how to make a bigger stack

[snoopy1239]

I have no shame in admitting that I was absolutely skint at xmas. I did have a bankroll, but I splashed out on a car, laptop, tv, etc, etc, and after a real dry patch I found myself without any dosh. Oops. Lesson one, never leave yourself short as you never know when that run of cold cards is gonna strike.

So I was broke. It was a fact. I had no sponsers, no funds, no nothing. I didn't even have a job. I had just about enough for the 5 pound comp at Walsall and a few cheap online multis. I considered seeking refunds on my recent luxury possessions, but I then thought that it may be beneficial to try building a bankroll from scratch.

I remember sitting in the £5 multi at Walsall watching some novice folding unnecessarily on the big blind. I wondered how I'd ended up here and it felt like I had gone right back to where I started. 'It was only 2 or 3 months ago that I was rolling in it', I said to myself. Now it was back to basics. Back to grinding. And it's fecking hard.

I was determined not to let it beat me though. Playing tight in small rebuy comps is very tricky, but I had no choice. To keep my brain stimulated I read up on the game and decided it was time to improve my game as much as possible. You often find yourself content in poker, but you have to keep reassessing your targets and setting new goals. If you don't, you can fall into the trap of thinking your game is perfect and in no need of improvement, but that is never the case. 5 mins to learn - a liftime to master.

After the pain and torment of playing the lower limits, my patience finally paid off when I took around £800 at Walsall from a field of 146. I knew it would come sooner or later if I kept at it. It's a grind when u've been used to playing larger stake games, but it'll probably do you the world of good. A famous player once said that now and then you should drop down to a ridiculously (to you) low limit and practice playing your A game. In doing so, you strenghten the discipline side of your game. It's a real great excercise and I recommend you all give it a crack.

Anyhow, that £700 gave me something to play with and I was able to jump upto a higher rebuy comp. At the same time, I could start playing the cash games online. Starting at 25/50 and gradually working my way back up to the limits I once played. Now everyhting's rosey. I've had a good run of cards and developed a comfortable bankroll.

To summarise, my advice is this:

(i) Be patient
(ii) Play your A game at all limits
(iii) Never be content with your game
(iv) Don't play limits that you know your bankroll can't quite handle
(v) Never spend your bankroll because you think you're not going to lose

Good luck.

snoops 

[Robert HM]

Good post snoopy, advice for all levels there. Ta.

With all this talk of bankrolls of different levels. I feel that I am somewhat different, I don't keep aside a bankroll and dip into my deposit account when ever I need to top up or anything. Ok, before someone says it, I know I should keep accurate records but I am only now personalising a donated spreadsheet.

The question I would like to ask is what would be a reasonable bankroll to set aside. One which would last and encourage me to increase and educate myself. I have only really been playing since March but I have immersed myself in thought, reading and listening about poker and hopefully on the learning curve. Is it an impossible question?

At the moment I float around the low area buy-ins but have treated my self to a couple of £300 or so live comps, never monied in the biggies.

Mad, I hope I haven't hijacked your thread.

[The_nun]

Excellent post Snoops..

[snoopy1239]

The question I would like to ask is what would be a reasonable bankroll to set aside. One which would last and encourage me to increase and educate myself. I have only really been playing since March but I have immersed myself in thought, reading and listening about poker and hopefully on the learning curve. Is it an impossible question?

At the moment I float around the low area buy-ins but have treated my self to a couple of £300 or so live comps, never monied in the biggies.

Mad, I hope I haven't hijacked your thread.

Only play the biggies if you can easily afford it and can feel comfortable at the table. - I'm sure u already know that though.

I think general consensus is to sit at 100 table if you have 1000 + in your account. I prefer it to be more like 1500 so I can feel at a complete ease with the table.

Not sure about your poser. How long would you want it to last?

Since March?!?! You seem to know a decent amount already. 

[bundle]

Like most of us i'm sure, I made all the same mistakes, moved up to fast, played drunk, stayed at the table when i was having a really bad run of cards...ect

so now i limit my time playing. this has helped me more than anything else to build a bankroll, i will sit down at a  $1/$2 nl table with $200.10% of my bankroll  and play for no more than 2 hours. All i'm looking for here is my buy-in to the tourney i have my eye on.

so if i like the look of the $50+$5 tourney, then im leaving when i have $260.00 and now i get to play the tournement for free..

If i should lose at the $1/$2 table say $100 i will play again the next day and chip away at getting the $100 back, once it's back, I will leave the poker room and the next day do it all over again. This is how i get to play the more expensive tournaments without worrying about how much it just cost me..

good luck..and i hope this help's you

[snoopy1239]

May I recommend 'Killer Poker'

Gr8 advice in there for this sort of thing.

[snoopy1239]

Like most of us i'm sure, I made all the same mistakes, moved up to fast, played drunk, stayed at the table when i was having a really bad run of cards...ect

so now i limit my time playing. this has helped me more than anything else to build a bankroll, i will sit down at a  $1/$2 nl table with $200.10% of my bankroll  and play for no more than 2 hours. All i'm looking for here is my buy-in to the tourney i have my eye on.

so if i like the look of the $50+$5 tourney, then im leaving when i have $260.00 and now i get to play the tournement for free..

If i should lose at the $1/$2 table say $100 i will play again the next day and chip away at getting the $100 back, once it's back, I will leave the poker room and the next day do it all over again. This is how i get to play the more expensive tournaments without worrying about how much it just cost me..

good luck..and i hope this help's you

A man with a plan! Sounds good. It takes discipline to turn everything off at a certain time when you are down. Kudos if you are doing this successfully. Gr8 advice.

[snoopy1239]

One thing I would add though 'bundle' is only leave before your set time when you are winning, if you are feeling uncomforatble. I was once told that you shouldn't leave a game just because you're ahead. Play the full hour (or whatever) whether you're ahead or behind. You may be spending the whole hour when you're losing, and leaving early when u get ahead. Why leave when you're playing well, and stay when you're not?

[bundle]

I agree, but I'm really just there to win the buy-in, it's a plan i stick to because that win can swing really quick, like having the A flush on the turn, getting all your chip's in and the guy with 2 pair call's and get's the boat on the river.. Maybe i'm tight, but this keeps me from doing my dough and gives me a good shot at the big money in the tourneys

[The Baron]

I've found that cash games really are my bread and butter. In America this summer, I asked Antonio Esfandiari how he managed it when he was nursing his bankroll and he just said he played cash games but he played TIGHT and never over stretched the money he did have. He's not done too badly since!

[bundle]

yeah i know there is consistant money to be made on the cash game's, i just found i did'nt know when to leave.

I have sat at the table with $200 and tripled up in less than 30 min, only to be there 4 hour's later and walk away with $40 profit. I guess you just got to make a plan and stick to it, when this happened i had no plan, now i do and it works for me, maybe i need to come up with a new plan at the cash games.

I think it's all really about want you want out of it today, and that for me is a free go at a $50 tourney

[snoopy1239]

yeah i know there is consistant money to be made on the cash game's, i just found i did'nt know when to leave.

I have sat at the table with $200 and tripled up in less than 30 min, only to be there 4 hour's later and walk away with $40 profit. I guess you just got to make a plan and stick to it, when this happened i had no plan, now i do and it works for me, maybe i need to come up with a new plan at the cash games.

I think it's all really about want you want out of it today, and that for me is a free go at a $50 tourney

It's tough, but you should sit for the full time whether you've won a big amount or not. If you're feeling uncomforatble and protective over your dollars, then go to a new table and start again with your original amount. Having double the max on a cash table is a big advanatge. People know that you are the guy who can clean em out. Use that fear to your advanatage and try not to worry about losing your recent pot wins. Easier said than done tho.

[The Baron]

yeah i know there is consistant money to be made on the cash game's, i just found i did'nt know when to leave.

I have sat at the table with $200 and tripled up in less than 30 min, only to be there 4 hour's later and walk away with $40 profit. I guess you just got to make a plan and stick to it, when this happened i had no plan, now i do and it works for me, maybe i need to come up with a new plan at the cash games.

I think it's all really about want you want out of it today, and that for me is a free go at a $50 tourney

It's tough, but you should sit for the full time whether you've won a big amount or not. If you're feeling uncomforatble and protective over your dollars, then go to a new table and start again with your original amount. Having double the max on a cash table is a big advanatge. People know that you are the guy who can clean em out. Use that fear to your advanatage and try not to worry about losing your recent pot wins. Easier said than done tho.

Good post. Also getting to this stack allows you to play with a bit more flair and aggression (within reason). This is where I find more big pots can be won.

[bundle]

yeah it was the aggression that killed me, I play really hard.. I need to know when to back off

[Robert HM]

Since March?!?! You seem to know a decent amount already. 

Thanks but it has been hard work at the expensive of the "day job" and a fairly expensive education.

Thanks for the replies all