The swings...I don't like them so much.

[ChuckyB]

Here's something I need to get used to.

Started the night with $146 on PP. Playing 1/2 limit.

Abandoned the first table after an hour at $165 because it was down to 3-handed.

Some jerk at my second table capped QJo from the BB against my AK in the cutoff seat...things didn't go well. Re-bought after my first $50 was down to $7.50. Made some back. Bankroll at $128.

Third table of the night...looked much softer. I still felt I was playing well, so I kept going. Took down some huge pots (bastards never saw the trip 4s coming with that all-club flop) and ended the night up to $191.

In all, up $45 for the night over four hours. Had an infarction or two along the way...but I'm back.

Guess this is what I get for playing above my bankroll.

[adsman]

About a year ago I got back into limit holdem with a $480 bankroll and I started back at $2/$4 cause I couldn't be bothered with those suckers at the lower limits. After about 2500 hands I was 80BB down - that's $320. Now, 80BB is nothing if you're adequately bankrolled. It's a normal swing. But if you're playing beyond your means it's a disaster. So I drop down to $1/2 and after 2500 hands I'm like only 35BB down, which is $70. And I have $90 left in my account. So I drop down to 0.50/1, where I spend the next seven months grinding my roll up to $600 to move back up to 1/2. That's where I am now, and doing pretty good too, (it was so nice to see my pokertracker numbers on 1/2 change from red to green the other week.)

What's my point? You have uder 100BB for the limit that you're playing. Downswings of 100BB are normal for even the best of players. I advise you in the strongest sense possible to at least move down to .50/1 where you'll have a much better chance of surviving. Otherwise you may be posting the old, "I just got wiped out" post in under a week.

You aren't just playing under your bankroll. You are playing WAY UNDER your bankroll. Even 0.5/1 is pushing it, but that is as low as Party goes.

[Donkey Kong]

I dont like the swings too much either, but you have to get used to them. They always get you once in a while even when you play well.
Because I really didnt like swings, I didnt play any higher than 0.1/0.2 for months (After starting my online career a moron playing NLHE without a clue losing $750). I started reading 2+2 books in may, and I broke even in mid-july after playing 0.1/0.2 and 0.25/0.5 at Ladbrokes. Now I'm playing 0.5/1 shorthanded at Stars and PP, and at the moment I've logged 20k hands on PT with a win rate of 7BB/100. With bonuses my bankroll is now $2300. I'm rolled for 2/4, but not feeling comfortable with the huge swings. So I'm sticking to 0.5/1 and some occasional 1/2 to test my abilities for a while. I guess when the time is right I'll be comfortable with a higher level.

[jrz1972]

What you've described are not "swings." You won a few hands and lost a few hands. That's all.

Two weekends ago, I dropped 150 BBs over 2000 hands. That's a swing. For the month of September, I'm up $450 over 3500 hands of .5/1 and 1/2. That's a swing.

Playing for an hour and dropping ~20 BBs or winning ~20 BBs is just poker.

[benkath1]

[ QUOTE ]
Bankroll at $128

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Playing 1/2 limit

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Not such a good idea.

As has been said (and will be said again, I'm sure), you're playing with less that one-quarter of the bankroll you need to play 1/2.

Right now your fear is completely justified - a normal downswing for a fully bankrolled 1/2 player would cripple you. This will lead to less than optimal play, and potentially even more losses.

Poker is not a make-money-fast proposition. Contrary to what someone may have told you, it's NOT pointless to play .5/1 or less. Stars has a great .25/.50, which in my "no roll" period I played like crazy.

You're obviously just starting out, so play to learn, not to make money. As you improve, you'll find yourself making enough money to move up without fear.

[Wetdog]

I took shots at 1/2 when I was a .10/25 and .25/50 player. I was way under rolled. Once I took down a huge pot and left the table immediately. That helped me build my roll, but I knew I couldn't play 1/2 yet. Yes, I took the money and ran! But I don't think my bloodpressure was any the better for it. Now I play 1/2 pretty regularly, but only after building my roll. I'll take a shot at 2/4 some time, but I won't stay.

I guess I want to play with the "big kids."

[silkyslim]

You mentioned something about swings in your title, but I didn't see any in your post.