Got $5, what should I do?

No sure whether I should post this here or in the poker room section, but anyway.

PokerStars gave me a $5 bonus. I don't usually play at PokerStars because they don't really have any freerolls and I don't have any means to deposit. But now I have 5 bucks and I really hope to build it up from there, what should I do?

I can do DoN, but the minimum is $1 so I can only do it 4 times, which is a bit scary. I know there are some $0.1 sng, I never played those on PS, but at this buy-in level, it's probably nothing more than a all-in luckfest donkament? I don't know whether PS is better? Another option is of coz' cash game, though I am no good at cash game and thus I don't prefer that.

Given that I can't deposit if I lose these $5, I really want a safe way. Any advice?


btw, I also have $6 in carbon, all free-roll earnings. And again, no way of depositing, but carbon have free-rolls so I can still earn it back if I lose everything and I can take more risk. So what should I do? $1 DoN? MTTs (fast fifty or sixth cent)? or cash?

Please advice. Thanks in advance.

I personally like to play the 360 person 10c tournys that is a turbo. The top 18 get paid. Its a good way to build your bankroll and if you dont place you are only out 10c

Mix it up a bit to find your game. It won't hurt to start learning basic cash game strategy but I do agree that sng's are better to get a bankroll going, but you may lose it all of course.

are they luckfests?

Withdraw and go to Subway. I suggest the Oven Roasted Chicken Breast.

Seriously though, I can't really do much with a $5 bankroll.. but if you want to play it.. just find the cheapest games possible on there.

safest way to loose them is to send them to my account

the .25c 45 man is regular speed. I like this one with 5 bucks. cheapest with the least variance(still quite a bit of variance I mean come on its a quarter with 45 ppl).

36 get paid in this one.

That was my first thought too. What an effective advertising campaign!

lotto tickets, lots of lotto tickets.. . lolol

do nothing with it. u dont have enough for anything.

the lo lim buyins for sngs and tourns and even micro lim games are crap shots.

if u buy in em- im probably gonna see a bad beat thread here soon. lolol

ur better off getting some money together and playing higher limits than wasting ur time wondering what u could do with 5-20$. gl

I don't think $5 equates to lots.

Subway's my favorite resturant

Well.. favorite fast food resturant... Subway would probably be my 3rd favorite resturant.... after Panera Bread and Olive Garden.

1) Look for beggars in chat. They always ask to borrow a few bucks, and promise to return twice as much the following day. Despite the fact that these people can't manage their own $5, it's amazing how a stranger can double your money.

2) Take it into ring games.

3) Take it into S&G's or MTT's.

Obviously only #2 & #3 have any realistic chance of return. Yes, you are too short stacked to use proper bankroll management but you have to work with what you have.

Personally, I'd take the $5 to the $.01/$.02 cash games. There is a lot less variance in those.
If I had to play tournaments, I would play the Satellites to the 1/4 Million. Those games are especially soft. If you win the $11 ticket, cash it out for T$. You can use the T$ for just about any S&G/MTT.

Other options include:
Today 296589963 @ 16:00 ET NLHE Turbo $.10 ($50 added, no rake)
Today 296590105 @ 20:00 ET NLHE $.50
Today 296590226 @ 22:00 ET NLHE $.25 ($100 added, no rake)

Tomorrow 296589612 @ 4:00 ET NLHE Turbo $.10 ($50 added, no rake)
Tomorrow 296589762 @ 10:00 ET NLHE Turbo $.10 ($50 added, no rake)

One thing to keep in mind:
WITH $5 THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PROPER BANKROLL MANAGEMENT. You either get lucky (or don't get unlucky) and win $, or you lose it. If you lose it you are only out time, and hopefully it was enjoyable time.
So please don't be afraid to lose that $5. If you play scared you are only going to make things worse for yourself. Take the gift and use it until it's gone, or until you have a proper chunk to work with.

This, just enjoy it man. $5 is nothing, and I think with free bonuses there's a limit to when you can use it by. Just try your luck and see where it goes from there.

yes i think that me too.. if you want to make a bankroll you havre to spend minimal money and if you take a bad beat you don't play with all of your money or you lost all...

when i got my 5$ from pokerstars i played these game for months, i was really bad at poker but they are so fishy you can just wait for a hand and shove, someone will call with A high. also the 25c sngs are also a good idea. when i got to 20$ i moved to 2nl and never looked back.

I would stick to playing some HU until you build a better bankroll
I like to play HU and move up in stakes. I understand this is not proper bankroll management but I dont see the point in hanging on to a few dollars simply for the time you spend playing micro games. If I reach say $40ish I will then apply some bankroll management.

This ^ sounds like by far the best idea on here to me. (the turbo multi-table SNG's have a blind structure that goes up soooo fast you're shoving with half the field left in it (or at least you should be)). reg. speed sounds much better - more play for your dollar & probably a better oppurtunity to get to play a bit of poker and gain some experience.

You might also want to take a shot at their 10cent MTT (although it's turbo, huge# of entrants but I believe you're in the money on them in less than 1.5hrs.). They've also got a 25cent Tournament & a 50cent tournament (I think both also have $'s added to them by Pokerstars).

If you build up a bit from the 25c 45's, maybe take a shot at some $1 sng's (I'd avoid the turbo 45's though).

GL!!!

Read this guy's thread -->> $5 to $1k (my story)

The title is $5 - $1k, my story.
It's a very interesting read and has ALOT of good advice. Check it out.

I would try the $1 double up see how you do in that.

if it was me ide play 4 1dllr sit n gos ...invest in sit ngos not cash tables

It was a long time ago that pokerstars gave me the first $5, so I can't remember the exact details although I thought there was a time limit in which to use it. Anyway I decided the best thing to do was to convert it into genuine winnings as quickly as possible. So I played low value, low player Sit and Go tournaments where the odds were that you should be able to return your investment as long as you managed to play the averages.
eg Play Five times in a $1 five player tournament, or Ten times in a 10 player 50cent tourny.

I don't recommend 360 player 10cent tournys because you would need $36 to make the average return, unless you were lucky or a very good player.

Double Ups and Heads Ups are quite good for this sort of strategy.

Head over to the 1c/2c table bringing 2 bucks into the room. You will be able to bet up to 100 times the big blind. And if you lose, you can still go in the room another 2 times (once for another 2 bucks and another for $1)before you would lose all your 5 bucks. Its a good way to get experience on the cheap.

In a 360 you don't have to place 1st to cash. From what I've heard it's not too difficult to have a +ROI in these and with 50buyins OP would actually be rolled well enough for them.

As far as DoNs go, I wouldn't go for that option (nor would I go for HeadsUp either).

I like the idea .. wahahaha! you should.. your 5$ will be gone in no time

play the 10 cent multi table... with 5$ your actually giving yourself a fair chance to place big... or u could do that 1cent 2 cent cash table..but i would play supper tight and just make 50cents at a time till you hit like $20

i would play a low end cash game watch for a bit and look for the fish.......theres alot of fish in limit poker

Second.

I would def do the .25 cent ones, the dime ones I really suck at.
I also do pretty well with the $1 stt's. I do better in those for some reason than the DONs.
Good Luck.

Subway Spicy Italian on Italian Herbs and Cheese!

i won 40 cent in a pso tourny and ive been microing 1/2c and 10 360 players..had to start at limit till i got to 80 cent tho.. at 6 dollars now

Dude! You're so right.

Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant.

Subway is my favorite fast food place - if you want to call it that.



Great minds think alike.

The new cuban is fantastic,,,what if there is tax?

The first thing to decide is how good a player are you? And be realistic and truthful. If you are halfway good play the SHSTT $1 turbos. First three players out are usually the donks. If you play good you will have a sizable stack. Third player is usually an unlucky SS. Then you are HU with a player who you've had time to study and figure out how they play. Again, if you are good, you will make a nice payoff for a short amount of time.

The only way you can build that to something is at the PL Omaha hi/lo Cash Tables ...
1c$/2c$ tables ...

Good luck thought ^_^

I wouldn't play tourneys or SNG...