As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

Hi everyone,
Just a nube here. Really perhaps a returning fish. Played live stud years ago. Now trying online HE.

Of you folks that have successfully managed to either earn a living at it, or just plain be profitable at it, how long were you in the red before you turned it around? What made the difference?

Or have some of you managed to be on the black side of the balance sheet from day 1? (And how?)

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it aro
 

I've been in the black since day 1.... but hey I started out with a 2$ trial at paradise poker and the .02/.04 tables are ofcourse extremely soft...... if your a big fish I would always recommend to start at the micro limit tables.. and just keep trying to improve your game from there...

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

I was in the red for probably about a bit over a month starting out playing .5/1. The difference....serious study including books, 2+2 etc.

I think how you start out really just depends on the luck you have. You may get lucky and start out winning right away. Even if someone could be defined as a winning player compared to their competition when they're starting, they could just as easily start out in the red depending on how the deck hits them.

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

i'm no carp/pooh or anything but listen to Qtip. In the beginning you have such a small sample size you can be making the right plays, whether you realize it or not, and still be in the red due to the way the cards come. the big key is to know why you are doing what you are doing, and to have a strategy for what to do next based on the future possible scenarios that present themselves. above all else, READ 2+2 books to learn the theory, and LISTEN to the experienced posters, some are dicks but they know what they are talking about.

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

I was a losing player for a full month at .5/1. Alcohol was good for my lose rate, as well as the fact that I wasn't always sure whether a flush beat a straight. So I got a hand rankings web page loaded and that helped a bit. Then I had a starting hands chart from some book which helped a bit too. I dropped a full 1K at that limit and during that time bought some books and I've been a 1.5BB/hr winner ever since.

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it aro
 

[ QUOTE ]
I was in the red for probably about a bit over a month starting out playing .5/1. The difference....serious study including books, 2+2 etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lost my first $200 deposit on .5/1 and SnG's. Learned how to play and the second deposit has been good to me.

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

I was in the red for about 2 months playing a weak/tight Lee Jones style with some leaks of course. Can't tell you how many times I wanted to quit, knowing I was playing quality cards and still being -3BB/100 for some time. Having such a losing streak at the beginning was humbling though.

Just kept playing quality cards, re-read SSHE about 30 times, read a lot of posts here. Unwillingness to give up a loser is what motivated me. This game can be beaten if you have the stomach to ride the swings.

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

My advice is to find an intelligent friend or two or eight (who you actually see on a day-to-day basis) with whom you can discuss poker. I was a serviceable and infrequent player until about a year ago, at which point I started playing much more regularly and, more importantly, talking A LOT about poker with a couple of skilled (but not much more experienced) friends of mine. The forums are an amazing resource but I think being able to shoot ideas back and forth even more thoroughly is even better...

If you play only online and don't know many other *good* (or at least committed-to-learning) players, get everything out of this board you can. Get to know some posters... pm them, use AIM, etc...

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

Also a newbie and this is my first post on 2+2. been playing 3-6 B&M for 3 months on weekends. Broke even first time out, been in the black ever since. Studied SSHE, TOP and other 2+2 books for months before I started playing. Currently + $900, ave $24/hr live. Have heard that this rate is not sustainable and variance is working to my favor but time will tell... games are VERY soft at the Indian casino where I am playing

Re: As a beginner, how long were you in the red, how\'d you turn it around?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also a newbie and this is my first post on 2+2. been playing 3-6 B&M for 3 months on weekends. Broke even first time out, been in the black ever since. Studied SSHE, TOP and other 2+2 books for months before I started playing. Currently + $900, ave $24/hr live. Have heard that this rate is not sustainable and variance is working to my favor but time will tell... games are VERY soft at the Indian casino where I am playing

[/ QUOTE ]

You are on a good run.

40 hands an hour or so (and that is generous), $24/$6 = 6BB/hr. This means your winning at a rate of 15BB/hr.

Even a top level pro might is only going to average 4BB/100 in a soft game.