Playing Games For A Living

The 9 to 5 desk job is the most popular work setting for most Americans. We're supposed to go to school, get an education, and end up with a career as a respected professional. But let's face it, for most of us, playing games is a lot more fun.

Who hasn't romanticised about walking into a casino with a few bucks, and walking out with a boat-load of cash? Or maybe sitting down to play a serious game of poker. When you sit down, you're in need of money, but when you stand up, you walk away with everyone else's money. You go from one party-like atmosphere, where you made your money, to another party-like atmosphere, where you spend your money. It's a lifetime of perpetual fun and wealth.

Hollywood certainly got it right. Who can forget those popular movies like "Rain Man", where Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman leave a casino with over $80,000? Or the movie "21", where a group of MIT students beat the system in Vegas playing blackjack? And how could we ever forget those countless gambling scenes in all of those James Bond movies. But could life ever really be like this? Can anyone really play games for a living? The answer is "yes", but it may not be what you think.

About a year ago, I became really interested in the idea of making money by playing cash games online. I went to the popular game site Worldwinner, and signed up for an account. I spent some time playing the free games; practicing in order to make sure that I could be good enough to make money at it. When I finally thought I was ready, I upgraded my account to a cash account. Everything seemed great in the beginning. I was playing games for money, and was getting better and better at it. Then when I had just started to get good enough for my winnings to be large enough to pay significant bills, Worldwinner shut me down. I was banned for being too good of a player.

Although the experience left a bad taste in my mouth, I know that my failure doesn't mean that the idea of playing games for a living is a failed concept. My competitors still play to this day. Apparently, if you're playing on Worldwinner it's okay to be good, but not too good. I should also point out that there are many professional poker players out there who do make a living playing poker. Also, the blackjack movie "21" was based on a true story.

Prior to my experience with Worldwinner, I read through a few books on card games like poker and blackjack. Blackjack really is a numbers game. Although, as I understand it, playing for a living is more like the lifestyle of an accountant rather than 007. Also, casinos have made it much more difficult to use math to your advantage. More decks of cards are used in order to foil a serious player's advantage.

I must admit that I never got into poker. I'm not sure I'd be good enough at reading people and not being read. But the idea of playing games for a living continues to be very appealing. Not only to me, but to a great deal of people. Just like anything else, I do believe that if you work hard enough at it, you have a chance at being successful. But I seriously doubt that it would be the high-glamour, perpetual-fun lifestyle that many people seek. There will be times when you're gonna lose. But don't be too bummed. Being rich is overrated. After all, life is short. No matter how often you win, or how much you earn, you can't take your wealth with you.