Self-made millionaires have generally worked their way up through the ranks by hard work and resilience. However, others have mastered popular gambling games, such as poker, and have worked their way from town to town and competition to competition to earn their fortune. While this was a scenario more common in the Old West, there is a whole new breed of champion poker player and they are making a mint.

Doyle Brunson is one of the more legendary poker players who made his living playing games in backrooms and slowly working his way up to playing for high stakes money. He is now considered a poker legend and is a millionaire. While the world of gambling and poker is not the traditional route for most, it does take hard work, skill, and a bit of luck to make it big.

Online Age

Online casinos and poker have seen a sudden growth spurt in the last few years, especially since the World Series of Poker was won in 2003 and 2004 by ordinary players who won their seats at the table by playing in online poker rooms. These two individuals, Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, instantly went from ordinary “Joes” to instant millionaires. They are products of an ever growing community of online gamblers who are cashing in big if they are good enough to master their game.

Sports Betting

Other professional gamblers have made their money by betting on sports teams, horses, or dogs. Those that have devised a way to win have spent many hours studying the odds and are similar to stock market investors who study their specialty markets and trends. They are gambling with their money, but in a way any investment is a gamble.

Problems

Gambling is a great way to see quick rewards, but has often been the downfall of far more people than it has made millionaires. For many, gambling becomes an addiction similar to drug addiction or alcoholism and for this reason support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous have been created to help those that have an addiction to gambling.

The best advice that can be given to those who want to gamble is that they should never gamble with more than they can afford to lose. Never allow gambling to affect other areas of life and get help from friends, family, or professionals should gambling become a habit that is uncontrollable. Gambling has made many skilled players very wealthy, but those that choose to gamble do so at their own risk.