If you’re going to be a “professional” gambler. You need to be a PROFESSIONAL.
That means ledgers, records, receipts, keeping track of travel expenses, meals… its easy to lie to yourself about how you’re really doing.
Also a lot of professional gamblers lose a grip on what a dollar is worth, because this week they are $60,000 up and just bought themselves a brand new car, and in 2 months they havent hit a decent win in weeks and are selling the car to make their rent.
Also, you cant put it on your resume. About the only place that might care if you’re a professional or semi professional gambler is a casino if you’re looking for a job. In that case the ledgers might be able to prove that you know your ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to gambling. But beyond that you arent really building to a career. So either git gud or have a backup plan.
Good luck OP.
Why can’t you put it on your resume:
Self employed, semi-pro poker player
Managed ledger of winnings, generated X% average profit margin, completed in X tournaments, kept up with competitive strategies, etc.
Would be a decent resume for a lot of jobs, like she’s, some management roles, etc. Combined that with other expertise and it’s a good measure of being a self learner and being motivated,
A good resume entry for a management role generally involves managing people beneath you.
Why would a professional gambler, a “career” track with no need for managing anyone but one’s self, want to be hamstrung by the reality and nuance of management? You know (I presume) how exhausting that is.
No, a smart (or even passably well written) professional gambler could present their legitimate skill set for jobs that make use of it.
They also, aside from hard skills (corroborated by good record keeping), would presumably develop or possess at least above average soft skills in the areas of communication, assessing client needs, and negotiating.
They would be terrific lenders, corporate salesmen, insurance investigators, the list goes on and on.
EDIT: Meant to reply one level up, sorry.