Word of encouragement to beginners!

evans075 · #1 07-15-2005, 12:02 PM

This is for people who have just started playing and building a bankroll.

First off, Bonus whore if your not doing it! I started off on the wrong foot by playing at party first. I missed out on about $100 by not taking the proper steps to build my bankroll (I only deposited $50). Once I discoverd how to BW it really took off. $50 turned into $200 then $500. Now this wasn't instant but it was really encouraging to me.

Second off, Don't overstep your Bankroll. Use the 300BB, I got cocky when I had enough bank to play 1/2 and told my self I'll just go straight to 2/4. Little did I know my post flop play was not good enough to play at this level. I quickly lost $200 and was back to .5/1 grinding out bonuses.

Third off, Grinding will pay off. I've have a buddy that started off at .5/1 and after a year he has built his bank roll and now plays 6 tables at 3/6 +rakeback and makes about 40/hr. On the other hand, my roomate, who goes for the "big win" stepped into limits far beyond his bankroll and his level of play. He has nights where he wins $300 then next night loses $400. I'd say he has only won about $400(this includes bonuses). In the same amount of time that he has played I've grinded out at .5/1 and 1/2 and won about $1500.

I just want everyone to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It takes time and patience. Don't over step your limits, don't go for the "big win." Grind it out and one day you could be playing 8 tables at 30/60 and killing it. Good luck to all of you, I've was right where you are 6 months ago.

awarunn · #2 07-15-2005, 12:34 PM

Does the 300 BB rule apply to no limit games?

evans075 · #3 07-15-2005, 01:57 PM

I believe its the buy-in rule (if you were playing 25NL then you would need so many buy-ins). I'm not sure on the number but I will ask around. I don't play NL much!!

#4 07-15-2005, 02:09 PM

I really appreciate your advice. I have been buying in at the Party Poker games for about $50 on a 2/4 game. I have been up and down for about two weeks but have mostly broken even and can't seem to figure out how to make it more profitable more consistantly. The place where I have been the most consistent has been at single-table tournaments with a buy-in of about $10 + $1.

evans075 · #5 07-15-2005, 02:20 PM

Single table tournys can be Profitable if that is where you play the best. The good thing is you know just what you will lose. The bad thing is you can only win a certian amount. As for buying in the 2/4 game with only $50 this is what my buddy does that loses more than he wins. I strongly advise against doing this. Learn to beat .5/1 first. Then your bankroll will keep growing and in time you will be able to beat 2/4 at a consistant rate. I beat .5/1 at 4BB/100 for 20k hands. Remember, don't get frustrated when people catch runner runner to beat you. These people will pay you off in the long run. ALWAYS LOOK IN THE LONG RUN, never look at your short term winnings.

#6 07-15-2005, 02:44 PM

Can you please explain to me the 4BB/100 rule? How and when do I know it is time to move up a limit?

evans075 · #7 07-15-2005, 02:53 PM

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Can you please explain to me the 4BB/100 rule? How and when do I know it is time to move up a limit?

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When I said 4BB/100 that is my win-rate. Every 100 hands on average I win 4BB, Which means at .5/1 I'm winning $4 every 100 hands. Now that doesn't seem like alot, but when i say it like this it looks alot better. I 4-table, Average 200 hands an hour. Thats $8 an hour at .5/1, $16 an hour at 1/2, and $32 an hour at 2/4 ect... These results are not seen at higher levels. As for when you can move up use the 300BB rule that means you need 300 times the big bet to move up to the next level. $600 for 1/2, $1200 for 2/4, $1800 for 3/6 ect... I use a little more than that just to be on the safe side. Now you said you liked to play SnGs, I'm not sure how to calculate what you need to move up in these. I would say relate it to ring games ex. .5/1 would be the $5/$1, 1/2 would be the $10/$1, ect... Don't hold me to that b/c, like I said, I'm not a big SnG player.

topspin · #8 07-15-2005, 03:16 PM

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I have been buying in at the Party Poker games for about $50 on a 2/4 game.

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This is too short a stack, by the way. (There's a reason Party recommends a $100 buy-in by default.) In a limit game, you need at least 12BB in front of you at all times, since that's the maximum number of bets that can go in on a given hand. That works out to $48 at 2/4. With a $50 buy-in, you've dropped below that after just 1 set of blinds.

If you're not comfortable depositing larger sums, you should consider starting at a lower limit and working your way up. It doesn't take very long, especially with bonus whoring, and the lessons are cheaper for a new player.

#9 07-15-2005, 03:29 PM

Party Poker only gives out bonuses once every other month or so. Can you recommend a better site?

benkath1 · #10 07-15-2005, 04:01 PM

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Party Poker only gives out bonuses once every other month or so. Can you recommend a better site?

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The masters.

OP is correct. If you are starting out and not bonus whoring, you are losing a ton of money. If you are just learning, buy pokertracker and only play when you have a bonus running. It has helped me turn losing sessions into winning sessions. Not the best thing in the world, but while you are learning, it sure helps.