Losing my bankroll very quickly.

[Jimbo88]

This has happened to me now for the third time. I am a descent poker player. I win at games with my friends fairly often and have read WLLH and SSHE and know in my head exactly what to do.

So I deposit $50 in Party Poker and join 3 .5/1 tables with about $10-$15 on each table and wait for the right hands to play. Inveitably after about two hours of playing my bankroll is down to about $10-$15 and i end up losing the rest.

Why am I not able to maintain a steady bankroll and slowly build my way up? Is it because I am not investing enough money in the first place? Or am I just having bad luck?

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

You need a bigger bankroll to be playing .5/1.

Do these things:

-Read Small Stakes Holdem
-Post questionable hands here
-Get a bigger bankroll or play at a site with lower limits.

-Craig

[KidPokerX]

Play serious. Save up a few hundred and start 2/4 - not 3-tabling while listening to music, talking to your girlfriend, and taking bong loads. Sit down when you can give 100% to one table. Play correctly, record your stats and correct any leaks. If done correctly you should soon find yourself with a nice bankroll to begin multitabling with if you like. Treat it like a job, get out of the rake buster .5/1 tables (waste of time).
Best of luck
-KidPokerX

[DMBFan23]

I think there was a post a while back that detailed a good way to get started playing online poker.

0) read Small Stakes Hold Em (SSHE)

1) deposit 50 bucks in your site of choice with microlimits (Pokerstars, Absolute Poker, and PokerStars all have nano/micro limits)

2) start playing either .10/.20 or .5/.10.

2.5) play until you've earned 300 BB at each level, or have 300 BB for the next level, whichever comes later.

3) when you get 300 bucks, move up to .5/1 and start bonus whoring. there is a great post by homer on building bankroll for newbies, try a search for that.

4) when you get to 355 dollars, buy pokertracker.

5) read SSHE.

6) post hands along the way.

7) repeat steps 2.5 and 6 ad nauseaum


if you are not new to poker and would like to start off playing .5/1, then you will need at least 300 dollars to do so. but, there's no shame in building a bankroll from .10/.20 limits. I did it, and I'm playing 2/4 now.

[Klak]

try just playing one table at a time to start with. work on postflop play and drill the hand quizzes from SSH into your brain. i think you might be able to get away with less than 300bbs at .5/1 if youre a decent player.

[bobbyi]

Yeah, $50 isn't enough to handle the swings. You may also be a losing player; we have no way of knowing that. But even if you're a winning player, it requires some good luck off the bat to not go broke starting with only $50 at .5/1. You've deposited $50 several times now. Rather than depositing money $50 at a time, you should just put a few hundred on at once. It's much easier to play well when you know you have more money on your account. Feeling like you are close to busting out is really rough psychologically and will throw you off your game.

[Jimbo88]

Thanks for the advise. It appears that I am trying to be too cheap depositing only $50. I will take your advise and hopefully I can correct my mistakes. Thanks.

[sfwusc]

I feel you pain. I would start at the micros/nanos like 10/20c deposit $60. Then bonuswhore.


I started with $5 can made it with a lot of luck. $5 in home game. Made like $50 over time. Then deposit it on party and made a roll. Lot of luck was involved.

I would never try to do that now. To much risk of ruin.

SWUSC

[bernie]

What bankroll?

b

[KidPokerX]

lol, $15