Building a bankroll

[mikee_j]

at the moment i only play small stakes STT and MTT ($2, $5 & $10) and have a small bankroll. what advice can you give me in order to build my bankroll so i can play in the bigger guarenteed tourny's and cash games?

any advice on bankroll management and building a bankroll appreciated


thanks

Mike

[stallyon]

I also play these low limit games and managed to build my bank roll up to about $150 from a starting bank roll of $10 in about 6 days purely from money finishes in 9 and 6 seater STTs and the odd MTT money finish here and there. My bankroll took a dramatic nose dive last week when I entered a MTT after MTT only to get knocked out just before the money by fish and calling stations. My bank roll plummeted to just over $1 by last Saturday so I now have the task of starting from scratch. Its up to about $6 after 3-$1 STTs so will stick to $1 for the time being until it gets to about $44 then I'll move up to $2. This would give me about 20 attempts at $2 STTs before going bust. My money finish rate is quite good at these low limits so I'd be looking to finish in the money 7 out of 10 games.

I hope my way of managing a tight bankroll helps you to find your system.

[Sheriff Fatman]

at the moment i only play small stakes STT and MTT ($2, $5 & $10) and have a small bankroll. what advice can you give me in order to build my bankroll so i can play in the bigger guarenteed tourny's and cash games?

any advice on bankroll management and building a bankroll appreciated


thanks

Mike

The simple answer is bonus whoring, and ensuring you get rakeback at the sites which support it.

At the stakes you play, the various deposit bonuses will add a significant proportion to your bankroll.  Its simply a case of depositing at sites offering bonuses, working off the requirement then moving onto another site and starting the process again.  To give an example of the amounts available I can think of the following re-load bonuses which are currently available on a few sites:
Stars - 20% upto $120, available until the end of today.
Party - 25% upto $100, with 2 further matching bonuses available if you clear them quickly, available upto 16th March

Also, most sites (except Stars) have initial deposit bonuses available for new accounts.  Examples include
Doyles Room - 110% upto $550
Eurobet - 100% upto $600
Full Tilt - 100% upto $600
Party - 20% upto $100
Absolute - 100% to $300

T&Cs vary from site to site.  Some bonuses expire, some don't.  Some can be cleared from tournaments/SnG's, others can be done only via ring games.  Some sites count raked hands differently to others.  Consequently, some bonuses are harder to clear than others.  Ideally, if you can make deposits to get the full bonuses (so ~$600 available to deposit into some sites) then you can clear the bonuses without putting much of those funds at risk.  At the end of the day, just taking the above bonuses into account you could potentially make $2,570 even if you didn't make a single cent in actual poker profit!

Rakeback is generally done through an affiiliate who pays you back a proportion of their income from you signing up through them.  You can only do this for a new account (so existing accounts don't qualify) and some sites (e.g Stars, Party, Paradise) don't support/allow it.  However, at the sites where it is available it guarantees you an additional payment each month based on the volume of your play, again enabling you to play break-even poker and still make money.

Basically, this is the easiest way to boost your bankroll at low limits.

Sheriff

[thetank]

Bonus whoring is good, it also lets you try loads of sites and decide upon which you like best.

Try pyramiding your bankroll up to interesting levels playing  your STTs.

Say you've a roll of $300 play $10 STTs.

Level 1 -$10 STT
1st place-play a $20 STT (Level 2)
Anything else - Try again Level 1

Level 2 - $20 STT
1st place - Move to Level 3
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 2
no cash - move back to level 1

Level 3 - $30/$40 STT
1st place - Move to Level 4 ($50-$100 buy in)
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 3
no cash - move back to level 2

etc

Once your roll is at $600 do the same but not going lower than Level 2. Once your rolls over $1k again start at Level 3 and don't go lower etc.

A bad streak will not lose you as much as a good streak will gain you. I found myself short rolled early last year and built it back up sooner than I thought possible by using this method.

I'll commend you in a good choice of game. IMHO STT are the only option when short rolled if you're serious about building it up. Cash games and MTT require too large a roll to make the same money. A good MTT result could get you back on track, but then again there's a greater % chance of ruin playing them on a short roll.

[Jim-D]

Bonus whoring is good, it also lets you try loads of sites and decide upon which you like best.

Try pyramiding your bankroll up to interesting levels playing  your STTs.

Say you've a roll of $300 play $10 STTs.

Level 1 -$10 STT
1st place-play a $20 STT (Level 2)
Anything else - Try again Level 1

Level 2 - $20 STT
1st place - Move to Level 3
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 2
no cash - move back to level 1

Level 3 - $30/$40 STT
1st place - Move to Level 4 ($50-$100 buy in)
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 3
no cash - move back to level 2

etc

Once your roll is at $600 do the same but not going lower than Level 2. Once your rolls over $1k again start at Level 3 and don't go lower etc.

A bad streak will not lose you as much as a good streak will gain you. I found myself short rolled early last year and built it back up sooner than I thought possible by using this method.

I'll commend you in a good choice of game. IMHO STT are the only option when short rolled if you're serious about building it up. Cash games and MTT require too large a roll to make the same money. A good MTT result could get you back on track, but then again there's a greater % chance of ruin playing them on a short roll.

Great idea Tank.

and listen to this guy as he is a STT Legend!!

[GlasgowBandit]

I agree Tank that sounds like a plan.

I think I will give that a go.

TBH I was finding my success rate was up when playing STT's but I tend to get bored and start pissing the money away in cash games or trying my luck at the  big MTT's.  I think I have to set myself a target, set some individual goals, realistic ones so when I reach them I am rewarding myself for being disciplined.

[mikee_j]

thanks for the advice. i'm going to try the pyramid method.

[thetank]

I've posted it before, others have reported using it succsefully.

Definately going in the book. 

[Tinsel Town]

Well. Here's my tuppence worth.

I've only been playing poker online since July.

Started off on $5 tables and lost ,rebought and lost again playing STT and Mtt

Realised eventually that I was more suited to STT. More chance of a cash and I've worked my
way up the buy ins.

I now play the $20/$30 STT on Paradise mainly. I'm trying to get better at MTT
gradually by entering $10 two and three table SnG on Stars.
Stt is my favourite though. I've discovered the ladders tourney's on Boyle lately
and last week got my biggest win with an $800 payout for a $5.50 investment.

All the best
 

[Rod Paradise]

Can someone explain ladders tourneys to me? Not come across them yet.

[Rusty]

thats the best pyramid scheme I've heard of, i hope this helps my poker bankroll it could do with a boost, i just seem to be losing recently. Thanks Tank

[Rookie (Rodney)]

Bonus whoring is good, it also lets you try loads of sites and decide upon which you like best.

Try pyramiding your bankroll up to interesting levels playing  your STTs.

Say you've a roll of $300 play $10 STTs.

Level 1 -$10 STT
1st place-play a $20 STT (Level 2)
Anything else - Try again Level 1

Level 2 - $20 STT
1st place - Move to Level 3
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 2
no cash - move back to level 1

Level 3 - $30/$40 STT
1st place - Move to Level 4 ($50-$100 buy in)
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 3
no cash - move back to level 2

etc

Once your roll is at $600 do the same but not going lower than Level 2. Once your rolls over $1k again start at Level 3 and don't go lower etc.

A bad streak will not lose you as much as a good streak will gain you. I found myself short rolled early last year and built it back up sooner than I thought possible by using this method.

I'll commend you in a good choice of game. IMHO STT are the only option when short rolled if you're serious about building it up. Cash games and MTT require too large a roll to make the same money. A good MTT result could get you back on track, but then again there's a greater % chance of ruin playing them on a short roll.

   Great pyramid structure - i may give this one a go myself. Tank, you are just a fountain of knowledge!!

[Robert HM]

Can someone explain ladders tourneys to me? Not come across them yet.

I'll use Ladbrokes Treble Chance Ladder as an example.

The bottom rung is a $3.00 + $0.30 buying to a 10 man STT, the last 3 standing get an entry in to the next Level

Level 2, $10 +$1, last 3 get a ticket to Level 3 and the fourth gets another go at this level


Level 3, $10 +$1, last 3 get a ticket to Level 4

Level 4, $100+ $10, pays £500 £300 & $200

[Rod Paradise]

Thanks Robert, so it's basically the site doing what Tank is talking about.

[TheJagster]

The big difference Rod is that if you are in an organised ladders tourney you cant get out until you get to the top.

This means playing the top level which isnt too bad at Laddies but on some are higher.

If you do it yourself you can decide to amend it along the way...or take half out....or play an mtt or whatever.