September 2009 Community Question #1

[CH3CKRA1SE]

id like to ask (probably more aimed at internet players)

if these guys had to start from scratch again (i.e they dont have millions/1000s)
what type of bankroll they think would be viable to start at.What games would they play? (holdem/omaha Cash/Sng/Mtt)

The game is always becoming harder to beat and what might have been an eas(y)/ier task to do 3-8 yrs ago is now tough work as everyone is getting so much better at games like holdem/omaha even at micro stakes theres grinders

So if they had to........what would be their game and minimum BR to start out with.

(i.e,,,,if $1/2 NL 6max would be their chocie would they go get a normal job and save then hit the table or would they try grind it up from micro stakes)

Also a side question on same topic to any of the online pros.
what level did they original start at and did they use proper BR management

[Barry Greenstein]

People often talk about bankroll management as if all players are the same. If you are a losing player in the situations you choose, bankroll management is just a way of talking about how long your money will last. If you are a decisively winning player, then you don't need as many buy-ins, especially if you have access to more money, either by borrowing or other sources, if you go broke. If you have recurring bills to pay from your bankroll, then you have to be more conservative.

People like to throw around advice such as you need 50 buy-ins or 1000 times the big blind, but it is much more important to find games you can reliably beat. As your bankroll shrinks, you should pass up games where your edge is too small or non-existent. Of course, accurately evaluating your skill level against your opposition is one of the key components to becoming a successful winning player.

As for myself, I never thought about bankroll management. When I was in good shape, I knew I had enough money to withstand a bad losing streak. When I wasn't doing as well, I often took a shot with one buy-in. Periods in my life where I struggled can always be traced to non-poker gambling or money mistakes outside of gambling.

Barry

[Jonathan Little]

I personally started with $50 playing .25/.50 (maybe .5/1) limit around 7 years ago. I almost certainly ran hot but always kept at least 100 big bets. I also did what the online kids call a "challenge" before anyone knew what a challenge was. I grinded from the $11 up to the $215 sngs, always keeping at least 100 buyins online. I personally think if you know nothing about poker, you need to pick one fairly simple form of poker and stick to just that until you have a bankroll to try other things. I suggest either limit holdem, 9 person sit n gos, or heads up sit n gos.

If I magically had $100 to my name again, I would play small stake 9 person sit n gos all day and run it up, hopefully fairly quickly.