I want to move, but where? (and when)

[cianosheehan]

What is the best site to play .5/1? I dont know if Im legible for a Party bonus(I originally played there so there is no sign up-bonus), so I dont know if moving there would be worth it with the lack of bonus. But are the games good enough for this not to matter? What about the Prima Network? I am currently playing .25/.5 Limit rings on Poker Stars, and am trying to build my bankroll to $300. Currently I have about $150 available. I know the recommended BR for any limit is 300xBB. But, to move to .5/1, do you think I should just make the move sooner rather than later? I'm confident with my play, and feel I could be +EV on .5/1. All opinions appreciated. Thanks
-Ciano

[Baulucky]

You can hit Empire/Intertops/Coralbet/Multipoker for bonuses (they are party skins). Also Pacific offers weak games at 0.5/1, Crypto skins (too many to name), start at 1-2 , but offer generous monthly bonuses.

On moving up I'm not qualified to offer advice, but I can tell you that I will not move up myself, unless I make 300 BBs at the lower level and can fund my move up for "free". (Not really "free", but without addition of money to my BR).

On another topic, it is my opinion now, after months of bonus hustling, playing low limits and trying to move up, that time spent on improving one's game offers better rewards in the long run than bonus hustling. My BR is now way ahead of my abilities as a poker player, but having the BR for 20-40 does not qualify me for that level of play.

So, in summary: Take it easy moving up, work on your game a lot, and hustle the bonuses as a side income from playing your best game. That would be a near optimal use of time for a rookie (And what I'm doing right now, after 8 months of trying everything). So, right there, you can save 8 months in development.

Good cards.

B

[Norm]

[ QUOTE ]
On another topic, it is my opinion now, after months of bonus hustling, playing low limits and trying to move up, that time spent on improving one's game offers better rewards in the long run than bonus hustling.

[/ QUOTE ]
This a very good advice.

Go to .5/1 and work on getting very good. Only when you have the bankroll should you do the Crypto bonus at 1/2 level. Unless you have handy cash to add, your bankroll is not that big - so be careful.

[cianosheehan]

Do you think that it is worth risk of moving up to .5/1, with only $150, or would it be wiser to wait until I reach the $300? Im just curious if theres much difference between, say, .25/.5 on Stars, and .5/1 on Party or Prima etc. Because if there isnt, then I would move soon I think. But I am aware that my BR is small, and I need to be careful.
Thanks

[arfsananto]

I just moved from Stars to Party. Fortunately, I was able to supplement my BR to take advantage of the max deposit bonus.

I started at Party .02/.04, and increased $50 to $200, playing up through .5/1.00. The .5/1 full ring games on Stars are so tight and so few (due to all the 6-max tables), at least at the times I was able to play, that I made more money staying at .25/.5 .

I feel that the Party .5/1 games are roughly equivalent to the Stars .05/.10 games, and the 1/2 games (from what I've seen watching and a couple of cautious times playing) are about equivalent to Stars .5/1 games. Again, tighter, alot of 6-max tables; I think the looser players go to the 6-max tables maybe?

Of course the problem moving to Party, especially short bankrolled, is that there is no lower level to fall back to if you needed to, so you have to consider the possiblity of having to move back to Stars.

[Norm]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you think that it is worth risk of moving up to .5/1, with only $150, or would it be wiser to wait until I reach the $300? Im just curious if theres much difference between, say, .25/.5 on Stars, and .5/1 on Party or Prima etc. Because if there isnt, then I would move soon I think. But I am aware that my BR is small, and I need to be careful.
Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]
I am not a bankroll expert, I have ready cash. So I'll let others answer you.

I routinely bust out on sites (usually right after I withdraw all but 50BB to use elsewhere).

If you do .5/1 and have a negative swing, don't forget to drop down in limits to build it back up.

Also, I meant to say "do .5/1 on Party/skins where the games are soft." But that can mean higher variance too.

The last two points could make life difficult, since .5/1 is the lowest limit on Party.

[TxSteve]

I personally believe that on Party, the 2/4 is much easier to beat than the .5/1.

One of my best friends just moved up from .5/1 to 2/4 a couple of weeks ago at my urging and he hasn't regretted it.

My theory is this: As someone who posts here; reads this message board, you are more than likely trying to learn the game...trying to become a better player. I believe that a lot of people who are just beginning to get involved with "studying" poker as a skill; begin at the .5/1 or 1/2 games.

I also believe that what we are all looking to play against are the recreational players. The people who log in to have a little fun....to look at some cards....to try a bluff once in awhile...all while drinking a few beers; or all after returning home from a night drinking beers.

I think these recreational players are drawn to the 2/4 and 3/6 games. So, I personally think that the 2/4 and 3/6 games are much softer than the micro's.

Steve

[guppy]

You should take a shot at Intercasino and its skins LONG before you have the bankroll to justify playing that level on the long term.

Their 1-2 games are very soft, but more important monthly bonuses give you a huge edge. And you can legitimately take a shot under-bankrolled since you only need your bankroll to survive 250 or 300 hands (Carib Sun, Intercasino, PokerPlex) or 5 hours (Totalbet, Will Hill) before you can get out with the bonus.

If you do take a shot under-bankrolled, the UK rooms that pay 5 pounds/hr would probably be a bit safer, since they are generally SOOOO SLOOOOW that if you stick to playing a full 10-player table you might play just 30 hands/hr and thus need to get through many fewer hands before being paid (and also they pay in hourly installments, so you will get a partial kickback if you do suffer a significant bad run and need to get out.)

While I respect the idea of trying to work your way up through the levels at low risk on a $50 investment, poker is played with money, and you will have a lot more options and opportunities if you have more of it, even if you decide your current level of play should remain at 0.5-1 (or whatever). And hustling bonuses is the fastest way to accomplish that. For low-limit players, playing for bonus money will dwarf any EV you have from superior skill.

With your limited bankroll you might also want to look into some lower-tier sites for bonus money. E.g. some Prima sites will give out a small amount of free no-deposit bonus money. But a free $10 is 6% of your personal $150 bankroll. Also some BossMedia card rooms (I've never played there yet) will offer $50 bonuses for graduating from their "poker school". E.g. see http://www.prestige-poker.com where it appears you can get $50 and need to deposit just $20 of your own money before cashing out. I know nothing of their card rooms or how many players they have, but Boss casinos are safe (i.e. not a risk to run off with your money.)