My first cash game...

So I was credited with $2.00 on PS and asked how I should use it and got pointed towards the small fee sng's or mtt. Well I had been stupid enough to sit in the micro cash game (ring games do you call it) and went down $0.21. Anyway, I thought I prefer tournament format and it had been recommended here so I went for the $0.25 45 player Holdem sng.

Well. I won

First place $3.50. Was really nice tournament - I felt I was atleast top 5 skill wise based off the first hour of play, but then managed to secure it completely and take it home with a lot of bullying; something like 38 pots without showdown and played less than 200 total. I'm new to cash games so I don't know if this is good or whatever; just typing out shiz 'cos I'm excited! ;p

Peace out.

Well done mate nice play and always a geat feling to get the first win under yor belt.

Thought I'd use this thread rather than starting a new one to track my progress.

So I got the complementary $2 off stars, played a 45man sng and hit 1st taking me to $5. Since then I've played 52 more of the same sng's. I went up to $8 then hit my first bad swing of cash poker, plummeting down to $2.50 but then things started picking up again and I've pushed my way to $11.37.

I know this is nothing spectacular but I'm on my dream road and I can now actually implement some sort of BRM (to add to my strong discipline that I've tried to maintain and learn and grow).

I'll carry on playing these 45mans until I hit $40 before I play my first $1.20 sng.

Just wondering about a few things. I seem to do badly when I multitable, crashing out of them all whereas when I play at one and concentrate I can consistently do well. I think I'm picking it up a bit though I played 3 tables just now, was up to 8thish on them all then crashed on 1 when my Kd flush lost to Ad. And crashed out the other on a flip after having lost a few hands. I came 2nd on the final table I was playing (but then it was just one table by then). I'll keep trying now and again with 2/3 tables until I can keep tack of them all.

I'm still staying off the ring games due to my roll (and inexperience having never tried them) but I'm happy I now have over 40 buyins for the $0.25 I play!

Peace out I'll keep this updated regardless of if anyone cares.

Congrats on the score it sounds like you are using smart bankroll management and can build up a decent size bankroll. if you are having trouble multitabling i would suggest doing just 2 tables at a time to start wit, and maybe play one tourney until you have a chip stack you are comfortable with and then start a 2nd table to allow some breathing room in case you make a mistake while multitabling

I lost my discipline over the past day or two. I took some bad beats and you could say I went on tilt. I played (and lost) in some of the $1.20 single table sng's and was playing more MTTs than I could handle. I went down to $6 or so but then I like shook myself. However, instead of going back to the $0.25 45 mans I thought to myself "if I can't place in the $1.20 sng's regularly then I'm not good enough to play poker at all" kind of attitude. I know playing in them is below my bankroll and a bad downswing of variance could finish me, but I came 3rd and then 1st in the two I've just played and I'm back up to $11.

I can see why people say they are so soft and beatable but I also know it's out of my limits. I think BRM is telling me to stick at the 45 mans because I can beat them, but it's a grind, but I could also weather a big downswing whilst playing those. On the other hand the $1.20s are so much faster money and I feel like I can beat them. But my BR can't handle it.

Arghh. I'm gonna not play for a while to mull it over.

i'd start playing in some cash games if you want to grow your BR faster.

boredom is why people lose at poker ... you must use bankroll management to force yourself to play well at levels that bore you...stick to the lowest level until you master it and the swings in luck and emotions.

congrats, yes MTTs and sit&gos are better with a smaller BR.... And thats true, well it may bore some i get a kick out of it.....

P.S Why are you eating a stick of butter ??????????

Preferably SnG's... smaller the better. At this level you just want to reduce your variance.

Thanks for knocking my mentality back on track. I knew everything you all had to say; but hearing it made it real!

I'll stick to the $0.25's until I make it to $40 and then I'll start playing the odd $1.20.

And it's cheese not butter. As to why; I like it. ;p

I've been hit heavy with end of year exams and have been playing some good poker inbetween when I'm in a good mood, and hitting some real downers when I'm not at top spirits (tired, coming off the back of a not to great exam etc). I'm really coming to realise how much an affect my state of mind has on my play. Still learning - and still hovering around $10 although I've just dropped to $7.

Tomorrow is my last exam and then I'll be a freebird; so I'll get cracking on pushing for $20 and then $40!

Still hovering around $10. Notable mention was placing 25th in the UK freeroll (2.5k field size).

Keep up the good work, you have done great so far. With such a small BR, just keep doing the $.25 SNG's, but i don't think there's anything wrong w/ have a $1.25 SNG once a week. I started a BR of $10 a few times on pokerstars, since i didn't know anything about BR management i was losing all the money in less than a week. I just got three tickets from a few freerolls on pokerstars, and i hope i can cash in the weekend Tourney's. I'll play in the saturday tourney(NL holdem) 2k prize pool, then hope to manage my BR this time around. Wish me luck, and if i do well this time around w/ BR management i'll probably start my own forum and keep people updated.

GL in all SNG's and hopefully u reach ur goal of $40, and go on from there.

Thanks and good luck to you flush!

Today I played 4hours 10min in the Badugi freeroll to come ~100 (64 for ticket). Felt a bit stroppy after that and 4 tabled some of the $0.25 45mans; crashing out in the all.

However I took a break at that point and got a grip. Then I came back and played two $1.20 single table sng's and crushed them both. Shot me up to $16 woot.

Nice job, use a strict bankroll managent and you will see your bankroll grow hopefully

Off on mass holidays for about 7weeks so I won't get much poker played for a while. I played quite a bit today and saw $20 for the first time in my account. Finished the day on $17.26 and now I'm off to the airport. I've had slips of BRM along the way, but I think I've managed to have a decent control of myself and am pleased in my progress. $2 -> $17 isn't a record breaker but it's a start!

Played quite a bit on holiday - but only micro small stakes home games and at the local pub; all very social. Was up about $28 profit at one point but finished with a bad two days and left the holiday on $10 profit. Still in the green though so was decently happy. I did quite a bit of reading on the holiday though; Holdem Brain, Theory of Poker, Holdem for Advanced Players and this 2+2ish type of document (50 pages) on SSLHE 6max.

I've been home a few days (off on holiday again on wednesday) and been playing quite a bit of limit 6max - I found the $0.02/$0.04 quite hard to play against because it's just full of maniacs but the $0.05/$0.10 seems very exploitable and I've made about $5 at it so far. Also been crushing the $1 sng's a bit and am starting to try and learn my multitable game.

Up to $26.

eurgh. touched $30 then had a downswing/spew session of sng's and dropped back down to $20. disgusting.

doh! I managed to win the last MTT I was playing for $14.... so I actually finished on $34. So much for my emo crying! ;p

Sit n' go's at that level are full of donks. I feel that .5 .10's are better then the sng's low lvls. Hold back until you get a pp or high ak or aq and take em out!