marketing strategy and be prepared to shell out some cash to get started. However, if done properly, you can make upwards of 6 figures as an affiliate.
Become a Poker Writer
There are tons of publications both on and offline that need successful poker players for strategy articles and other content. If you have a way with words, taking the occasional writing job will help you boost your bankroll when the fish are sucking out on you.
Become a Poker Coach
Believe it or not, winning players are hard to find. If you can prove that you’re a solid winner, there’s a good chance that someone will pay you to teach them to play poker. The rates that poker coaches charge vary greatly. I’ve seen some coaches charge as little as $30 an hour while others charge more than $500 an hour.
Obviously you can charge more money when you’re training someone to play higher limits, but even low limit players need coaching. If you have patience and a knack for teaching, poker coaching may be a great stream of income for you.
Open and Online Store
There’s solid demand for high quality poker chips and tables. If you can find a reliable supplier, you could open an online poker supply store. This option takes a lot of work in the beginning, but your store could become a very stable source of income once it’s established.