Advice need for newbie

[dogzilla]

Hi all and happy new year. I have been playing holdem online (Party)for about a month and a half. I dropped a lot of $ starting out, but the hemorraghing has slowed down. I have bought and read SSH and skimmed through a couple of books by Warren. A couple of weeks ago I was able to hold onto my stake earning a $150 bonus after 1050 hands. What other books should I read, What kind of swings should I expect see in my $, what kind of bankroll do I need for 1/2. Hope this is not in the wrong forum. I would appreciate any pointers/advice on improving my play that anyone would be kind enough to give.

[dogzilla]

Just found the "beginners" forum. Sorry for the off topic post.

[Stork]

Welcome to the forums /images/graemlins/smile.gif
Don't bother with Ken Warren's books, you're better off reading just 2+2. SSH is probably the best book to have and you already have it, so you're off to a good start. I would also recommend Theory of Poker and Holdem Poker for Advanced Players. In that order. I've also heard Psychology of Poker is good, but I've only read a little bit of it so I can't say.
For $1/$2 you should have a $600 bankroll. The rule of thumb is 300 big bets for any limit, which should cover just about any downswings you might encounter. A winning player can have a 200 big bet downswing so don't be too discouraged if you drop 50 big bets in a session. As long as you are playing solid poker, don't quit a good game. Also, variance varies inversely with your winrate, so in general you can expect less downswings at the lower levels.

[ClaytonN]

Stork just about covered what you want to know regarding Hold 'Em.

To be a better poker player though, you need to be versed in all forms of poker. So, when you can steadily beat 1/2 and above, consider getting some 2+2 books on Stud and hit the small stakes there when your bankroll is comfortable. From there, try Omaha and O8.

[dogzilla]

Thank you both for the posts. I've been a gambler for years (BJ and video poker)and never thought that poker would be so fun, challenging, or have so much potential!

[jogger08152]

Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players is the best Hold'Em book I've read. Theory of Poker is also critical.