What should I expect from my bankroll growth ?

You forgot to mention the fact you need to deposit $1000 to get the $100 bonus.

[kenberman]

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You forgot to mention the fact you need to deposit $1000 to get the $100 bonus.

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that wasn't true as of 1 week ago, and I don't think it's true now.

casino.net

total poker
Sporting Bet

So you're saying I can deposit $50 and still get a $100 bonus? Now I'm confused.

I still class myself as a beginner, but for what its worth this is what I did:-
(i) 0.05/0.1 at paradise with $30 (6k hands at ~9BB/100) during this time I tried the 1000 free pokertracker hands and then bought it almost immediately. Also bought SSHE (after reading the "Jones" book"), GSIH wasn't available. As an aside I don't think the Jones book is that bad as a starter as long as you move on reasonably quickly. Without it I think SSHE would have gone right over my head. Also discovered this forum.
(ii) 0.1/0.2 still at Paradise (3.5k hands at ~3.5BB/1000)
(iii) 0.25/0.5 at Paradise (1k hands so far at 7BB/100), also cleared initial deposit bonus (whoopee $7.50).

The above win rates are a bit on the high side so I await with trepidation the inevitable monster downswing.

I now have about $160 and am looking forward to a bit of bonus whoring to see what that's all about. There are probably quicker ways of building a bankroll, but it's probably best to stick to a site and a level you are comfortable with until you have a few k hands under your belt.

The variance thing takes a bit of getting used to. You'll go through huge upswings and downswings, which is why PT is so useful. You can review your play and check for leaks.

[RatFink]

Find a library that has Small Stakes Hold' Em. Or hang out at a bookstore and read it even if it takes many weekends. If they throw you out, go to another bookstore.

Up and down variances are to be expected. You can't play without them, and if you try to minimize them all you do is minimize the upside without really controlling the downside so at best you are break-even and more likely you find yourself unable to sustain more than 2 suckouts per session, since you don't have the ability to win big pots to overcome it. And oddly enough if you try to control the downside you actually create more suckouts. Which is why the 300 bet bankroll is recommended. You need to play agressively, and need to be able to take the suckouts and variance that is inevitable in playing that way.

[numeri]

First off, you've found the right place. Have you read Ed Miller's "Getting Started in Hold 'Em"? That's a great starting place.

I actually started out below where you are. I fooled around at the UB 0.01/0.02 for a while before building my bankroll in earnest at the Stars 0.02/0.04 tables. Variance may be up, but I found all those tables ridiculously soft. I moved up a level after about 10,000 hands at each, with very healthy BB/100 rates.

You may just not have the best starting hand selection, or maybe you may not know how to get the most value from draws. It's hard to say. It sounds like you're on the right track, but you probably need to work more on your game. Yes, there is variance, but it shouldn't slow you down in the long run.

Good luck!

[kenberman]

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So you're saying I can deposit $50 and still get a $100 bonus? Now I'm confused.

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I don't understand why you thought it was $1000 min deposit to begin with

[deception5]

I started at Pacific .05/.10 as well. The games there are juicy enough that you will probably be able to beat it for a good number of BB/100 over time. If you really want to learn how to beat the game, get Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller, it will teach you exactly what you need to know. PokerTracker is the other thing you should look into, particularly since you are looking to analyze your play - they have an addon for Pacific. You can download the free demo version and import 1000 hands free.

[Thoth]

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So you're saying I can deposit $50 and still get a $100 bonus? Now I'm confused.

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I don't understand why you thought it was $1000 min deposit to begin with

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IIRC the minimum deposit by Neteller is $20 though, which is still too high for OP. Also the lowest limits are .1/.2.
That said SportingBet etc are perfect to get from $20/30 to over a 100.

[bozlax]

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Because it is only $10, when my bankroll climbs to $11 (like it is right now), it doesn't seem like a huge gain, but if I had a $10,000 bankroll and it climbed by the same percentage, I would be happy (since that would be a $1000 climb...)

So I guess I am just wondering what to expect... Should I be happy if I come away from the table after 4 hours of play (at the .05/.10c table - and I only play one table) up only $1 ?

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Something that has helped me a lot...stop thinking about $$, start thinking about bets. In those terms, making $1 at a .05/.10 table is the same as making $1,000 at a 50/100 table, 10BB. If you make that at 4 hours of single-tabling (roughly 200 hands online), then you're making 5BB/100 hands, a very respectable winrate at any limit.

Thinking in terms of BB instead of $$ also helps one emotionally divest oneself from the stakes. Instead of thinking about, "my money," going into the pot, you're thinking about, "some bets," going into the pot. Not to be too presumptive, but when you're in a difficult financial situation you're going to be nervous about losing money, and that's going to make you play scared at any level; at nano-limits you might be able to get away with playing scared, without realizing you're doing it.