Be Professional

If Mario Balotelli were spotted, drinking in a nightclub, the night before a big game, it would be all over the press. The man would be pilloried as an unprofessional and uncaring individual. He would be fined and probably banned. People would say that he acted disrespectfully and he is not deserving of the chance that he has, which is to be able to play for the world’s richest club.

The reason that Balotelli would kick off such a fuss is because of the professionalism of the game. Football clubs are big businesses. Fans pay good money to watch their teams. It is like a religion to most and life and death to some.

As Unibet gaming fans know all too well, poker provides some of the richest prizes in the world of sport and gaming. In fact, the $18 million that Antonio Esfandiari received for winning the Big One for One Drop, at this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP), is the largest sporting prize handed out to anyone in the world except for boxing.

So why is it then that so many poker players act so unprofessionally?

It’s not fair to paint every one of them with the same brush, but there are a high percentage of them who will not disappoint. It is just seen as par for the course to be found drunk the night before a $5,000 buy-in event. Maybe it’s the age of the players? Maybe they just don’t know any different? Maybe it’s the lack of leadership? Jake Cody doesn’t have an Alex Ferguson to give him the hairdryer treatment for example.

One day it will come -professionalism that is. And when it does only those who are used to being professional will survive.

Featured Books

Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide
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Ace on the River is designed fore real improvement of everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals. Its unique play-by-play section will challenge you to think beyond simple starting hands and do better decisions on other streets.
Ace on the River describes elements of the game that are not common and unfamiliar to many players. Included are chapters about the poker society, finance management, family matters and, guess what, even sex. The book is a complilation of philosophies and real-table scenarios and provides a rare chance to see the poker world through the eyes of someone who really lives it.