Newbie, analysis paralysis. When to FINALLY sit down?? Help!

[AJPeacock]

Howdy all, I searched the forums and couldn't find an answer. Sure hope this is the appropriate forum.

First some background. I've been playing cards my entire life (pinochle, trumps, cribbage, hearts, ...) but only a little poker (just bachelor party games etc.). I've always been an 'analyser' and interested in gaming etc. Over the years, I've read gambling books by Scarne etc.

I have a degree in applied mathematics, so pot odds, implied odds and probabilities are not foreign to me. Lately, I've become interested in Hold'em. I've read several of the typical Hold'em books cover to cover ("Poker Wisdom" by Brunson, "Winning Low Limit Hold'em" by Lee Jones, "The Complete book of Hold'em Poker" by Gary Carson, "The Theory of Poker" by Sklansky etc etc). I've been playing Turbo Texas Hold'em for the last few weeks and have been beating all the loose lineups.

A friend of mine is an avid Craps player (I've often told him the game is angled against him). He keeps telling me that I have Analysis Paralysis and should just buy some chips and 'have a seat'.

So, finally the question. What else shoud I do prior to sitting down the first time? I intend on playing low-limit for a while $3-$6 to see how it goes. Although I don't have the bankroll that I've heard recommended (300xBB's), I have enough to test the waters. There is a local cardroom that plays low limit, so I can find a game just about anytime.

Should I try online poker first? Or are those games so different from the 'real' low-limit games, that I won't be learning much?

My goal is to be successful at low-mid limit games. And sometime in the future try some low buyin tournaments.

Any and all advice is appreciated. Poke some fun at me too, I always enjoy that /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks,
AJ

[spamuell]

It sounds like you've prepared yourself pretty adequately for beating low-limit games although you don't mention whether you've read Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky and Malmuth. If you haven't, I suggest that you do.

I'd recommend that you start playing .5/1 (or even lower) online, as the quality of play at these limits is (apparently) comparable to that of many 3/6 games in B&M cardrooms where 3/6 is the lowest limit. I only play online myself as I live in London, but this is what I've heard.

Also, S&M reviewed TTH and I remember Mason saying that it didn't emulate real play very much at all. Although, I have heard others say that the software is useful and Mason is reputed to be a fairly harsh critic.

[1800GAMBLER]

Hey.

You'll probably sit down a winning player right away as long as you don't tilt.

You should also sit down well within your bankroll, so sit at .5/1 games. Check out risk of ruin probability threads if you are interested in the maths.

You should play online too, since the games at the moment are soft as they will ever be.

[bigpooch]

Play online for awhile at the low limits ($0.5-$1 up to
$2-$4) to make a bankroll for yourself. Then, when you have
some experience, scout some of the B&M games and take a few
orbits at the cardrooms.

[Webster]

I'm going to send this to a friend of mine that is in the EXACT same boat. Untl yesterday he could not pull the trigger. He had played perhaps 50,000 hands in Turbo Texas holdm but was afraid of HUMANS.

I kept telling him - the humans are not as smart as the BAD TTH players.

relax - have fun - cards are fickel but ANYBODY that will actually analyse the game is a winner.

don't put so much pressure on winning - have fun and the $$ will come in in the long run.

One thing you can do is tell yourself you will play 20 hands. After 20 - you will sign off. HOWEVER - you can always change you mind. :-)