Am I nuts?

I personally dont think so. I'm going to go ahead and start building a bankroll online with a measly $25 BR playing NL Holdem! Thats not a typo.

Obviously I plan to play the .05/.10 tables, and I have a very conservative playing style. I notice that every time I gamble, it usually doesn't pay off. If there is a possible 3 of a kind, and I have 2 pair, I fold. If the board looks like AAKK3, and I'm holding KQ, I fold.

I play it real safe, and so far, I haven't been sorry. Its weird, people tend to forget about you when you fold all the time INSTEAD of paying more attention to when you actually bet. That, or they tend to think your bluffing, when you finally bet, if you bet too high or too small...especially if you win once you finally bet, and bet big the next hand because your experiencing positive variance. They are going to raise you or at the very least call...almost a guarantee.

Even when you've played it safe, and people start to notice you only bet when you have a premium hand (before and after the flop), they apparently feel like your luck has got to run out, and they still try to challenge your bets. It's really a win/win if you can just chill, and not get greedy.

To add to this, plenty of people play at the lower limit tables and really don't care about the money, so they make plenty of stupid plays. Since you never make stupid plays, their stupid moves don't throw your game off, and you get to take all their money when the time comes.

I never go all in, and I'll never be reeled in. If I have a possible flush, and someone raises more than double the blind after the flop, I fold. If the raise is tiny, and I have a possible flush, I'll wait for the turn card. If I get it, its time to raise and make them all fold. If not, check/fold (no matter how small the next bet is...it usually doesn't come). I'll only reel them in if the river is completely irrelevant to the board. No one ever expects a flush at lower limits it seems.

My playing style has taught me to always raise when I get ace's or any other pair in my hand, and to play at tables with no more than 6 people. More importantly, my experiences have taught me that patients is key to building your BR.

I plan on playing 8 hour days, 5 days out of the week in the manner I described above. Absolute control. Hell, I can do it with play money, imagine how controlled I will be with cash lol.

Well what do you think, am I insane? Or is it possible for me to turn my little $25 into $500 in about a month, and then move up to the $.50/$1 limits if I stick to my schedule?

It'll take more than 1 month you say? How long do you think?

I'm going to try this no matter what...its only $25, and burn out is NOT an issue. I'll take this over any 9-5 ANY day. I'd just like input on my playing style and my expectations.

EDIT: I play at bodog. There are enough fish, but I'd like more. Is party poker still the place to be for cash games?

-Live

Yes you are completely nuts.

I play a similar style to you, except I'm more vunerable to going on tilt after a bad beat by some donkey call.

I think in the lower stake games, the situations you describe regarding your table image are all down to the fact that, the majority of players at that level don't even know what table image is. You also get a lot more LAG players who will limp with ATC, and will call any raise if they hit a pair on the flop even mid pair low kicker.

That sounds like a great idea. I tried it on poker time with the free $10 they gave me and lost it all, I probably wasn't as tight as you are describing. You have inspired me to try again with $25. Let's keep each other posted on results. I

Just reread the parameters. You fold a K with AAKK on board?!!! hmmm, I'd have trouble doing that. Anyone else weigh on on this play? And you raise any pair? How about 22 or 33? I usually toss those.

I have played that many hours before, but weeks such as this, I played a bunch of freerolls on other sites (that I usually dont play on at all) while leaving my major BR at PS alone. I would be surprised if you wanted to play with your cash that many hours a day, a week, a month, etc. Eventually you may still play but you will want a break from having your BR on the line, hour after hour, day after day...

It's possible to win by playing like this, but the rate on return will be so small that it might get frustrating quickly. Also this will work less and less as you move up in stakes unless you are very very good at table selection. The problem is that against good players, they will (1) not give you any action at all (2) not pay off your big hands and (3) will push you off your good but not monster hands.

I think playing 10nl with 25 dollars is a recipe for busto. I play a pretty tight selective game somewhat, like you describe, and started out losing 3-4 buyins before I had my upswing and made it to 9.5bb/100hands at 10nl. I've heard the players on bodog pretty much suck so if you can start off with a decent rush you might be ok, but when 1 buyin is 40 percent of your bankroll your gonna need luck to go your way early.

The style you describe defines the 'grind' pretty well. The grind depends on action junkies, patience, and the survival instinct it looks like you have.
Seldom will long term winning poker be tons of fun. There will be moments, just like there are moments of fun at a funeral, but for the most part it is work.

I understand where you are coming from, but i dont agree with laying down so many hands. TIGHT/AGGRESSIVE is perceved as the best style to play. I think you have the right idea at least with your bank roll management, but by playing that passively as Effexor stated you will for be pushed around and at only 6 handed games lose more then you win just from the blinds. If you get at a table with a couple of aggressive to maniac players (which is common at those stakes) at least one is going to be in every hand you play at a 6 handed game and you will for sure have a very tough time beating that game. In order to successfully make you playing style to work you need to be at a table with no more then one maniac at a 6 handed game, but I feel your style is better for a 9 handed game because your very tight style you will be risking less blinds waiting for those hands. Also you want to look at the average pot and find one with a low average so that the bets aren't going to push you out every time.

Hope it all works out for you Good Luck

lol @ this comment

Well i tried for 2 hours on UB because that is where I have bonus money to earn on their incomprehensible points system.
I am up 2.82. I left because a player came who was super aggressive and raising too big and chasing me out of pots.
My conclusion: I don't like 6 handed tables. I won't try them again. good luck on your quest for riches.

Kool, thanks for the support. I've actually decided to build a bank roll with absolutely nothing by playing in free rolls.

I was in 250th place out of 3,500 when I decided to go ahead and gamble (all-in) because I had the second highest possible hand. I don't remember what the cards were, but long story short, the table warranted the bet (the way the players had been betting their hands, etC), but I was still beat. I did pull a bad beat over on someone though. Table looked like this J3JQJ, and I had a J*. Some guy goes all in once the river came giving him a Full house Q's Full of J's. I almost felt bad winning with my four of a kind.

I probably could've made it to like 30th place and earned $10 and started my little quest at the .05/.10 tables if I had stuck with my strategy. I just had to get it out of my system and see once and for all if gambling/playing aggressive is worth it, and for me it isn't. Maybe I messed up, but I think I played it right.

Someone pointed out, though, that at higher levels I'm going to need to make some changes to that my strategy. You couldn't be more right. I've already learned that when going up against a player that has a higher BR than you, it really isn't a good idea to raise your bet until after the flop (yes, even with pocket aces) because they will not only raise you, but they'll raise to half your BR or make you go all in for your pocket aces, Kings, Queens, etc. Theres no guarantee the flop will go your way either, so thats never a good idea.

What I do in these cases is simply call the blind or w/e anyone else is raising. Then, if the flop is in my favor, I'll delay a bit, and then bet a good amount of my chips. Enough to scare whoever is paying attention to my play (and probably those who aren't) winning me a nice little pot.

Also, for my strategy at higher levels, I think that players knowing I play it safe actually works to my advantage. If they raise, and I delay my bet a little (making them think I'm trying to slow play them) and raise them back a nice hunk of change, they fold 80% of the time because they feel they have my play down. Imagine I get another good hand after that. They will think I'm bluffing at this point or have too much money and I'm slippin' or getting carried away...thus raising the pot yet again and building my BR. Its happened many times already.

LeanAndMean: Glad that you are motivated man. Glad that you made about 5BB/H too. Now I'm even more motivated. I'll definitely post my results when I get started. Also, the reason I like 6 man tables is I feel more secure, and the odds are less that someone will have that miracle card they need to win the hand if the situation arises. Shouldn't be a factor with this style of play, but it just makes me feel better.

Someone pointed out that 9 player tables best suits my style. Well, I agree, but there are just way too many possible hands for all the fish out there for my taste. The pots are much bigger though. So, I'll be making some adjustments as time goes by. I'll keep you all posted!

Thanks

-Live

Just checking..but you plan to start with $25 and play .05/.10? ie $10 NL ?

That's not enough even if you play the the tightest style in the world and have as little variance as it's possible to have.

You would probably want $200 at a minimum to play $10 NL full ring.

YOU ROCK!

It is possible.... But you have to play alot.And be one of the best at NL 10.

Dont now about partypoker but I doubt that it is more fish on party poker than on bodog.......

You're not nuts at all. I am Dsteele02 on Bodog, FTP, P Stars, and AP. And I havent invested a single penny of my own money on any of those sites. You'll do just fine. The only pointer I can offer that you may not learn on your own is to not play above you're bankroll. I made that mistake at P Stars. I got to a respectable bank and decided "why not try the mid stakes tables." The problem I ran in to wasnt the level of competition so much as it was my reluctance to make the calls I needed to because it put at jeapordy a large portion of my overall bankroll. I like to make sure I have enough funds to sustain three days worth of losing/bad beats before I move to the next level. Lets face it, the majority of our money is won with marginal/strong hand, not the nuts, and it is very hard to push ten bucks into the pot on a hunch when you have a 25 dollar bankroll. My 2 cents.

Regards,
Daniel

I just won $3.50 @ a freeroll on bodog. Placed 25th. I honestly shouldn't have lost when I did. EVERY SINGLE time I go all-in I lose. Its a guarantee.

I was playing 2 freerolls at once (both $500 guaranteed, but one required 30 Bodog points) and on the 1st one, I had AJ, and out comes the flop, 8A6, and the people at my table didn't go all in much, and when they did, it was before the flop. So, to my surprise I get called. Over turns the guys A10. Then over come the turn and river. I had no clue what they were (didn't care as long as I didn't see a 10), but I never saw a 10, so I couldn't have been happier. BUT the money doesn;t come my way yet again... guy drew a Str8.

Now, on to my 25th finish. I had KJ. Out comes the flop K86. It couldn't have been a better time because I was down to 25k. So, All in I go...feeling nice and secure about my decision fixing to win about 15k. Once again, to my surprise, I get called on my all in (really messed up too because no one else had been called on their all-in's, and kept winning 5k+ pots...they were probably bluffing too). Anyway, GUESS what the player had. Yeah, you got it, 86. And since Jesus hates me, I didn't draw jack squat.

I'm not bitter becasue I won $3.50 and now I can see how far that takes me. I think I'll do alright. But man...talk about bad luck.

I'll start keeping a log of my sessions here. Starting with $3.50 and playing for 2 hours (little tired) starting NOW!

Oh, and I will be adding money to my account (if I need to) and I know 3.50 is def. not an adequate BR.

So, I decided to win some more $$$ in freerolls before I start playing for cash.

Long story short, I've played in 2 freerolls since my last post. I decided to go all-in because I had an advantage (3 of a kind once, and a Pair of K's - A kicker). I get called, and both times, the players had Dew Dew hands (compared to mine anyway), but beat me thanks to the river...with a miraculous, stunning, ingenious, highly skillful and well planned...Straight.

Well...thats not true, in one of the two, the player drew a flush. Player had suited spades, but the flop only contained one spade, and both the turn and river came up spades...rendering my pocket pair (3 of a kind thanks to flop) useless =).

I think thats 4 Bad beats out of a tourney in a row...dunno, lost count. Oh well, at least they all apologized to me after each of my defeats. Love poker.

to the original post, you should definately do it.........because for one i like your enthusiasm and two you sound like a good psychic.

anyone that knows what to do before having met their opponent should definitely play poker full time.

I so go for it, and if your game is to play super tight then select non shorthanded tables, I refuse to play 6 handed tables for the following reason :

The blinds take longer to come around to you, giving you more hands to look at and muck before you finally find a playable hand.

I find that I lose alot more over the long run playing short handed.

good luck on your quest and keep us updated.

i say ur crazy....how do you expect to win 500 .00 $$ in a month on bodog with .5/.10 playing only the nuts. I think your nuts!

You're not nuts to play it safe, but you are describing yourself as way too tight/weak. If you are making decisions based on 2x blind bet with a flush draw, you are losing opportunities. You might want to learn a bit more about pot odds (Phil Gordon has a short cut method called the Rule of 4 and 2, which may help you). And once you get used to that, you may want to look into implied odds and deep stack cash play.

the way the sites "rake" they use big hands to bring in money so i recommend playing tournaments.

GUARANTEED take it from the posterboy .


if you don't get the people with crap like 8 6 out preflop you'll be getting alot of bad beats out of bad plays . good hands turn to crap quick with to many people in the pot .

LoL

and LoL

Is this a joke thread or something?