$300 Enough For 1/2?

[ThePopinjay]

After starting with $50 on Party 6 days ago I have worked my bankroll up to $268 playing 0.5/1. Soon I'll be at $300, do you guys think this is enough to move up to 1/2? If not, what do you suggest?

[rjc199]

You made this much money in 6 days? Wow

Mason suggests you need 300BB's to avoid going broke at any level. That means you have almost enough to play $0.50/1.00 without fear of going broke.

Stay at this level for about a month to get some experience before moving up.

[ThePopinjay]

[ QUOTE ]
You made this much money in 6 days? Wow

Mason suggests you need 300BB's to avoid going broke at any level. That means you have almost enough to play $0.50/1.00 without fear of going broke.

Stay at this level for about a month to get some experience before moving up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eh, six days yes, but I have been playing a ton of hours (probably around 24-30 for the six days). I think I will stay at this level for awhile, till I'm close to $600. Just needed to hear that voice of reason. Although my resistance to tilt has gotten better, I don't know if I'd be able to withstand some of the variance swings on my BR that come with playing higher limits.

[thirddan]

i would wait until you have around 450/500 before taking a shot at the 1/2 games, maybe switching off between .50/1 and 1/2 for a while this will get you used to winning and losing higher amounts of money per session...i wouldnt move permanently up till you have around 600 though...also, make sure that you are comfortable with the stakes before you move up though as it will allow you to play better...good luck...

[fluff]

I'd stay on 0.5/1 for awhile longer, because when that hot streak you're on takes an inevitable nose dive, you have a bigger cushion at 0.5/1.

[afk]

6 days is a good run. Just know that it won't last. The slump is coming, oh yes, it's coming. Be prepared and stay off tilt. And most of all, learn from it. I've only been playing 2 months or so for real money, but 140BB in the first week or two was sweet, then the 120BB downswing hit. Partially due to bad cards and bad beats, but also due to some bad play. When the slump hits, find the holes and plug them.

[siccjay]

Good advice from all....I had similar luck with my first buy in at Party (even better actually) and it for sure slowed down. I finally had a winning session earlier tonight +about 40BB in 2 hours (2 tables) but before that I had been down almost 100bb in my last 5 or so sessions. I got a little too loose and I think I was calling a little too much when I should be raising. When the downswing comes just sit back and evaluate your play and see if you did anything wrong.

[ThePopinjay]

[ QUOTE ]
6 days is a good run. Just know that it won't last. The slump is coming, oh yes, it's coming. Be prepared and stay off tilt. And most of all, learn from it. I've only been playing 2 months or so for real money, but 140BB in the first week or two was sweet, then the 120BB downswing hit. Partially due to bad cards and bad beats, but also due to some bad play. When the slump hits, find the holes and plug them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh this isn't my first $50 invested into Party Poker. I know ALL about tilt. My first $50 I think I busted out on. I think I may have invested a $100 more, got it up to around $800 mostly getting lucky playing NL $25-$200 tables. Eventually the swings got to me, and I tilted. And trust me, tilt for a no limit player is NOT pretty. Busted out all that money as well.

Maybe a month ago I put in $200 at UB because I thought it was Party Poker that was screwing me (I did lose a ton of money at the NL tables with KK going against AA PF). Anyway, I ended up playing limit 6 handed at UB, 0.5-1 to 1/2. Unfortunately I had no knowledge of the 300BB rule and I went on tilt again. Again, busted all the $200 there.

Last week I went to Barnes and Noble and went to the poker book section. Found Zen and the Art of Poker by Larry W. Phillips because I remembering hearing it's good for combating tilt. I only read it for 20 minutes, but it was the best 20 minutes I ever spent reading a poker book (the only other one I have read is WLLH, which I have). I got through the first two chapters I think. The lessons I learned were amazing, mainly the best one was learning to fold, despite what comes down on the board.

After that, I deposited this current $50 at PP (I came back for the fish, it's quite good, and fresh). I became a much tighter player from reading that book, and thus a much BETTER player. Now I'm at $330, and things are looking good. Just wish me luck that I can keep being a winning player.

edit: Oh and I have had a couple bad streaks in my run thus far, I've been able to fight against them pretty well. Hopefully a 1000 card bad streak doesn't come along to test my will.

[siccjay]

I'm at a table with you now, well you are sitting out. This has to be THE STRANGEST TABLE EVER. People are limping with KK and checking around TPTK. Not betting overpairs to the flop. I don't understand. Lots of action but I can't catch a draw to save my life.

[sfer]

I wouldn't read anything into 6 days of playing. Poker is hard. Even if you're a winning player you're going to have downswings, and when you have the first couple you're going to wonder if you're a winning player. It took me 20,000+ hands to get past this, and I still go through the same process as I move up in limits. Better to lose $50-$100 than $100-$200 when you have your inevitable "is this normal variance or was I lucky before" thoughts. You might be a winning player, but the downswing is going to happen and it's better to be fairly confident in your abilities than have a psychological and minor financial crisis.

Stay at 0.50/1, get PokerTracker, play at least 10,000 hands, and check your win-rate. Then start thinking about bankroll and moving up in limits.

EDIT: What are everyone's win-rates (BB/100) at 0.5/1 and 1/2? Hopefully this will give everyone good reference points.

[sthief09]

Granted I've been playing for about 2 years now, but I did the same thing. I put in $100 2 weeks ago. When I hit $300, I started playing $1/$2. When I got it to $700 I started playing 4 $1/$2 tables at once, and occasionally some $2/$4, which I still don't technically have enough for. You will only lose 300 BB in the worst possible losing streak. I think losing 150 BB as a winning player is very unlikely, and it should be enough. Maybe I'm lucky not to have hit a really bad streak, but I really don't think you will lose $300 at $1/$2. But I agree with those that say start mixing 1/2 in. Maybe warm up for an hour with $.50/$1 and when you feel like you're playing well, move up. You could also set a 1/2 stop loss at like $50, and when you lose 50 at 1/2, you have to make it all back at .50/1.00. That way, you prevent yourself from going broke at 1/2.

[sthief09]

[ QUOTE ]
(the only other one I have read is WLLH, which I have)

[/ QUOTE ]

Read HEFAP. I happened to get WLLH after I read HEFAP, just because it seemed like EVERYONE read WLLH, but I got nothing out of it. There is just so much more in HEFAP, and everything in WLLH is in HEFAP, but better. And when you're done get TOP, and if you get bored of that try Poker Essays. I've read 1 and 3, and they are the most enjoyable poker books I've read.