Need Advice....

[BustedStraight]

Hi all.. New to the forum, very glad to be here. I've been playing poker for quite awhile, specifically Holdem... I've always been pretty good at it and have recently started studying the game in depth.

I play a lot of local small town/small money games and have decided to try this out on a bigger scale, and i'm planning to go to Atlantic City sometime after the first of the year (i'm about 7 hours away).

I feel like i'm good enough to eventually do this for a living, and I would like to find out.

I would like advice on how to get started once I get to AC... Going for about 5 days... Taking about 700 bucks, and all I plan on doing is playing Holdem.

After researching it on the net, it seems that most of the casinos there have daily tournaments...

What's a good way to go out there, have fun, and test myself?

Thanks in advance.

[bunky9590]

Hello, and welcome.

I'm gonna be straight with you, as i have had people be straight with me in the past.

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like i'm good enough to eventually do this for a living, and I would like to find out.


[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously effing reconsider.

I'm not being a jerk, I'm being honest. Being a poker pro is not all the glitz and glam they make it out to be on TV. Best way to see if you can do this for a living, is play about a year, 5 days a week, at least 8-10 hour days.

If you play in a casino, You'll have to at least beat the 20-40 to make any headway, preferably the 40-80. (if you are a limit guy.)

Now, that being said, if you are going to go to Atlantic City and play with $700.00 what do you expect to accomplish? Play 2-4 or 3-6? So even if you beat those games, what is that going to show you? Answer, Nada.

read Dynasty's post about three years in Vegas. I highly respect him but remember one thing. For every one Dynasty, there has to be 100 broke wannabes who got clocked.

Now, that being said, the games in AC to the 10-20 level are juicy. The 20-40 at the Borg is loaded with soft spots, but has a few tough ones too.

The best way to make money in poker now is online. Bar none.
try 4 tabling (or in some cases more tabling) the limit games online. 3-6 or better if your roll will allow. For a few hours a day. Get pokertracker and find out what your win (or loss) rate really is. Hard stats are not going to lie to you.

[ QUOTE ]
What's a good way to go out there, have fun, and test myself?

[/ QUOTE ]

The tournies are soft from what Ive seen. However, the real money in poker is in the cash games, not the vision they give you on TV.

[BusterStacks]

Playing poker for a living is the fastest and easiest way to take the "having fun" aspect out of the game. I mean, I still enjoy it, but it's not fun.

[BustedStraight]

[ QUOTE ]
Being a poker pro is not all the glitz and glam they make it out to be on TV.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the advice. Glitz and glam is the last thing i'm worried about. I realize that a bankroll of 700 isn't much, but it's a start, and I was hoping at least a way to find out if I can get anywhere with this game.

I heard a guy today on the radio (Lex and Terry Radio Show) who says he frequents this board (which is how I heard of this board), and he's a WSOP champ.....Anyway, he said he started with a grand.

As for internet, which I have considered, any site suggestions?

[bunky9590]

[ QUOTE ]
As for internet, which I have considered, any site suggestions?

[/ QUOTE ]

For limit, Party. And its not close. Do you see why?

(a little 2+2 humor there)

Best of luck in your future endeavours.

[uw_madtown]

No offense, because more people will be frank with you as well, for good reason. Forget about doing this for a living for any time in the near future. Your ultimate long-term goal, at most, should be for poker to provide a supplemental income to your primary income. Keep your day job.

Your posts illustrate a nearly total beginner's knowledge of the poker scene, and I can only assume this extends to your play. You have plenty of money to get started, but it's a LONG haul before you're thinking about playing for a living, let alone for significant money. I've been putting at least 20 hours a week into poker play and study for three months, and I'm a nothing, nobody 2/4 and 3/6 online player. I could probably beat live 10/20 pretty well, I don't know about 20/40 (I'm in the Midwest so it's hard to gauge given there's only one casino I go to, and they frequently have trouble keeping a 20/40 together). I have a long, long way to go before I can even consider playing for a living.

You're off to a great start though -- these forums. Check out the Beginners and Micro forums, find a rakeback affiliate to sign up with for Party or Empire, and start out at the low-limit hold'em games, $.50/%1. Buy PokerTracker. Purchase Hold'Em by Sklanksy and play a bunch of hands, purchase Small Stakes Hold'Em by Miller and play a bunch of hands. Continually load your hands into PokerTracker to keep track of your play. Post a questionable hand or two each day in the Micro forum to get advice on your play.

Most of all, take your time, and take advantage of the numerous people here who have walked this early path and are willing to guide you -- helpful advice, even delivered frankly and coldly at times, is worth a ton and is hard to find outside these forums.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
I would like advice on how to get started once I get to AC... Going for about 5 days... Taking about 700 bucks, and all I plan on doing is playing Holdem.

[/ QUOTE ]

The advice you have recieved thus far has been solid. At first everyone thinks they are way better than they actually are. Even if they think they are only average they tend to be far less than average.

You have $700 for poker right now. Take $300 and put it in Party Poker and start playing .50/1 and build up your bankroll. Use this time in the micro limits to unlock your sign up bonus and to plug the leaks in your game. Post hands here on the forum WHENEVER you have a question using the converter(link: http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi ). Take another $60 and pick up a couple books. I would suggest Theory of Poker (TOP) by Sklansky and Small Stakes Hold'em by Sklansky, Malmuth, and Miller. Read them multiple times and educate yourself. If you wish, take the rest to AC and see what happens. Post a report when you get back and tell us how you did, along with any questions that came up while you were there.

Here's a link to the post that was mentioned earlier in the thread. A great story but not something I, or I'm sure even Dynasty, would recomend for anyone.:) Dynasty's Post (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=675552&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=12#Post1333647)

Welcome to the forums and good luck.

Cheers,

deacsoft

p.s. If you'd like to get a couple free books and sign up for Party Poker at the same time; send me a private message. I went through a guy who was great to do business with.

[Greg J]

I would like to offer another link if I could. I post this link a lot I know -- it's just THAT good. (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=inet&Number=1060198&fp art=&PHPSESSID=) This might help you grow that $700 considerably if you are bound and determined to to start as small stakes as opposed to micro.

Good luck!

[snowbank]

"Take $300 and put it in Party Poker"

I would say if you can, wait until you have $500 to put on Party or Empire(same thing), and get the full bonus.

[BustedStraight]

Guys/Gals - Are internet poker sites legit? I have played (for free) on Party Poker....

[Greg J]

If by legit, you mean safe and reliable, then yes, all the major sites are pretty safe and reliable. If you legit you mean legal, I'm not sure sure about that, but no one has been arrested (yet) for online gambline, except some guy in South Dakota and the AG let him off with a slap on the wrist.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
Guys/Gals - Are internet poker sites legit? I have played (for free) on Party Poker....

[/ QUOTE ]

Please don't hi-jack threads.
If you have a question that is not related to the thread please create a new post in the appropriate forum.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
I would say if you can, wait until you have $500 to put on Party or Empire(same thing), and get the full bonus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, but I wanted to leave him with some cash for Atlantic City. /images/graemlins/smile.gif And $300.00 is the recomended bankroll for playing .50/1 limit hold'em.

[Monty Cantsin]

It is his thread, you know.

/mc

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
It is his thread, you know.

/mc

[/ QUOTE ]

Well don't I feel like an a$$. /images/graemlins/frown.gif Sorry.

[Monty Cantsin]

I'm like the cop that arrests other cops. Call me SERPICO.

/mc