4 replies to this topic

[card79]

I have been playing online for about a year. I would say that I am average. I certainly don't know nearly as much as the rest of you on here, but I know that and thus play tight and try to play quality hands. I withdrew money from party poker down to 50 bucks on the 19th of december. I play the 3 table sit and go 5 dollar tables, because I don't feel that my backroll is big enough to take all the swings from the numerous callers you get at the .50/1.00 table. So anyway I did pretty well at them even getting up to around 300 at one point, but when I get up like that I always try playing the satelites and stuff like that which is probably dumb because it is like you have to chase 4 tourney's hoping to get any money at all out of them.So, starting about a week ago I just started getting this terrible run of where for example I had pocket aces twice out of 4 hands and they got beat first time by a-j suited when caught heart of flop turn and river. second one was 10-6 that caught runners. Big preflop raises and calls to the end I know these things happen. I guess getting on to my question is to stop rambling.If after a year I can only make 50 bucks last a month what should this tell me. I do well in live games around here. Am I underfunding my bankroll or should I just stay away from online. I have considered trying one of the other sites besides party poker, but right now I don't know what to do. The big thing I run into is that on the multi table tourneys I always make it to the final table well about 90% of the time, but by that time the blinds are high enough that I usually get ate up by people forcing huge preflop bets or the big blinds. I don't know I feel like just not wasting the money anymore and just playing my weekly home games. I love it though. I could sit for hours on end and read about it and read all the tips given online and play nonstop. I am probably down 200 in the year and I just keep thinking is it worth it in the end should I just find something else to do. My wife suggested playing the free money. I tried it way back when and hated it. I mean absolutely positively hated everything about it. I love to play, but if that is how I have to do it then my decision to quit is easy. It is frustrating cause people tell me I play well and I know that after a year that couldn't be true and secondly I don't make all the money I see everyone on here makes online. I guess this is a crossroads for me. I am looking for some words of wisdom from somebody to help me. I know it is hard cause you guys don't know how I play. If you have been here busted out and trying to figure out if you should refund or quit. Help me out. If you think I should stay what is the proper starting out low level bankroll and what site should i go too if not partypoker. Hey and if you don't have any advice no big deal thanks for atleast reading. Been having a lot going on it my life and didn't really sleep at all last night. Andy

[the_moil]

Don't fret. It happens to a lot of poker players on a monthly basis. Poker is a game of swings. The looser you play, the bigger the swings. What I do in these situations is grab the nearest poker book and start reading. SuperSystem by Boyle Brunson will help. A great beginning book is "The Psychology of Poker". I forget who wrote it but TWOPLUSTWO published it. That book is great for giving you a solid mind set walking into a game.if you can't find a book, watch some TV. There is nothing worse than sitting at a table without confidence. On the subject of poker sites;I play at Pokerroom.com. this site would be good for you because they just lowered the fee for $5 tourneys. now $5+$0.50. I am thinking of moving to Paradise poker but I don't think it matters that much. I hope I was some help to you and good luck at the tables

[gobears]

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If after a year I can only make 50 bucks last a month what should this tell me.

$50 is not much of bankroll at $0.50/$1.00, even if you are a superior player, a bad run could knock you to $0 easily.

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I do well in live games around here. Am I underfunding my bankroll or should I just stay away from online.

At least at pokerstars, there are many limit games at the pennies limits - for myself, if I'm worried about conserving capital, you can last longer on-line than at a B&M where you don't have microlimits.

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I have considered trying one of the other sites besides party poker, but right now I don't know what to do. The big thing I run into is that on the multi table tourneys I always make it to the final table well about 90% of the time, but by that time the blinds are high enough that I usually get ate up by people forcing huge preflop bets or the big blinds.

These must be small MTTs (are these really just two or three table SNGs?); in most tournaments, final table is where you get the payout. If you are talking SNGs, then for a two table, you would need to be top 4 for payout (at least at pokerstars).

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I don't know I feel like just not wasting the money anymore and just playing my weekly home games. I love it though. I could sit for hours on end and read about it and read all the tips given online and play nonstop. I am probably down 200 in the year and I just keep thinking is it worth it in the end should I just find something else to do. My wife suggested playing the free money. I tried it way back when and hated it. I mean absolutely positively hated everything about it. I love to play, but if that is how I have to do it then my decision to quit is easy.

I hate the freerolls too

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It is frustrating cause people tell me I play well and I know that after a year that couldn't be true and secondly I don't make all the money I see everyone on here makes online. I guess this is a crossroads for me. I am looking for some words of wisdom from somebody to help me. I know it is hard cause you guys don't know how I play. If you have been here busted out and trying to figure out if you should refund or quit. Help me out. If you think I should stay what is the proper starting out low level bankroll and what site should i go too if not partypoker. Hey and if you don't have any advice no big deal thanks for atleast reading. Been having a lot going on it my life and didn't really sleep at all last night. Andy

I've heard that 95% of on-line players lose; that could be high but I'm sure that the majority of on-line players lose money. So you're not alone and I bet only a minority of the posters here are making big $ online.My thoughts are1. I'm assuming that you have a day job by the way, I'd love to play poker for a living but like you, I have a family. I think that Greg Raymer had it right where he kept his day job until he hit it big.2. After tracking my play last year, I realized that while I was positive in tournaments and SNGs, I was negative in ring games. For now, I've stopped playing in ring games until I can repair those holes (sure I could have hit a long bad streak, but it's probably because I'm not a good ring player right now)You mentioned earlier that you had gone up to $300 playing SNGs but then switched to other structures. Tournaments and ring games require different strategies. Maybe stick to one type.3. If you love to play but have bankroll issues, stick to microlimits or low level tournaments. There have been other threads here about how much of a bankroll you'll need.4. Keep learningI would only quit if it was disrupting your family life (e.g. you're losing $ you can't afford, you're addicted, wife is unhappy) - then you really need to think about quitting.You sound down so a short break might be good for you until you reenergize. I saw in an earlier thread that you took offense at something Smash posted. I read that and from my point of view, it was more humorous then a slam at you. Good Luck

[Crymfytr]

I feel you r pain Brother. I have been playing about a year or so, but only decided to take the real money plunge at the first of the year. I started with a bankroll of $200.00 and played at the .50/1.00 tables. The frist few days were great. I managed to book a few wins, but latey it seems no matter what I do I can't seem to catch the cards. Or when I do get good cards someone maganges to outdraw me everytime for most of my chips. Even when I tighten up it still seems to kick me in the teeth. I would like to think I can play, but it seems no matter what I do I lose. I know the game has its ups and downs, but it seems the downs have outweighed the ups so far. It's frustrating because I seem to do ok when playing the paly money no limit games. I'm not sure I want to jump into the NL/PL ring games given all the loose palyers at the low limits. Frustation has already start to rear its ugly head. I too enjoy playing, but it seems the bad has out drawn the good right now. I too could use some advise as to what to do. I thought about just playing in tournaments for awhile.

[card79]

Hey I appreciate it. It isn't a money thing. I guess it was a fear that I wasn't getting anybetter. I read the post in the other forum of Doyle's letter. Then I came and read the response's I got here. Then I talked to my wife. She is much smarter than I am like she said I got unlucky maybe it happens when you gamble. The smarter I get about the game maybe the luckier I get. I really enjoy it and while I am sure it will never be my living as I have a family to raise and have done too many offbeat things to make money in the past. It is truly a passion and I spend nothing the family needs. I went and bought a few more books though. I think i am going to regroup and maybe try another site to play at. I don't know. I appreciate the help and just even having seen how many people cared enough to read made me feel good.Thanks everyone.