After studying WLLH by Lee Jones - is $150 large enough for .5/1?

[Karak567]

I busted out my first time at .5/1 with a 50 dollar bank roll on two bad breaks.

I purchased, worked through and have studied Winning Low Limit Hold 'Em by Lee Jones and feel much more confident in my playing now.

I, of course, need a place to practice the skills I learned there. Since the home games I play are all NL hold em' with stupid rules (not sure why I even play with them anymore), the only place I have is online.

As much as I'd love to only buy in 50, I know that's not enough.

But will 150 dollars be enough? It's not 300xBB but it's still a lot.

I don't really want to do micro limits .05/.1 because I think with that little money there's really no point - I might as well be playing with play money... or am I wrong?

Thanks for answering my newbie questions!

[ThePopinjay]

PokerStars has 0.25/50 tables, play there.

[thirddan]

there is a huge difference between .50/1.00 and play money...do not use play money as a tool to learn strategy, use it to become aquainted with software and learn the rules of the game you choose. Play money is a joke if you are looking to improve your game...with only 150 you might try a .25/.50 game at UB/Stars/Pacific/any site with lower limits...With 150 it is certainly possible to build a proper bankroll but your risk of ruin is much greater than if you started with a larger roll...

[Ponks]

You may not feel that you can make much playing .5/1, but its really the proper way to build a bankroll. If you dont mind having the small risk of going bust I'd say you could take your 150 bucks and play $.5/$1 at party and I'd try to build that up $500+. If you're a winning player in the long run, it shouldnt take that long aslong as you play a decent amount. Just know and understand that with $150 your chances of busting out while playing winning poker are greater then if you had $300. If you are worried to bust out and will never deposit money again I'd do like the others said and look to play the .25/.50 game.

Have fun

Ponks

[Joe826]

Yeah I think you'd be fine playing .50/1 if you can afford to lose your $150 if you get off to a bad start. In my experience, it's just as soft if not softer then UB .25/.50. Never played that anywhere else though.

[balkii]

Its sounds like you dont even want to put in the $150, let alone lose it. You could put that money in at stars and play .25/.50, or even .05/.10 if you want to go really low.

the games at .50/1.00 on party are extremely high variance, especially for someone who is new to the game. I would guess your risk of ruin would be too high with only 150 BBs.

[Warband]

[ QUOTE ]

I don't really want to do micro limits .05/.1 because I think with that little money there's really no point - I might as well be playing with play money... or am I wrong?


[/ QUOTE ]

You are wrong!

Reading WLLH will give you the basics but you need experience playing hands. I suggest you play .02/.04 for a while just to get experience and get some of the basic mistakes out of your system. Then move up. The people playing at the micro-micro limits are playing for keeps and it sounds like you dont want to lose your BR.

I am a beginner and read WLLH, carsons book and TOP and I have learned a lot playing .02/.04 and .05/.10 and had fun. I will move up when I am ready.

While typing this post I won $2.07 playing .05/.10 4% of your BR.


T.

[Gurney]

try .50/1 again and if you get busted down to $30 than drop down to .05/.10, and start to build the bankroll up from there.

[rayrns]

I, of course, need a place to practice the skills I learned there

I started playing the lowest micro limits at Stars. I am now playing $2/4 with enough bankroll to play $3/6. I will continue to play $2/4 for now as I don't think my game is ready for the next limit yet.

Now re-read your statement from above and I ask you, do you think putting $150 of your hard earned money to play at a level that you don't have enough experience with or bankroll for the correct move?

Your choice and good luck,
Ray

[btspider]

Deposit the 150 and learn the software on the micro tables. If you drop below 100 playing .50/1, then drop to the micro tables again until you make enough to sit at the .50/1 table for one session. Rinse and repeat. Very low chance of hitting zero at the micro table and once you hit a good .50/1 run, you won't have to drop down anymore.