Proper level and playing site for my bankroll?

[FlyWf]

Uh, if it's fun, why bother worrying about whether it's +EV enough? Having a hobby that is even breakeven is pretty unusual, I doubt you clear $175/hr getting lapdances.
It's not like you have to put in 15 hours a week every week to break even in the microlimits. For me, I'd have more fun consistently winning a small amount as a net winner than rarely winning a large amount as a net loser.
If you're serious about developing poker as a hobby, start small and work your way up like everyone else. If you just want to gambool and not lose 5K a year, I dunno, play blackjack or something. You'll get better comps. Do you really want to be a fish?

I might clear $175 an hour receiving lap dances, however it will be going out of my pocket and into the strippers. My point with this amount is that even if I fully dedicated myself to poker as a professional endeavor, was lucky enough to be pretty talented, and had some decent starting luck, my bankroll probably would not be high enough to compete with what I normally earn per hour (which has zero variance).

I realize that I am simply not willing to devote the time necessary to get that good. I have a couple young kids so I am limited and during the summer I am spending most of my free time playing golf. But during the winter I do have time to read a couple books and play some hold 'em for 4-5 hours every other week.

Additionally, I am looking for a game for fun rather than a second job. I already have a career where I am lucky enough to have complete control of hours/work/flexibility etc.

To clarify, my primary concern isn't a huge +EV, although it would obviously be preferable. My goal is to use the expertise of those on this site to find a limit level that will provide me with some entertaining action but not foolishly waste money.

In the end I consider playing poker paying for entertainment, just like a movie or a round of golf--but I wouldn't pay $500 for a movie or golf. Experienced players can probably be helpful in telling me I will get slaughtered at 5-10 and my bankroll will be wasted in 100 hours of play or maybe I can last forever at 2-4.

I would love if anyone with a sense of variance in these games could give me a hard amount for a live limit game near Chicago where I wouldn't be the biggest fish as you call it. I assume at some low level you get less professional players.

That is a good question, I am glad you asked! I think I am getting about 1.75% in that account and at $20 a lap dance that would be somewhere around 20 lap dances.

[Joe Taylor]

Based on your posts, I don't think you should consider playing anything above $2/$4, just on a skill basis alone. $3/$6 and $5/$10 are filled with, on average, better players who would relieve you of your bankroll quicker than I think you would want.

So, for limit Hold'em, $2/$4 and below are your best bet. NL I would stick to $100 buyins or less. Of course, I'm not sure if you will get a "thrill" out of playing for small change like that, but as long as that isn't your primary concern, then you should be able to manage fairly well there. (And if you aren't overly skilled, bleed money less quickly... with the BR you mentioned, that should last for quite a while unless you are tremendously horrible.)

Where in Chicago you live? You can come to my house and we can play a heads up game for $23K [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Whoever wins has to buy a strippers for the other person though.

As far as saving time, Im not sure that's the way to think about it. It's going to take awhile depending on how quickly you pick things up as well you ability to learn things in general.

As far as playing within your bankroll (or in my suggestion way underneath it) and if you ever want to hit a live game, head up to Milwaukee to the Potawannomi Casino. I play there and it's probally dominated by players from northern Illinois.

I'd recommend the 2/4 limit at first since you are new. It's probally easier than even some of the micro limit sites online. They have 3/6 as well if you cant get a 2/4 table. (pretty much the same players)

See with your bankroll you could probally stand to lose for awhile at his level in case you really suck.

Otherwise what Ive done is I read Ed Miller (Getting Started In Hold'Em), Skalansky's HEFAP, and tons of other books.

Reading the books doesnt necessarily mean you know anything, so I have to play lots of poker on top of it, when I run into things that Im unsure of I can go back and read the books again... (as well as post here) (HEFAP is a great reference book)

When you are starting out I dont think you can worry about how much you are making per hour. Especially with your bankroll because the games that it allows you to play are not really for beginners. It's more important to worry about if you know what you are doing or not.

5/10 isnt that hard in Milwaukee either.

Id say at the worst if you were horrible, you could lose $100 at 2/4 there in less than an hour. You could probally lose $300-$400 in 5/10. A lot of the players at 5/10 are at least good enough not to open limp into the pot but they are not professionals or anything. (if they were they'd probally be playing 10/20 there or NL) The bad thing about 5/10 is there is a lot less horrible players in the game (especially now that they have 3/6 games)

I think if you are willing to lose the same amount as you already do with the strippers, and you still have a good time and you have a chance at learning something, there certainly isnt anything wrong with that.

Others might pooh pooh it because it's not in their ABC book of what you "should" do and they cant imagine themselves spending that kind of money for "entertainment" but what works for one person doesnt always work for everyone else.

If you want to just play, dont play NL. If you dont know what you are doing rather than lose some big pots like you might in limit you will lose every single penny you have at NL.

Some people think it's fun because it's like what they watch on TV, but after you lose a few chuncks of money (in one single hand) you wont have fun, trust me.

Tournaments might be fun though, I know they have tournaments at the Hollywood in Aurora. You can get lucky and win a tournament probally easier than any other game. (you can get lucky in one sitting and win money in limit as well if you get a good run, NL is more unlikely because you can lose every penny in one hand)