Can't get a bankroll going

For like 2 months now I've been trying a challenge and that is to make a bankroll out of a deposit of 30 bucks or less. I deposited 10 bucks and have been playin, but every single time I start getting above where I started I hit a losing streak.

For everyone step forward I take 2 back. And its always in the form of only 4 people left in a 1.20 SNG, -Everyone around same size stack, Shove with AK get called by A7 and the 7 shows up.

I mean 75% of the time my 75% odds or better lose.

Is it because the buy in is so low that I see people calling 5x blind raises with K 9s? Or hang on to 9 5o when someone raises 3?

I just can't get ahead, these shitty hands keep beating me no matter how much I raise preflop.

I have been where you are at. I deposited 20 bucks a bit over a year ago and it was tough but I have the beginnings of a real roll now. It can be done.

The best advice on how to build a roll from a small deposit was posted by one of our members

Building from a baby bankroll

Good luck

Yours is a fairly common complaint that almost always results from one or more of the following issues. Please don't take any of this wrong, it's only intended as helpful advice.

1. You're still learning, and are not as good as you think you are. Nothing personal, we've all been there, it's just pretty much accepted as truth that virtually all poker players -- good and bad, but especially players new to online poker -- overestimate their abilities to some degree and feel that the majority of their losses are due to variance and bad beats rather than leaks and mistakes. The honest truth is that when we start out playing online, even if we're accustomed to live play, it's a new game with new strategies and it takes all of us awhile to figure it out. Some take longer than others. I'm still figuring it out after 2.5 years online, and I have a much larger bankroll than $30, spread across several sites.
2. Skill aside, variance happens and the inevitable swings will occur. I expect you're not practicing proper BRM to withstand the swings. However it's hard to really practice BRM at the stakes dictated by a $30 BR -- you're talking just 15 BI's at 2NL, or <30 BI's for $1 SnGs when you figure in the juice. That's not going to survive much variance. Even top players can experience 30BI+ downswings or go 50 tournaments without a cash, much less a win. So you very well may expect to bust & re-deposit a few times before you gain some traction, especially if you're not willing to play the absolute lowest stakes possible. If you're serious about playing and getting better, as opposed to just playing for entertainment as a recreational player, then consider depositing more in one go and implementing a proper BRM strategy. Or at least commit to re-depositing as needed -- your total BR doesn't just include what you keep online, it also includes any offline funds that you're willing to gamble with on demand.
3. You have to adjust your strategy for the stakes you play. Don't let people convince you the micros are not beatable -- they certainly are. But you can't play the same at 2NL as you would at 50NL or 400NL, either. Or $1 SnGs versus $26 SnGs. At the micros the play is much more loose and passive, so you must play tight and aggressive ABC poker, avoiding bluffs and fancy plays. FPS (fancy play syndrome) is one of the most common mistakes of micro players who have read a few books or watched a few videos and begin to have a clue about poker strategy -- they wind up just outplaying themselves. As you move up to higher and higher stakes, then you do have to start mixing in more complex plays and adapting to your specific opponents on a hand-by-hand basis. But at the micros, you need to pretty much just play like a bot to be successful.
4. You need to constantly work on improving your game through self-analysis and study. Tracking software like HEM/PT3 is often considered unnecessary at the micros, and for tracking other players that's generally true. But for your own leak discovery and self-analysis I think it's still crucial even at the micros, assuming your goal is to get better and move up rather than just treat it like a fun time at the craps table. So I suggest you invest in one or the other ASAP if you're at all serious about the game. It will also set you down the right path for when you move up in stakes and/or start multitabling, where you'll also benefit from the HUD and opponent tracking.

if you can it would probably be a good idea to put on 40 dollars yourself then your at least properly rolled for 2nl and you dont have to worry about winning immediately and gives you room for downswings which will occur.

It's just variance. $10 is not nearly enough of a bankroll to buffer for the inevitable possibility of suckouts. Even if you play 100% "perfect" poker, statistically it is still likely to go bankrupt due to suckouts and coolers if you do not have a proper bankroll to buffer from these swings.

The recommended minimum for sit 'n go is to have 100 buy ins, so at $1.20 you should have a $120 bankroll.

On a $10 bankroll, you could try the .25 + .05 satellites to the daily double sit 'n gos at full tilt poker. These are a good way to try to grind up a bankroll. Just play it fairly nitty, and get it in when you're pretty sure you're way ahead. When you win, just unregister from the tournament and you will get T$ back in your account, which you can use to register for more satellites. Keep in mind, you are still not properly rolled with $10 even for this, but the competition is generally quite soft so 50 buy ins is probably somewhat reasonable. Remember, you're gonna get sucked out on ALOT, but this is actually not a bad thing in the long run. Given enough hands (and I'm talking like tens to hundreds of thousands) the odds will work out and if you are making correct decisions they will even out.

If you don't mind cash games, it is generally easier to grind up a roll from playing 2nl. To be properly rolled for cash games, the common guideline is 20-25 buyins ($50 minimum roll for 2nl).

There are always sloppier players at lower stakes you have to realize that also. Try the 10c 360 person on Pokerstars. There is alot of wreckless players in tnhose as well but if you lose you are only out 10c. 36 are payed and the top 5 are $1+ . Is a pretty good way to make money with a smaller bankroll

You could be just as well off playing freerolls and especially private freerolls...enabling yourself to lose nothing but eventually have a br, the rake on $1 SnGs is tough but i can obviously see why you're not playing higher..i suggest freerolls but if ya want to play SnGs, i strongly recommend Matrix ones, these take time to build br but offer many ways to be paid and allow you to suffer 1 or 2 bad suckouts, but still make a small profit. GL on the felt

Oh wow, I got a lot more/better replies than I thought I would.

Thank you all for your advice, (50 losses in a row? Damn didn't think it possible...but now I know)

A lot of great advice, I'm going to try and implement what I am hearing.

I have never given the matrix things a go, maybe I will now.

People always complain about things that are hard... and you are right... online games are not like LIVE games... you have to deal with a lot more variance, Algorithms, and donkeys lurking at every corner...

but you have to adapt and over come it... by finding the leaks in your game...

If variance is your problem... or bad beats... perhaps it might be better to play in 4 tables at the same time... and avoiding All In situations...

You also have to be patient, no one ever became rich over night playing online poker... it takes time and hard work...

am a LIVE player, and am making the adjustments necessary for my online game... all I need is a bankroll ;-) but hopefully i'll get that going from some freeroll tourneys...

Good Luck at the Tables

This is one of the best threads with many helpful people offering solid advice. I have been online for more years than I care to count and am still learning many of these tricks. Variance hurts a lot, but with patience you can grind it out. I propose playing more ring games personally. While these still have a ton of variance (I can't tell you how many 3-outers I have lost to this week alone), you can keep playing after the suckout as long as you have a solid bankroll to start. And with 2c-5c, you can have a fairly low BR (although I believe you still should have more than $20 even at that level). You can multitable those low stakes with a good bankroll and build up bankroll faster. Have to play ABC-type poker at first, but its good. Good luck out there.