Has bonus whoring been holding you back from moving up in limits?

[Garland]

I believe that most people, like me, clear online poker bonus money, either deposit or reload via low limit poker.

With the plethora of bonuses available, I feel like I always have a bonus to play for, and many people like the sure profit by playing at the lowest level possible.

I'm just curious if you feel that the bonuses have held you back or at least delayed you from moving up in limits?

Garland

[Ianco15]

I'm not sure I understand the question completely.

[Garland]

I edited my original post. I guess what I'm saying is, with the ungodly amount of online poker bonuses available, I am always playing for some for the last year and a half.

I play at the lowest levels to clear the bonuses as quickly as possible. As a result, I don't feel I've been moving up as I should as my bankroll grows.

I hope this makes things clear.

Garland

[GrandmaStabone]

[ QUOTE ]

I play at the lowest levels to clear the bonuses as quickly as possible

Garland

[/ QUOTE ]


This makes no sense to me whatsoever. You can clear bonuses at 1/2, and you can clear bonuses at 100/200. On many sites, playing at higher limits actually clears bonuses FASTER.

[TimM]

I forgo a lot of bonuses now, unless it's where I want to play anyway. It's just not worth it. For example I play at Empire. I cleared the last bonus in one day at the same limit I always play, and made four times the bonus in the process at just my normal win rate.

If I had to deposit on a new site or a site where I don't keep much money, I would never be able to get enough money in there fast enough to make it worthwhile to chase the bonus.

But if your normal game is something like 2/4, you can generally clear any bonus at that limit with the typical maximum deposit, so why move down?

[Greg J]

Yeah but clearing at 1/2 on Party is MUCH faster than at 2/4.

[MarkL444]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah but clearing at 1/2 on Party is MUCH faster than at 2/4.

[/ QUOTE ]

say what?

[Greg J]

Yes. Almost every game at 1/2 is raked -- when the pot gets to $5. At 2/4 I think it's either 15 or 20. (Not sure though, but I know it's much higher proportionally.)

[thirddan]

its true, or at least it used to be, that the rake schedules for party 1/2 and 2/4 are pretty different...i never cleared bonuses at 2/4 because less hands get raked cuz the amount of bets is higher to generate a raked hand...i either played 3/6 or 1/2 6max...

[timprov]

I think they're holding me back a little, but I think that's a good thing. I had been using a 300BB rule for moving up, but between reading threads here and the extra bonus money coming in, I felt more comfortable moving to a 1000BB rule. Part of it's just risk-aversion, but part of it is that with bonus money, I can still move up at a reasonable speed.

[timprov]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah but clearing at 1/2 on Party is MUCH faster than at 2/4.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not if you play 2/4 BBJ.

[Garland]

[ QUOTE ]

Quote:

I play at the lowest levels to clear the bonuses as quickly as possible

Garland




This makes no sense to me whatsoever. You can clear bonuses at 1/2, and you can clear bonuses at 100/200. On many sites, playing at higher limits actually clears bonuses FASTER.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, I meant I clear at the lowest level that allows me to clear as quickly as reasonably possible (70% of hands raked hopefully).

Garland

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

Nah, I just play my usual game when clearing a bonus. I'm planning on playing it anyway, why drop down in level?

[climber]

Held me back early on which was helpful...since I sucked back them and would have just lost at higher limits.

If i was really serious about being a "bonus whore" then they would def be holding me back now...instead I am working on moving up in limits and improving my game to the point that some/many of the bonuses have become -EV.

[BusterStacks]

You do realize that by not playing your normal game you are actually losing money on the bonus? Of course EV wouldn't mean anything to you, but some day you will realize the error of this post.

[Guthrie]

I think the point is that there are a lot of players, mainly young ones, who just chase bonuses playing break-even poker rather than improving their game. In order to get the bonus more quickly they play as many tables as possible, and in order to avoid losing the bonus while earning it, they play very tightly at the lowest limit that will offer a high clearance rate. Since there are always more bonuses available, these players spend all their available poker time playing ABC poker at low limits on as many tables as possible. This high-volume automation prevents them from improving their game and moving up. They sacrifice long-term earning potential for short-term cash.

[djcolts]

For me - yes. I'm going to make an effort to change that by trying to play 3/6 and possible 5/10 6max w/o bonuses (w rakeback). I've played 3/6 6max while clearing bonuses at the Gaming Club and Pokerroom - so I think I can do this.

[Zetack]

No.

1st I don't whore much. Basically just two party skins. And I do drop down to clear bonus's but this is extra poker, not "instead of" poker.

Recently I went through six weeks where I didn't play any "serious" poker. The job was just brutal, late nights, weekend, I worked 31 of 33 days at one point usually going to nine but sometimes till 11:30 or later. I wasn't going to go to my regular tables, tired and without an adequate amount of time to play.

But free money is free money, so I dropped down to the micros when the bonus's came along, where I don't mind playing wiped out and the games are really really fun anyway.

I have only been running 1.5 BB's per hundred at .5/1.00 over, I don't know, 6000 bonus chasing hands maybe? 8000?(I'd have to check at home) and don't know if this tepid result is simply a product of a small sample size or because I'm making mistakes due to my less than optimal playing condition.

But in any case, I don't feel like its an oportunity cost because playing the micro's wouldn't keep me from my normal game, I simply wouldn't have been playing at all.

This last Two Empire Bonus's (cleared four days apart woo hoo!) I played mostly my regular limit. But when I finished a session, found out that my fiance was running late and I had a small amount of time I logged on and put 150 more raked hands in on micro tables. I could have done it at my regular game, but mentally I was already finished, and I like to have adequate time available when I play seriously.

Last night I was 25 Raked hands shy of the 150 bonus, So I logged on and played 100 total hands of .5/1.00 cleared the bonus, made 25.25 BB's and went to bed happy. But I wouldn't have logged on to play that small a number of serious hands.

So no, I don't think its holding me back.

And as it turns out, the micro's are a lot of fun, although without the bonus's I think the small stakes might drive me crazy.

--Zetack

[Jeffage]

Most sites (Paradise, Party, Stars) will increase your maximums upon request. Paradise/Ultimatebet/Pokerroom have no max on Neteller deposits (Ultimate may be like 5k a day or something).

Jeff

[flair1239]

The only concession I make to bonus whoring is Absolute Poker.

Between the never ending bonuses and the rake back, I have decided that it is worth putting up with sub par software, and borderline game selection.

I always play 5/10 shorthanded on Absolute, play full everywhere else.

[pzhon]

It is certainly possible for bonus-whoring to hold you back. If you play on multiple sites for their bonuses, you might not have the money in one place to play at higher limits. You might also emphasize multitabling to the detriment of your game.

On the other hand, bonus whoring can also give you the bankroll to play much higher limits much faster. In the microlimits forum, people seem to recommend playing $0.05-$0.10 until you are senile, then move up to $0.10-$0.20 until you die. If your stats are good, take a shot at $0.25-$.50 in your next life. Bonuses allow you to get a bankroll for $5-$10 rapidly while playing $1-$2. That may enable you to move up or at least to take shots at higher limits.

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]


On the other hand, bonus whoring can also give you the bankroll to play much higher limits much faster. In the microlimits forum, people seem to recommend playing $0.05-$0.10 until you are senile, then move up to $0.10-$0.20 until you die.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes this is what I did. Except since stars has no .10/.20 I stayed at .5/.10 until I was not just senile, but decrepid too. Then I finally moved up to .25/.50 where I expired.

(After you finish expiring though, 3/6 is a lot of fun.)


--Zetack