Road to being a pro

[KingPush]

I'm currently grinding 4 tables of nl5 ZOOM and playing .50/1 and .50/.50 at the casino. I have a bankroll of 1200 and although this seems too much to be playing nl5 with and too little to be playing nl100 with I genuinely believe my WR is something close to 20bb/100 in a decent casino game whereas I don't feel comfortable beating nl10 yet. If my roll gets to 800 I'll stop playing .50/1.

At the moment just trying to get as much volume as possible online and also study mainly using HH's. I don't find that many videos that useful for me as I try to use a GTO style whereas many of the videos talk about hand reading etc.

The reasons I've started this thread are mainly to get more poker playing friends and all the opportunities that affords mean to learn and also the possibility of getting staked in certain games. Also to keep myself accountable so I don't just get pissed and chase birds all summer.

Anyway I've got until December to prove to my parents that I am a winning player otherwise I'm going to have to get a real job at the end of my degree and no-one wants that.

[KingPush]

Here's a hand from last time I played live so we don't start the thread on a high otherwise where would there be to go from there?

I reload to ~120. And get dealt a pair in MP which isn't part of my range and so should be folded, I open due to boredom tilt, two players behind me call. Board comes J56r, my face goes a bit red and I bet out about 7 into 10 one caller. turn Q I bet about 15 one caller. River 8, I bet 25, should be more but yeah, one caller he goes "two pair" I say "set" and flip over the 44 towards my chest, "hang on, no it fucking isn't" mucked em. Insta left and went on a search for a lighter.

[Woodsey]

lol whats wrong with a real job? 

GL anyway 

[KingPush]

Haha nothing mate just taking the piss.

Cheers for the run good. Balance now at 482 in my PS account when I get up to 500 I'll move up to nl10.

[Junior Senior]

What is your name?

Where you from / studying?

[KingPush]

Studying philosophy dunno if I wanna say who I am etc. yet.

Post casino drives are the illest. Up 40 prob 30ish for the day. Played a weird hand at the end still unsure whether it was good or not but I'll post it tomorrow. Big winners were aa into kk and ak v TT on axx board v same guy who tilt shoved on the flop.

[muckthenuts]

Favourite philosopher and reasons?

Good luck! I'm playing a bit of 50nl zoom atm, feel free to hit me up if you want a chat or to discuss a hand or two sometime

[KingPush]

Sounds good man. You got Skype?

Hand from last night went straddle, limp, I raise to 6 folded to bb reg who calls and limper calls. Think he might have been pro but played way too loose. Flop comes akxr x,x,x. Turn bring diamond draw bb leads for 11 o think loose guy folds I call. Rivers a diamond and bb leads for 21 I raise to 50 he calls I muck. Was wondering what everyone's river raising range is here. Obviously aa and flushes but what are you bluffing here? I'd think the bottom of his bet calling range would be AQ and weal two pairs so we need blockers to this stuff and of course we need to be getting to the river with it as well. Think doing anything other than calling/folding ax here is a mistake as that's what we're trying to make him fold.

EDIT
Been through it all and I think my bluff with KQ here means I'm bluffing with too many combos, would only bluff with KQ and KJ of diamonds here. Full river raising range looks like this AdAh, AdAc, AhAc, AdTd, Ad8d, Ad7d, 8d7d, Ad5d, Ad4d, Ad2d, KhQd, KsQd, KcQd, KhJd, KsJd, KcJd maybe lose aa and KJ if villains are better but then I also might be folding my Kx on the turn.

[KingPush]

Also Hume cos he's a funny and miserable bastard

[SuuPRlim]

Hi Mate,

Welcome to blonde, you'll meet a lot of good/funny/generous people on here, give a little and you'll defo get it back 

I'm 25 and have been playing poker full time since i was 20. I started at small stakes casino games like you are doing and played majority cash games (like you're going to do?) all that time, so a few things I've learnt along the way that might be worth considering, and btw if I'd have got this adivce 5 years ago I would have almost certainly ignored it lol.

Firstly, I think you've got to think about your bankroll strategy a bit deeper, one thing I always suspected, and now I know for defo is that you cannot make a living playing 50p/£1 in casino's or /10c online. You get swallowed up by the rake, I'd bet against anyone in the world if they could play 100,000 hands of 50p/£1 in a casino without the games being crazy deep or very low rake, that would not be winning at the end. Ivey/Trickett ANYONE. This isn't to say that you shouldn't play these games right now- you absolutely should, but if you want my opinion the way to move on and try form a sustainable way of supporting yourself through gambling then you have to be looking to get past those games ASAP. My advice would be to either;

Put your live poker bankroll into online poker, move up stakes to 25c/50c there and get some good volume in there, talk hands with anyone who will listen (post them on blonde) don't play too many tables (to keep a bit of pressure off your BR and to make sure you're REALLY focusing)

or, continue to play in the live games you are using all your BR - but try be a bit more selective about when and where you play - try joining the games later when they are a little deeper, if the games appear very shallow then don't play etc. If you go on a bit of a run in the games (which you'll need to do) then press on to slightly bigger games asap (£1/£2 often has the same rake structure in casinos) and from there you have a chance to actually make some money. Once you have enough spare BR to deposit ~$1000 online then start from 25c/50c and ^^^.

Stars is very good for game ecology and there frequent player/rakeback system is the best out there but if you're not playing enough volume at sufficient stakes then you wont feel the benefits - perhaps consider going to an ipoker skin where you can get a decent RB deal - that way even playing B/E poker you will be able to make a few hundred a month relatively risk free.

I think though the best thing to consider is that you cannot rely on i) making any money to live whilst also attempting to move up stakes in the next 6 months, and ii) the time pressure you have put/have had put on yourself is totally unfeasible, you might be a winning poker player now,you might be becoming a very good poker player that is currently without the resources to sustain a living but if the deal is "be winning by Xmas or it's over" then I'd put your chances of success at about 5% - it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and a lot of emotional development to become a winning gambler and your 6 month time limit will prolly be your biggest hindrance. In my opinion. You'll prolly find it damages your enjoyment a bit as well.

I'd prolly look to try get a part time job, preferably doing something that interests you, that way you can support yourself outside of poker winnings, meaning the money you win can be invested into your bankroll and give you the best possible chance of succeeding, and it'll be a good compromise with your parents as you can say "look im trying both things and seeing which I like better" and then you won't be getting hassle from them when December comes along and now you're gonna have to try spin up to £5k just so you can get another couple of months without aggro (I been there, trust me!!!)

Oh, also - play a couple of tournaments on a sunday, loads of huge field small buy-in stuff (Big$11, Sunday Storm, $3rebuy etc) which won't affect your BR too much but will give you an (outside, but legitimate) chance of a score for a couple of grand which will really spurt your bankroll on. Remember those this is pretty thin punting for the most part so don't expect anything from it!

GL with it all anyways.

David

[arbboy]

Hi Mate,

Welcome to blonde, you'll meet a lot of good/funny/generous people on here, give a little and you'll defo get it back 

I'm 25 and have been playing poker full time since i was 20. I started at small stakes casino games like you are doing and played majority cash games (like you're going to do?) all that time, so a few things I've learnt along the way that might be worth considering, and btw if I'd have got this adivce 5 years ago I would have almost certainly ignored it lol.

Firstly, I think you've got to think about your bankroll strategy a bit deeper, one thing I always suspected, and now I know for defo is that you cannot make a living playing 50p/£1 in casino's or /10c online. You get swallowed up by the rake, I'd bet against anyone in the world if they could play 100,000 hands of 50p/£1 in a casino without the games being crazy deep or very low rake, that would not be winning at the end. Ivey/Trickett ANYONE. This isn't to say that you shouldn't play these games right now- you absolutely should, but if you want my opinion the way to move on and try form a sustainable way of supporting yourself through gambling then you have to be looking to get past those games ASAP. My advice would be to either;

Put your live poker bankroll into online poker, move up stakes to 25c/50c there and get some good volume in there, talk hands with anyone who will listen (post them on blonde) don't play too many tables (to keep a bit of pressure off your BR and to make sure you're REALLY focusing)

or, continue to play in the live games you are using all your BR - but try be a bit more selective about when and where you play - try joining the games later when they are a little deeper, if the games appear very shallow then don't play etc. If you go on a bit of a run in the games (which you'll need to do) then press on to slightly bigger games asap (£1/£2 often has the same rake structure in casinos) and from there you have a chance to actually make some money. Once you have enough spare BR to deposit ~$1000 online then start from 25c/50c and ^^^.

Stars is very good for game ecology and there frequent player/rakeback system is the best out there but if you're not playing enough volume at sufficient stakes then you wont feel the benefits - perhaps consider going to an ipoker skin where you can get a decent RB deal - that way even playing B/E poker you will be able to make a few hundred a month relatively risk free.

I think though the best thing to consider is that you cannot rely on i) making any money to live whilst also attempting to move up stakes in the next 6 months, and ii) the time pressure you have put/have had put on yourself is totally unfeasible, you might be a winning poker player now,you might be becoming a very good poker player that is currently without the resources to sustain a living but if the deal is "be winning by Xmas or it's over" then I'd put your chances of success at about 5% - it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and a lot of emotional development to become a winning gambler and your 6 month time limit will prolly be your biggest hindrance. In my opinion. You'll prolly find it damages your enjoyment a bit as well.

I'd prolly look to try get a part time job, preferably doing something that interests you, that way you can support yourself outside of poker winnings, meaning the money you win can be invested into your bankroll and give you the best possible chance of succeeding, and it'll be a good compromise with your parents as you can say "look im trying both things and seeing which I like better" and then you won't be getting hassle from them when December comes along and now you're gonna have to try spin up to £5k just so you can get another couple of months without aggro (I been there, trust me!!!)

Oh, also - play a couple of tournaments on a sunday, loads of huge field small buy-in stuff (Big$11, Sunday Storm, $3rebuy etc) which won't affect your BR too much but will give you an (outside, but legitimate) chance of a score for a couple of grand which will really spurt your bankroll on. Remember those this is pretty thin punting for the most part so don't expect anything from it!

GL with it all anyways.

David

Great advice there Kingpush.  Listen to Dave.  He has been there and done everything you strive to do.  GL bud all the best.

[KingPush]

Cheers lil Dave really appreciate it mate. Agree with you on pretty much everything. Not going  to get a part time job as still doing uni until the end of the year but if I don't have enough to play 1/2 then or be backed then I'll get a part time job. At the moment though I can live off my loan.

On moving up stakes online I've lost chunks at nl50 on ipoker and stars recently that's why o started at nl5 and just proving to myself o can beat every limit before moving up and playing higher. I may be costing myself money but from my exp I'm saving myself money by doing so.

I'd like to get your thoughts on bankroll strategy for my current br(~1200) what would you be buying on for at .50/1?  and also thoughts on getting staked and the pros and cons?

[Junior Senior]

Hi Mate,

Welcome to blonde, you'll meet a lot of good/funny/generous people on here, give a little and you'll defo get it back 

I'm 25 and have been playing poker full time since i was 20. I started at small stakes casino games like you are doing and played majority cash games (like you're going to do?) all that time, so a few things I've learnt along the way that might be worth considering, and btw if I'd have got this adivce 5 years ago I would have almost certainly ignored it lol.

Firstly, I think you've got to think about your bankroll strategy a bit deeper, one thing I always suspected, and now I know for defo is that you cannot make a living playing 50p/£1 in casino's or /10c online. You get swallowed up by the rake, I'd bet against anyone in the world if they could play 100,000 hands of 50p/£1 in a casino without the games being crazy deep or very low rake, that would not be winning at the end. Ivey/Trickett ANYONE. This isn't to say that you shouldn't play these games right now- you absolutely should, but if you want my opinion the way to move on and try form a sustainable way of supporting yourself through gambling then you have to be looking to get past those games ASAP. My advice would be to either;

Put your live poker bankroll into online poker, move up stakes to 25c/50c there and get some good volume in there, talk hands with anyone who will listen (post them on blonde) don't play too many tables (to keep a bit of pressure off your BR and to make sure you're REALLY focusing)

or, continue to play in the live games you are using all your BR - but try be a bit more selective about when and where you play - try joining the games later when they are a little deeper, if the games appear very shallow then don't play etc. If you go on a bit of a run in the games (which you'll need to do) then press on to slightly bigger games asap (£1/£2 often has the same rake structure in casinos) and from there you have a chance to actually make some money. Once you have enough spare BR to deposit ~$1000 online then start from 25c/50c and ^^^.

Stars is very good for game ecology and there frequent player/rakeback system is the best out there but if you're not playing enough volume at sufficient stakes then you wont feel the benefits - perhaps consider going to an ipoker skin where you can get a decent RB deal - that way even playing B/E poker you will be able to make a few hundred a month relatively risk free.

I think though the best thing to consider is that you cannot rely on i) making any money to live whilst also attempting to move up stakes in the next 6 months, and ii) the time pressure you have put/have had put on yourself is totally unfeasible, you might be a winning poker player now,you might be becoming a very good poker player that is currently without the resources to sustain a living but if the deal is "be winning by Xmas or it's over" then I'd put your chances of success at about 5% - it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and a lot of emotional development to become a winning gambler and your 6 month time limit will prolly be your biggest hindrance. In my opinion. You'll prolly find it damages your enjoyment a bit as well.

I'd prolly look to try get a part time job, preferably doing something that interests you, that way you can support yourself outside of poker winnings, meaning the money you win can be invested into your bankroll and give you the best possible chance of succeeding, and it'll be a good compromise with your parents as you can say "look im trying both things and seeing which I like better" and then you won't be getting hassle from them when December comes along and now you're gonna have to try spin up to £5k just so you can get another couple of months without aggro (I been there, trust me!!!)

Oh, also - play a couple of tournaments on a sunday, loads of huge field small buy-in stuff (Big$11, Sunday Storm, $3rebuy etc) which won't affect your BR too much but will give you an (outside, but legitimate) chance of a score for a couple of grand which will really spurt your bankroll on. Remember those this is pretty thin punting for the most part so don't expect anything from it!

GL with it all anyways.

David

Great advice there Kingpush.  Listen to Dave.  He has been there and done everything you strive to do.  GL bud all the best.

Everything Dave said except the bit about him being 25. He trys to get away with it as he loks it but he's pushing 30 for sure.

[KingPush]

Down 80. Don't think I made that many mistakes apart from playing the tourny when should have just waited for .5/1 to open. A8 lost to kq in that. Don't think I made a hand on the flop all night and nothing really to write home about. Losses came from double barreling then xfolding draws or getting raised on the turn with the bottom of my range. On to the next one.

[SuuPRlim]

Cheers lil Dave really appreciate it mate. Agree with you on pretty much everything. Not going  to get a part time job as still doing uni until the end of the year but if I don't have enough to play 1/2 then or be backed then I'll get a part time job. At the moment though I can live off my loan.

On moving up stakes online I've lost chunks at nl50 on ipoker and stars recently that's why o started at nl5 and just proving to myself o can beat every limit before moving up and playing higher. I may be costing myself money but from my exp I'm saving myself money by doing so.

I'd like to get your thoughts on bankroll strategy for my current br(~1200) what would you be buying on for at .50/1?  and also thoughts on getting staked and the pros and cons?

Ahh sorry i thought you'd just finished uni! My mistake

Few things to think about BR management, firstly, and the most important thing is to think about yourself personally and your propensity for risk. One thing I think you're going to have to bear in mind is that with a BR like yours atm you're going to run a high risk of busting it - poker has a lot of variance and a 1200 BR isn't enough to smooothly ride out any variance at any stake (except online micros) so if you're naturally less risk-inclined and really really don't want to bust this 1200 then playing micro's online and pounding the volume in is without doubt your best bet...

However a couple issues with that, firstly time - as described by your personal circumstances it seems to me very important you don't donk your degree off - if your parents a little skeptical about poker now, then they'll be near irretrievable on the subject if  you ruin your degree due to gambling. So for your own sanity (and I had to battle my family over gambling for 2 years and pretty much lost contact entirely with them as a result) it's best to just keep the cynics on board!

The other point, "lessons not learnt in blood are seldom remembered" the stakes you're playing online are very small, and as such it's going to be difficult to really hold your focus or advance your learning - speaking with very little experience of these games I would imagine that the difference in levels of opponent between /10c and 25c/50c is reasonably small (obviously you;ll get some much better players at 25c/50c) and your oppurtunity for development as a player will be greatly improved at 25c/50c - IMO. Like I say though you're risk of ruin goes up, and it depends how much you think you can handle that. For me, it has to hurt if i lose for it to teach me anything lol.

As for live poker. I'd seriously reccomend playing shorter in deeper £1/£2 games if you can as you'll get much better value from the rake and the opportunity playing short-stacked in deeper, more aggressive games is a lot better to spin up. Playing short stacked is kinda shit, but this isnt an enviroment where you're going to develop your poker skills that much, but it's a real good oppurtunity to develop your skills as a gambler...
At 50p/£1 I'd be buying in similar to other players on the table - if no-one has more than £50 then no need to buy in for £200, and you can always top up as a situation requires it...

I'd advise you to be quite aggressive with your BR in live poker games as a good run can really spur your bankroll on - don't be wreckless though you're likely going to find yourself in a situation where you have quite a big % of your overall BR in play - so think about how you're going to handle that before you decide what and where to play. If you're going to be in a casino anyway you could consider playing some of the comps - £20-£50 comps and there is usually a decent top prize, a couple of result in those would really kick start your poker and the standard is usually very very low.

Mostly though my advice would be to enjoy playing, and dont let some rules and numbers spoil it - it's a game afterall and it would really suck if after 8 months you lost your £1200 and had had a shit time doing it!