The Low Limit Journey - Where Do I Start?

[Haupt_234]

So I have decided that I am going to work my way up the limits, with the limit depending on my bankroll. I have read the amount of appropriate bankrolls necessary for different limits through "Internet Texas Hold Em". I am doing this for both the experience and the money.


So here is my question. I am starting with $300. According to the book, I should start on $.50/$1 blinds and earn about $300-$500 more before moving up. I am unsure if I want to play $.50/$1, though, because it is pretty close to micro-limit play.

I don't want to change the way I play due to the 8 limpers on every flop and 4 callers to the river in this limit.

Should I go straight to $1-$2 or gain the experience from .$50/$1? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Haupt_234

[Dynasty]

I don't think there's much difference between 0.50-1 and 1-2.

[Tosh]

Well are you beating the 0.5/1 games easily ? If not don't even think about moving up.

[Haupt_234]

I've beaten and know I can beat the $.50/$1 game..

I am just not sure if I should play there more for the experience or make more money in the $1/$2 and up.

Is .$50/$1 worth the experience?

Haupt_234

[Tosh]

I think it would be worth your while playing a couple of thousand hands at 0.5/1 first. Not because 1/2 is much harder but the experience will likely serve you well as well as hopefully building your BR a bit too.

[Mike]

I would opt for the lower limit, even micro limit. You can enjoy and learn without a big cash outlay, and learning takes many, many hours just to be comfortable with what goes on. Seven people seeing the flop at $.50 - $1.00 or lower is no different than seven people seeing the flop at $1 - $2.

[sfer]

You're going to learn a lot and plug a lot of leaks your first several thousand hands. Enough so that you'll cringe when looking at old hand histories. Might as well do it where it's cheap.

And you're going to find online 3/6 or live 6/12 is only slightly tighter when the games are good. 4-6 to every flop and 2-3 to the river.

[sfer]

Too late to edit, so here's my addendum. I've been consistently beating online 2/4 & 3/6 and live 4/8 & 6/12 over roughly 30,000 hands. I can comfortably set aside the 300 BB roll necessary for 5/10 online and 10/20 live. But I know I've got leaks that I don't know about or understand yet so I'll get more comfortable, build my roll organically and have fun in the process.

I think working one's way up is preferable to starting too high and getting beaten back down either through expensive lessons, variance, or both.

[Dylan Wade]

[ QUOTE ]
don't want to change the way I play due to the 8 limpers on every flop and 4 callers to the river in this limit.

[/ QUOTE ]

You better start. I was playing a game like this tonight, except the stakes were 8-16. You shouldn't have a "style" that deterioates when the table texture changes. The table texture will constantly change, even in one sitting. Instead, you should equip yourself with a good head for poker; one that can can find the optimal strategy in any situation.

Now, if you find micro limits simply boring, that's another story. However, as a beginner it behooves you to spend a few months honing your play at these micro tables. It's boring, but easy (little) money.

[Kenrick]

1/2 can be very tight compared to .50/1, so you may actually make more per hour at .50/1. Plus, winning enough at .50/1 to pay for the next level lets you know for certain you are playing well at that level. Plus, it's a lot easier to get used to losing when the money isn't a big concern. If you get down 75 big bets at .50/1, it's no big deal financially, but it allows you to see that you'd be down $750 if you had the same results at 5/10.

You didn't say how long you played at .50/1 that you were winning at it. 15,000 hands is the minimum I'd put any faith in any numbers. An acquaintance of mine started winning at .50/1 over a period of probably 15-20 hours, figured it was a cakewalk, so then he played 5/10 and got buried in short order. Another acquaintance would win at 5/10 B&M, so he jumped into 5/10 online and got buried. Online may be "easy," but it's often harder than B&M.

If you only plan on playing with that $300, then there's no question but to play .50/1 until it's at least $500.

And I'd say not to move up until you've won $500, not just have $500. If nothing else, absolutely, positively KNOWING you can crush your current limit is always nice for your confidence level when you move up.

[BugsBunny]

I assume you're playing on Party. If you want a tougher game to simulate higher Party tables get an account on Stars and play .50/1, or even .25/.50 there.

I think you'll find it a little more challenging. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I cut my eye-teeth at Stars, starting at .05/.10 - and didn't move up to .25/50 till I had made $300. The lessons learned there have served me very well - Party 2/4 games are probably comparable to Stars .50/1, if not .25/50. .25/50 had an interesting mix of good and bad players, and I learned a *lot* there.

[colgin]

At most sites there will not be that much of a difference in the play between $.50/1.00 and $1/2. Generally speaking, the games get a little tougher at each higher limit, but at the limits you are talking about the differences are fairly negligible. If you can beat $.50/1.00 then you probably won't have trouble at $1/2. You will find out soon enough whether you can beat these games but I will assume you can. Then the issue really is one of bankroll. If you can replenish your bankroll if you go bust then by all means start at $1/2. If you really don't want to, or cannot afford to, dip back into your wallet, then you should start building at $.50/1.00 and try to get your roll to around $600. Even if you are a winning player you could go bust with only 150 BB just from running bad. It would be frustrating to lose your initial roll and not be sure if there is an issue with your play or you were just running bad out of the gates. I started with a $50 roll and played $.05/.10 initially and worked my way up to $2/4 and $3/6 tables where I am now. But these downward swings are for real. Last week I had a brutal swing where I lost around 120 BB and felt like I was basically playing fine. Personally I like to have 400-500BB at a given level but I tend to be very conservative. The nice thing about it is that when you are running bad like I just was it is comforting to know there is no risk of going broke. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how it goes for you.

Colgin