Amateur & Professional: what is the difference in Poker?

[BigJer]

On WPT (and WSOP) they make a big deal about someone being Amateur versus being Professional. What is the difference in poker? In golf, for example, it means something very significant, but in poker it is not at all obvious to me.

Some "amateurs" are introduced as retired garage owners, stockbrokers etc, which would suggest that poker is now their main source on income . Whereas some "professionals" also seem to be active in other occupations.

If its a designation with no real substance then why do the announcers make such a big deal?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I'd say a professional poker player is a person whose primary source of income is poker.

[TomCollins]

It is probably just a questionaire they give the players before hand. Also, the amateurs on TV are most likely long time losers at poker, if not very small winners up to that point. I have never seen an annoucer make a big deal out of it other than mentioning it.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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I have never seen an annoucer make a big deal out of it other than mentioning it.

[/ QUOTE ]
So what you're trying to say is that you've never seen an episode of the WPT or many of the more recent WSOP events on ESPN.

[benfranklin]

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I have never seen an annoucer make a big deal out of it other than mentioning it.

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So what you're trying to say is that you've never seen an episode of the WPT or many of the more recent WSOP events on ESPN.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or heard Vince Van Patten endlessly refer to players as the hair-dresser or the car salesman or...

Also, sometimes the distinction is a technical one under the rules of a specific tournament. One WPT game had a pro prelim and an amateur prelim, with the best from each at the final table. Many of the amateurs were well known pros, but an amateur in this tournament was someone who won a seat online.

[fsuplayer]

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Also, the amateurs on TV are most likely long time losers at poker, if not very small winners up to that point.

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Why is that?

Just bc its not their sole source of income, doesnt mean they havent won a lot of money playing.

[fsuplayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Or heard Vince Van Patten endlessly refer to players as the hair-dresser or the car salesman or...


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That is so misleading. Mel Judah "the hairdresser", has been playing in the WSOP since the late 80's I believe and Dewey Tomko "the kindagarden teacher" owns (or runs) a freakin vegas casino...

The WPT broadcast try to make the players seem more like MM than they really are.

[RPatterson]

The amateurs at the final table of the WPT are likely long term losers? This is the stupidest post I've ever read.

[TomCollins]

Please explain. I would think that 80% of all players are long term losers. So roughly half of the final table players would be long term losers (maybe not much), and I doubt most have won more than 10k lifetime.

[daryn]

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Please explain. I would think that 80% of all players are long term losers. So roughly half of the final table players would be long term losers (maybe not much), and I doubt most have won more than 10k lifetime.

[/ QUOTE ]


this logic is poor. they GOT to the final table, so they're more likely winning players i'd say.