The Poker Grant

by Dan Crawford on 15.04.09

Credit crunches and recessions are making it more and more difficult for students to peel away an easy pound or two in a part time job. Steading spending and a sensible budgets are the tools of fools according to one man who has found a ingenious alternative. In his 5th year of university, and having never succumbed to the trails of the part time bar job Dan Crawford explains to 4Q his path through academia, paved by thousands of pounds worth of other peoples money.

Internet poker.

It’s fucking easy.

All you need to do is be patient. But how can such a simple principle be so hard to uphold? Resisting temptation is a hard task. The lures come in many shapes and forms, from the blurry eyed, 3 in the morning, 6 pints of Kronenburg, ‘this is the night where I win shit loads,’ job to that sharp, last minute click onto the ‘call’ button that you know you really shouldn’t have made.

The ability to quit while you’re ahead, ignore the lure to play on and then regroup and start afresh is the way to make money on the Internet. The change of mind-set as a result of a winning streak or losing streak is something that will subconsciously affect your game, starting again at a later time with a refreshed approach is the only answer.
The same rules of patience and discipline also apply in-game. Folding pocket cards that you don’t feel confident playing, remaining unfazed at the sight of a seemingly minuscule chip stack in front of you and avoiding those ‘romantic vision’ moments in which you hit that flush on the river are all related to the level of discipline that players posses. The greater level of discipline you possess, the more money you will make.

My weapon of choice is www.888.com, purely because it’s full of beginners. As a massively advertised site for the commencement of your poker career, it draws a daily supply of fresh meat which would be rude not to make the most of. Although there are many other poker websites that possess much more accomplished players and a much higher standard of poker, if you’re playing poker to earn money, www.888.com is the place to be. Due to the lower standard of poker and higher number of fucking retards which adorn the site, you do experience a much higher rate of bad beats, shocking calls and indistinguishable patterns of betting. However, in the long run, despite the heightened levels of frustration, it is easier to win money from players that are of a lower standard.
The ways in which I have earned large sums of money is by starting small and finding a game size which I was consistently successful playing. Even if you are an experienced player, it is wise to start small after a short break as its easy to forget how win after a couple of weeks away. Gradual accumulation of winnings, no matter how small allows you to reward yourself with a higher stake game. Multi Table tournaments are the way to make the largest overall winnings. Discipline and patience in these games are essential, but the rewards for the resistance to temptation are massive.

Earning big on Internet poker is a slow methodical process, not an instantaneous lottery. It won’t be you. Be prepared for the race, not the sprint and you won’t be disappointed.