You can absolutely play poker for a living, but there are several of things you should seriously consider before attempting to become a professional poker player:1. Playing poker professionally requires a lot of study (and it helps if you're good at math). You need to be prepared to invest a lot of time to learn how to win at poker2. If you are smart, dedicated, and disciplined enough to become a professional poker player, then you could probably make more money doing something else!3. You need an incredible amount of discipline to play poker for a living. This includes avoiding tilt, as well as proper bankroll management. You are going to experience some insane runs of bad luck, so if you don't have the mental fortitude to deal with that, then you should probably do something else for a living (because taking a break won't be an option if you have bills to pay and no other source of income). Lack of discipline destroys far more poker careers than lack of skill.4. It is an unhealthy lifestyle. If playing live poker, you will likely be up at all hours, making it almost impossible to maintain a regular sleep schedule. This will also make it hard to have a social life outside of the game. You will also likely be eating 1-2 meals at the table. Playing online can be a bit better (especially if you prepare your meals in advance), but you still need to be disciplined in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you wish to pursue a career playing poker, then start off slow. Study the game and play recreationally until you can regularly win (either in a local casino, or online). Practice proper bankroll management by setting aside a fixed amount of money and don't ever add to it. If you ever go broke, then your bankroll management isn't good enough. Next, start taking expenses out of your bankroll every month (i.e. rent, grocery bills, etc.). Keep doing this until poker is paying for all of your living expenses. If you're able to maintain or grow your bankroll while paying for your expenses for at least 1 year, then congratulations, you are now a professional poker player!