How does it feel...

#1 07-19-2005, 12:44 PM

first off, I am kind of new, to your forum and to poker in general. Have been playing low limits on Pokerstars and am still trying to figure out when I played properly and when I got lucky (and unlucky vs bad play). I have about 32 dollars left from my intial deposit of 50 and was up as high as 70.

To keep getting no action on your hands like AKs, AA, AQ, TT etc and just collecting the blinds and maybe 1 - 3 small bets feels horrible, especially if you see others winning pots with 10 BB or more. Anyways, I guess I should start reading the books and stop making all of these stupid mistakes, otherwise this newly found addiction will cost me money and I figure it shouldn't have to.

have to stop running into this though:
Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP1 calls, 2 folds, CO calls, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, 1 fold, MP1 calls, CO calls, Hero caps, SB calls, MP1 calls $0.10 (All-In), CO calls.

Flop: (16.40 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (4 players, 1 all-in)
SB bets $0.1 (All-In), CO calls, Hero raises, CO calls.

Turn: (9.40 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players, 2 all-in)
CO checks, Hero bets, CO calls.

River: (11.40 BB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players, 2 all-in)
CO bets, Hero raises, CO calls.

Final Pot: 15.40 BB

AmarilloJim1 · #2 07-19-2005, 12:47 PM

Welcome to the Forums. I guess, before someone else jumps in, learn about converting your hands so they are easier to read, and you are not posting the names of the other players. Read the micro-limit forum and visit Bison Bison's hand converter.

#3 07-19-2005, 12:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the Forums. I guess, before someone else jumps in, learn about converting your hands so they are easier to read, and you are not posting the names of the other players. Read the micro-limit forum and visit Bison Bison's hand converter.

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks, i updated the post with the hand converter. Figured there should be something like that.

2+2 Junkie · #4 07-19-2005, 12:49 PM

Buy Small Stakes Hold 'Em, read it, lose some money trying to become the player it wants you to be, pull your hair out, re-read it, lose less money, read it again, wonder how you ever played poker without it and rake in so much money you are rolling around in it like Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal.

This seems to be the consensus. Good luck.

imported_bezdi · #5 07-19-2005, 12:50 PM

You are so under bankrolled for .25/.50, it is not even funny. Drop a level before you go broke.

#6 07-19-2005, 12:56 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You are so under bankrolled for .25/.50, it is not even funny. Drop a level before you go broke.

[/ QUOTE ]
I started playing .25/.50 in stead of .5/.10 because i felt that players at those tables were not really serious.

Apart from the basic education this little fish needs, should I really stick to .5/.10 until my bankroll is sy 150 dollars or so??

topspin · #7 07-19-2005, 01:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Apart from the basic education this little fish needs, should I really stick to .5/.10 until my bankroll is sy 150 dollars or so??

[/ QUOTE ]

I did this and it worked out okay. .05/.10 isn't even raked at some sites so your win rate will be much higher, and the play is also bad, so it won't take long.

It really depends on whether you can afford to put in more money if you bust. Even a good player stands a decent chance of busting with a $30 roll at .25/.50 -- that's only 60BB, which is ridiculously small.

On the other hand, for most people $30 is essentially disposable income, and they can afford to reload if they do go bust. If this is you and you don't get any enjoyment out of playing nano-limit poker, then there's no reason why you can't take a shot at the higher limit.

#8 07-19-2005, 01:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I did this and it worked out okay. .05/.10 isn't even raked at some sites so your win rate will be much higher, and the play is also bad, so it won't take long.

It really depends on whether you can afford to put in more money if you bust. Even a good player stands a decent chance of busting with a $30 roll at .25/.50 -- that's only 60BB, which is ridiculously small.

On the other hand, for most people $30 is essentially disposable income, and they can afford to reload if they do go bust. If this is you and you don't get any enjoyment out of playing nano-limit poker, then there's no reason why you can't take a shot at the higher limit.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well basically, I just want to become a decent player, preferrably asap. When I started playing for play money on Everest I concluded that I was not goning to learn poker from sitting at a table where everybody calls and chases down to the river. I did a little reading on the internet and decided to deposit 50 into PokerStars. I played .01/.02 NL and .02/.04 fixed. Then after a week or two holding my own I felt the urge to gear up a little and looking back that's were it went wrong. I went from 70 to 25 in just two or three sessions playing NL.
Then I switched back to fixed and started winning again but since it didn't go fast enough (that must be a classic beginners mistake) I started playing .25/.50 fixed and now i still find myself continuously losing my winnings on bad decisions grrrrr.

so for now back to the .05/.10 fixed it is... and i'll order the books you recommended right away.

aargh57 · #9 07-19-2005, 01:14 PM

Yes, If you're not willing to put up more money into your bankroll you stand a very good chance to lose it all. Just use the 300BB rule and you won't go wrong. However, if you find that you're learning and beating the game after a lot of hands (at a minimum of 10k) and you have extra money I would think you could move up quicker but always make sure you have that 300BB in your bankroll. Also, if the players are not really serious they should be easy to beat.

wireMan · #10 07-19-2005, 01:22 PM

The players at any of the real money tables are serious. 0.05/0.10 is a perfect limit to learn at. If you aren't beating 0.05/0.10, I don't think you are going to be a winning player at the higher limits. I played several thousand hands at 0.05/0.10, won, moved on to 0.25/0.50 for several thousand more hands, won, moved to 0.5/1.00, won, moved to 1/2, won, moved to 2/4 (winning/but in a horrible downswing right now) - but anyway, take the lumps at the lower limits. Learn about counting your outs, getting reads on other players, pot odds, folding equity, starting hands vs. table position vs. relative position to other players, etc. - all the above can be learned at 0.05/0.10.