Newbie ready to learn!

[Snowslide]

Hello everyone! I might as well introduce myself, as I will probably be posting here often!
My name is Mike (Snowslide online) and I have been interested in poker since ...... you guessed it, I saw Rounders way back when it was in theaters, but always put learning/playing poker on my todo list. Well, last October I turned 25, and as part of my constant pursuit of narrowing my hobbies down to one hobby to focus on, I decided to give poker a go for a few months.

Forward to today.
So, I have been playing for about 3 months (birthday is at the end of Oct.), and have spent just shy of 2k (cdn) on online poker, playing at poker stars. A small price to pay for finding something that I will most likely do for the rest of my life! I am 100% convinced that poker is "my thing", and am ready to commit myself to it.
So, I am taking a month (give or take) off from playing online poker, to work on understanding the fundementals.
I have started playing in a weekly home game also, which I will continue to do, as I am up a few hundred, and enjoying the fact that I can get paid (well) to socialize with my friends!
So, I just wanted someone to look over my basic 'game plan', and maybe make some comments or suggestions. Please and thank you.

I have the following books:
WLLH
SSHE
TOP
HEPFAP
TPFAP
S/S 1
and 3 xmas gift poker books, not really theory or stratagy based.
I have read only WLLH cover to cover, TOP about 50%, as the other ones were over my head. SSHE is on order, and should be here today or tomorrow.

For the next month or so, I will be re-reading WLLH and reading SSHE a couple of times as well. I will save the other books for a while.

======================
Poker Goals for the next while:

a. to learn, and understand all the concepts in WLLH and SSHE.

b. to, as consistantly as possible, start building a bankroll (as opposed to gambling away my winnings), with full intention of down the road earning more playing poker than my current job. I do understand that this may take years and years, and may never actually happen, but I do want to take it as far as possible.

c. to help learn financial discipline.

=======================
My Checklist of things to work on before I return to the (online) tables.

A. To understand all theory and stratagy in WLLH and SSHE.
B. To become accustomed to working in, and with poker tracker. (Paid for already)
C. To develop a system for moving up/down limits, when to walk away from tables, and controlling bankroll ect.
D. To get a better understanding of bonuses, as I think they will help me to focus on specific goals while starting out.

===============
Thats all I can think of for now. Am I missing anything that anyone thinks is important for new players?

I guess I should mention that 95% of my expirience has been online NLHE, but will be of course focusing on limit for the next while, eventually moving towards NL tournements, I think, as I really like the complexity of NL, and the mental aspect of it. I think I have what it takes to become a winning player, as I have won a fair bit, only to eventually lose it being stupid, or stoned, or tired.
The theme for the next while is DISCIPLINE!

Anyway, thanks for reading this lenghty post, as I wanted to just give some background info!

Also, I am on several forums and my avatar is no problem what so ever, as they are pretty laid back, but this is my first avatar that could offend someone, and I really want to make the best use out of 2+2 that I can, so if anyone doesn't like it, let me know, and I might change it! Actually, I will change it from time to time anyway, like I do on my other boards. I usually stick to one for a month or so.

Anyway, comments, questions and feedback are welcomed and encouraged!
BTW, I did do a search but didn't really turn anything up.

Thanks in advance,
*mike*

[ewile]

Hi,
Welcome aboard! I happen to like your avatar alot. Keep it.

Good post...good goals. Definitly a worthwhile persuit.
Here is my advice on how to learn this game:
Start small! I don't know what limit you're playing at Stars. But drop to the bottom of the ladder and play there, making it your goal to move up in limit at certain predetermined goals.

For example, for Limit HE the accepted rule of thumb is to move up when you have 300 BB for the next higher limit. So if you start at Stars .02/.04 move up to .05/.10 when you've won $30, move to .25/.50 when you've won $150 and so on.

This method reinforces diciplined, goal oriented play and forces you to get an enormous amount of experience at each limit.

It's a total grind but it's worth it. Many, many folks here including myself have learned the game this way. I started with Pacific Poker .05/.10 and now play 2/4 and 3/6 at Party. Get busy and good luck.

Oh, one more thing...posting hands in the micro-limit forum will be a very good thing for you to do also.

[Snowslide]

Thanks for the tips. Good stuff. I was just messing around with hand histories and the convertor..... thats a pretty bad ass little script! I see myself getting lots of use out of it.

As for starting out at the bottom, I read somewhere that sometimes starting at the very bottom can be difficult, due to the super loose players that just bet at pretty much everything. I have read posts where people were having a hard time beating $.25/$.50 and lower games, due to these maniacs, but once they tried the $1/2, things were a bit more level, and were able to make ABC poker work for them.

I am not sure what I am going to do yet, as I have a bit of time to decide. What is the general consensus on this forum? Actually, I will probably give it a shot right from the bottom of the ladder.... it probably can't hurt! If I get to the point where I am just not making it at the micro limits, I am sure I will be able to get some help finding out why from some of the people on here.

I was thinking about starting at $1/2 with 100BB bankroll, and play to 500BB, before moving up. But I will probably just start from square 1.

Thanks again,
*mike*

Edit - SSHE showed up today... gotta love Amazon! The book is a fair bit thicker than I expected.... this is a good thing!

[ewile]

>>>>>>>>>>As for starting out at the bottom, I read somewhere that sometimes starting at the very bottom can be difficult, due to the super loose players that just bet at pretty much everything. I have read posts where people were having a hard time beating $.25/$.50 and lower games, due to these maniacs, but once they tried the $1/2, things were a bit more level, and were able to make ABC poker work for them.>>>>>>>>>

This line of thought is pure BS. IF you can't beat the microlimit games you can't beat any higher. Period.

[Snowslide]

Yeah, I got into SSHE last night, and what Sklansky said about starting out at the bottom made sense! Bottom is where I will start!

Thanks again,
*mike*

[Greg J]

Welcome.

Have a look at this link.

[Slim Pickens]

Just a warning: It's a common trap in poker for a rookie to think that a short run of good results came from solid play. I am horrified at my play in my first 1500 ring hands and 100 SNG's, although the results weren't that bad (down less than a fifth of my bankroll). Do not assume you are playing well simply because you are winning, and don't assume that once you start playing well, you cannot revert to poor play.

There are other forms of poker besides Holdem. My progression was limit HE ring, limit HE SNG, Omaha and Omaha/8, NLHE SNG, and now I'm trying to learn 7stud. Good luck.

Slim

[Snowslide]

Greg, that is a great link. Thanks. That makes things alot easier!

Slim, good heads up! Thanks, I think it is sinking in that playing correctly will earn you the most money over the long run. I have, for the last 3 months, won a fair bit of cash, winnging some big pots, and I even went on a 9 SNG winning streak at the $20 HU table........ Only to lose it all by playing like an idiot (maniac)! Haha...I must say it was pretty fun playing like that for a bit, but it took me $2k of my own money to realize that I would never make it in the long run playing like this! I know when I start playing, even if I start on a loosing streak, I know it is only temporary, and the important thing is to continue playing properly!

Thanks again,
*mike*

[NateDog]

Nice post Mike. I'm on the same track as you are, my post and I am at Stars. Personally I find NL a little abstract, and don't play it much at all ('cept Hubble's freeroll nightly at Stars. You gotta love a free shot at cash!) Good luck, and hopefully we'll not butt heads too much at the tables.

Aloha

Nate

[Snowslide]

Hi Nate, it was your post that helped me decide to make a post of my own. Keep us updated!
*mike*