An Inside Look at the Life of a Poker Grinder in Macau

By Willow Guo

Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and nerve. Millions across the world play it for fun, excitement or as a hobby, but there are others who have turned it into a profession, making a living from their abilities at the table. These people are known as grinders in the poker world - a player who plays cash games or tournaments with the hope of turning a profit. Playing poker for a living may sound like a dream to some, conjuring up the thrill of winning big bucks in a glamorous casino. The reality is that grinding is in some ways more like a 9-to-5 than one might think - a job that requires discipline, patience and persistence, with moments of both diversion and boredom, and where success depends on having a deep understanding of the game and mental toughness.

Lifestyle of a grinder

In this line of work, no two days are exactly the same, but for those who regard playing poker as a way of life, there are some routines and rituals that provide structure. K is a Singaporean grinder who has been playing poker professionally for over 6 years and currently plays at The Venetian casino in Macau. He typically wakes up early in the morning, around 8 am, and heads to the casino. He signs up at the poker room registration counter and enjoys a cold brew while scouting out the action, looking for tables where there are players he knows from previous games, less experienced players, or where he sees a lot of chips on the felt.

K typically spends 9-14 hours a day at the table, with short breaks every hour to stretch his legs, grab a snack or head out for a quick smoke. It is a needed respite to maintain his focus.

Playing poker for hours on end can be mentally and physically exhausting even for the most experienced players. On the felt, he is focused on the game, carefully monitoring his opponents' actions, watching out for live tells and trying to read their hands. He is also constantly doing calculations in his head, figuring out pot odds, and tracking his own win/loss ratio.

At the end of the day, K usually heads home, eats dinner and spends time talking with his fellow poker player housemates, sharing tips and discussing strategies and the hands from the day. He also watches a few poker training videos before heading to sleep - ready to wake up the next day and do it all again.

A leap of faith and its adversities

Although K now lives and breathes the game, poker was a surprise career pivot for him. "When I was around 18, my friend would invite a whole group of friends over to his house and the eight of us would cram around the mahjong table and play 10/20-cent games all night long. We used to think $50 USD pots were huge," he said. "I never would have thought that one day I would play poker for a living." In his mid 20s, he was working a white collar job and playing poker as a hobby, occasionally joining tournaments on the side. When he attended the annual World Series of Poker for the cash games and wound up winning a sizeable chunk of money, K thought he might have the moxie to make poker a full-time job and took a leap of faith to pursue a career as a professional poker player. He cashed in a few regional tournaments but soon shifted to grinding cash games full-time, where he believed the money was more stable. He's been grinding casino games, private home games and online games ever since.

There is plenty that K loves about being a poker grinder. He's not tied down, doesn't answer to a boss, and gets to enjoy the thrill of competition and intellectual challenge that poker brings. In many ways, it is an attractive lifestyle. But the road to success is not an easy one. The lifestyle can be isolating, as players often spend long hours alone in casinos or at online tables. They also bear the brunt of their own financial risks, with none of the financial stability of a salaried employee. Players can go through extended periods of time without winning any significant amounts of money. In Singapore, where financial stability is highly valued in a partner, poker playing as a job is at best misjudged as gambling and at worst stigmatised as a poor career choice.

Luck, and the mindset behind successful grinding

Poker is unpredictable because luck is an intrinsic part of the game. There are days where K wins big, and days where he loses. Like all players, he goes through downswings - a period of losses lasting days or months. Even the most skilled player can fall victim to a run of bad luck. "Sometimes it can get really tough," he said, "but I aim to have the mental fortitude to remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint." To minimise losses during downswings, K focuses on making solid, strategic decisions even in the face of unfavourable cards or unpredictable opponents, as well as not taking excessive risks. In the long run, a sound strategy coupled with good mental game tends to reduce the impact of luck on performance. That's why even when he loses, K takes it in stride, knowing that poker is a game of variance.

Making a living from poker means enduring the inevitable ups and downs of the game, while making strategic decisions and keeping emotions in check. "What poker feels like - is that some days, you're the hammer, and other days you're the nail," he joked. To be successful in the world of poker, one must be an inveterate risk taker whilst having the ability to ignore the fact that one could win or lose a $10,000 USD pot in the next 2 minutes. The road to success is not an easy one, but K believes that for those who are up for the challenge, it can be a rewarding experience. "Players who believe in themselves, and are willing to put in the hard work and discipline, will find success. These days, I just work as hard as I can - and see how good life can get." Despite the challenges, he continues to grind away, driven by a passion for the game and the future promise of reward. For him, poker grinding is more than just a job - it is a way of life.