Start me up

Moneymaker

I was going to just ask in BBV but since this thread is poker related I decided not to

Basically, i'm gonna deposit a roll and start playing 25/50NL, see how it goes etc. I've played a fair bit online, but never with a proper bankroll, software what have you, just a few quid for a spin basically. This time though, I want to be properly prepared, rolled and watch vids, take some coaching after a while, so just a few general questions;

What's the best site(i.e the softest games) to play on?

What software would you recommend?

How many buy-ins should I have?

Which sites are best for training videos, I know there's a few out there, but unsure which would be best?

Best site for rakeback deals?

Any general advice from online regs here would be appreciated a lot also. Cheers.

TommyGunne

The site: It depends what you want. iPoker will get you the best unmentionables, but you can get OK RB and softer play on other sites like Party, Entraction, Pacific, Absolute etc etc. You should keep an eye on security of the site though, cos there is a real chance that some may implode with your money.

Software: Can't do better than HEM. Simple as.

Buy-ins: I'd be looking for in the region of 30, I suppose you could get away with less than that, but you gotta be prepared to move down.

Training vids: I really dunno. Have only sampled the main ones, so have little experience of this.

RB: There are people here that you could PM about this. Asking IanMc is the best bet (I think!)

Advice: Be prepared to be a losing player for the first 10k hands or so. You may make profit, but I would imagine that it is very unlikely for anyone that has only experience of live cash and tourneys immediately being profitable at .10/.20, .25/50 or whatever stakes your going to be playing. You may be good enough to win, and a lot of people are, but be prepared to lose. I certainly was a losing player for my first 10k hands online, and maybe more. Just try and learn fast, and think as much as you can.

jbravado

First and foremost unless you are willing to put in REAL time and effort then just don't bother. It may sound embittered and pessimistic and its not a refelction on how good one may be or not be its just fact. Online is tough and only going to get harder-especially if your focus is going to be holdem and 6 max.

Get on a soft site but as Tommy said be carefull and dont put too many lootskis at risk. Even more so if you tilt then dont have a lot of money online.

Try and learn new games.

Get a good rb-this is obv crucial.

I think 100 buyins is conducive for not doing the loots but thats in an ideal world,and Id guess close to 0% of players have 100 buyins for their respective levels. Having 30 buyins is not in rolled for a level. No way. 50 as min.

Good luck anywho.

Slash/ED

For a minute I thought you were going to take shots at 5knl...

digiman

Moneymaker wrote: »

I was going to just ask in BBV but since this thread is poker related I decided not to

Basically, i'm gonna deposit a roll and start playing 25/50NL, see how it goes etc. I've played a fair bit online, but never with a proper bankroll, software what have you, just a few quid for a spin basically. This time though, I want to be properly prepared, rolled and watch vids, take some coaching after a while, so just a few general questions;

I made this decision almost 2 years ago now, Jan 2008. It was a new years resolution at the time. Started at 50nl and moved up and down many times. I got to the stage of beating 400nl over 50k for 3.5bb/100 but never have the roll to stay there due to withdrawing etc. It is worth doing but be prepared to work at it. You can have a lot of spare spending money for the month which is the best thing I find about poker.

What's the best site(i.e the softest games) to play on?

I play on FTP now, games are ok just, sometimes they are amazing but you need to table select well. One of the worst things about sites now is the amount of shortstacks that are invading the games. If you have any problem with sports betting you should probably stay away from sites that share the sports book with your poker account.

What software would you recommend?
Holdem Manager

How many buy-ins should I have?

Deposit your 1k but play 10k hands at 20nl first, see hw you get on, if you are beating it and made a few buyins then move up to 50nl if you are feeling confident. Go to 100nl with 30bi, 200nl with 40bi, 400nl with 50bi, 600nl with 60bi See a trend here?

Which sites are best for training videos, I know there's a few out there, but unsure which would be best?

If you play on FTP you can get Cardrunners for free, some rakeback sites will probably give you other subs for free to. Any of the big training sites such as cardrunners, deucescracked, bluefire will all be good.

Best site for rakeback deals?

Any general advice from online regs here would be appreciated a lot also. Cheers.

What Sam says is true in a way, to get to 200nl isn't to bad, this can be done and these games and below can be beating handy enough with some determination to succeed. To beat 400nl and higher is going to take a lot of hard work, use up a lot of your time and frustrate the hell out of you at times when yuou start losing several thousand in a day. So if you are happy enough to get to 200nl and beat it fair enough, but dont be dreaming about beating 1knl in a years time as you are probably a 1/1000 shot at doing this (I don't know you but just basing this on average).

.

mdwexford

Between 20-30 buyins is fine for 25nl and 50nl as long as you are prepared to move up and down if required, waiting until you have 50 buyins for a level will hinder your progress to move up stakes if thats your long term goal.

The variance is lower the lower in stakes you go because the games arent as aggressive and you get way more soft stacks against retards.

iPoker is overrun with short stack all in or fold nits which is very annoying and kinda ruins the games.

If you are happy to move money around often id recommend clearing kickbacks to help you build up a roll and also to get you into the swing of grinding and see which software you like the best, go to PSO and clear as many kickbacks as you can, some of these equate to well over 100% rakeback.

colquhom

dont bother is my advice, take up a constructive hobby like the f1cking guitar or a new sport or something, honestly. For most people it just isnt worth it, the level of work that needs to be put in is quite substantial and most people never really achieve anything from it that compensates them for time spent. Even if u do say beat 200nl for a decent clip, if u look at your hourly honestly you'll prob find that its a hell of a lot less than you thought it was going to be for all the time you've spent learning something that amounts to nothing more than a decent part time job. Take up something that will have a positive as opposed to a negative effect on your life.

The Snapper

grinding it out multitabling @ 6 max small stakes is a serious test of your mental fortitude.

Some guys kill these levels but they are the exception, the games are fairly tough for the the average player and the variance can be uber stressful.

A good RB deal can act as a buffer, if you count it in your overall results the picture will look a lot rosier, this will help maintain a healthy mindset. Its crucial to have RB, luckily it is currently a buyers market when it comes to RB deals. There are some sites offering RB and deposit bonuses side by side, ideal for bankroll building.

If your going to play a lot of volume, take time to choose a site with decent software over maybe lesser software but more RB.

Be diligent when it comes to revising your sessions, a bit of quality hand revision will save you lots, money saved has the same value as money won. Its better to review a session several hours after you finish or the next day preferably. Looking over your hands in the same mental state as played you are unlikely to be objective and will likely justify bad decisions.

Beware of tilt, tilt is the single biggest factor in losing poker. It has many forms and most are very subtle indeed. Pay attention to these subtle changes to your mindset, you can only combat it if you notice it.

Finally, good luck with it and run good:)

hotspur

Play plo, everyone can play hold em too well these days.

El Stuntman

hotspur wrote: »

Play plo, everyone can play hold em too well these days.

I can't

Tight Ted

Some very good content in this thread! Grinding it out at 6max no limit is just as much a test on your mental ability to deal with stress/tilt as it is on your poker abilities.

But keep a calm and steady disposition (a lot easier said then done) and you're definitely one step ahead of the game. Become the 3rd man.

cooker3

I would add to what has been said. Try adding people preferably those who are playing higher and beating it to msn/gchat whatever. It can be very handy to talk poker, link to a hand which you are not arsed posting up and such like.

ianmc38

Poker is harder now but in no way unbeatable. Even 200NL is still very soft imo. Im playing very little right now but I see a lot of hands from people who i talk poker with and there is still huge value out there.

That said, all the non holdem variants are still far more profitable than holdem. Its easy to have a huge edge playing a stud game or an omaha variant where as in holdem games, the edges are much smaller.

For training DC, Bluefire, Cardrunners etc are all good and will help.

Ultimately if you put the effort in, poker can be a great way to earn extra cash, but it requires a long term commitment to study and work hard at it indefinitely.

Good luck with it!

Moneymaker

Cheers for all the advice. I haven't decided what site to play on just yet, i'll start a blog if people are curious about my progress(or lack of it!) or something.

I have plenty of money in the bank, no bills to pay, so wiring a bankroll is not really an issue and I won't be under any pressure, which is obviously good. Basically it's a good time to give it a try and see what happens. I think the biggest issue would be me underestimating the effort thats needed.

RoadSweeper

Get a neteller or moneybookers account. Keep poker money seperate from life roll etc...

Spend alot of time asking and reviewing hands. Ask here for tips advice after 10-15k hands