My Grand Online Poker Plan

So after dropping $300 in the last 2 weeks online (usually 4-tabled $0.25/$0.50) I've been examining my play. It seems as if I lost most of my money on tilt. Nothing big, just making FAR too many calls without odds, chasing flush draws to pot bets on the flop (and mostly folding when I miss the turn). It seems I started most of my sessions (besides at the end, where I had no business starting again without some time, just because I was down and was trying to make it back again) playing well. Then when I either lost my good hand to a better hand (ie over set, K high 2-carded flush lost to nut 2-carded flush, etc.) or when I got sucked out on, I would go on tilt.

So here's my plan. Instead of immediately depositing $300 and risk putting pressure on myself to make it back, I will deposit $100 and start at $0.05/$0.10 (4-tabling). I will also record every single online session I play and post them here. It doesn't matter if people actually watch it, it's just that I'm hoping that knowing I could have to defend to someone else how I played will help prevent tilt, although it also couldn't hurt for someone to watch them and comment on them.

I will play on $0.05/$0.10 until I get to $200. Assuming I reach $200 I will move up to $0.10/$0.25. I will 4-table there until I double up again to $400. Then I will move up to $0.25/$0.50 assuming I get to $400, move back to $0.05/$0.10 if I ever get down to $100 again. I would like to play a lot at $0.25/$0.50 before I think of moving up. So at that point I'll set goals based on what my win rate is so I have a direction, but I'd like to hit $1200 before I move up. I will then cash out $200 and have $1000 to play at $0.50/$1. I'm going to stop my plan there for now because I don't know how good the $0.50/$1 people are, having never played there. I believe that if I can get some discipline and control myself that I can beat $0.25/$0.50, which is the reason for the time before it and the relatively long period (triple rather than double up) at $0.25/$0.50. If I get to $0.50/$1 and find out the players are simply better than I am I will go back down to $0.25/$0.50 and continue to play or I will set some more goals.

Does this seem like a good long-term plan?

If you follow that plan, you'll be playing with too much of your bankroll. It's suggested that with NL rings, you shouldn't play with more than %5 of your bankroll at one table.

Variance (swings) will always be present, but playing with so much of your bankroll will only let them have a greater effect on you. Also with your history with tilt, you'll find that it'll be very easy to lose your bankroll (take it from someone who has due to the same reason). The smaller the % you play with, the safer you are.

gl! It's great that you've set out a plan - it's just a little faulty.

I would start to play less tables at once....4 tabling is fun and keeps the pace going but it also doesnt let you watch the players at the tables very much do to the fact of going back and forth all the time and that good be hurting you game...and as chuck said if you go on tilt playing 4 tables well lose you bankroll very quickly so watch out for that to

Well, the plan I kind of just made up as I typed lol. But 5%? Maybe I have been playing with way too much of my BR. So to start I have $100, at each table I could sit with $5 meeting that. Then I have $200 for $0.10/$0.25 and I could sit with $10 at each of those. Then at the $0.25/$0.50 with $400 I could sit with $20 at each. Usually I like to sit with around the middle between min and max, I did $30 at $0.25/$0.50. Would you advise me getting a bigger BR before moving up each time? Thanks for the input.

A couple things:

I'd suggest sitting down with the maximum if you're confident with your game. Even if you're not, start out at the smallest limits playing with max because you want to win the most possible when you hit a big hand. Playing shorter than 100BBs will require a slightly different set of skills and plays.

Read our guide at the top left; there is tons of info on bankroll management and things that would suit you very well.

As for multitabling, I'd only suggest playing 4 tables if you're very comfortable. You lose a significant edge by playing more tables because of the loss of attention at each table. I'd also strongly suggest going out and buying Pokertracker and Poker Ace Heads Up Display (PAHUD). Those will make multitabling 12893874832808 times easier and will be well worth the money you paid.

The reason I like to multi-table is simply that I've found when I play at a single table I'm playing way too many hands. I also do own and use PokerAce, so I am able to at least get stats on them, even if observing you can make note of tendencies far more complex than straight up stats can do.

Thanks, I will read those, hopefully they can help me out.

I do already use both of the pieces of software mentioned. They were well worth it.

i agree with ace2727. when i play poker online no matter what site, i dont have the tv on, no music blasting, and anything else in the room that might distract my attention elsewhere. even though its only avatars and not real people with emotions, facial expressions etc., you can still get a relatively decent read on ppl by bet size, time in between bets, game stats and other variants throughout the game. thats a very important part of gambling via internet.

Where is that guide on the top left? I don't see it.

Also, I know you make the most money when you hit a big hand with the max, but you also lose more when your set runs into a higher set or something like that. I know a smaller amount makes it tougher to bluff, because of the lack of threat later in the hand, of course that could work the other way. When you actually have a hand they're more likely to call when they shouldn't. I know some people actually like to play shortstacked, I prefer around the middle online, but that probably had more to do with my BR and the fact that I didn't want 2/3 of it out at one time.

I actually disable avatars, I don't want to be attempting to make reads based on the avatar. Since I 4-table, it's rare that I'm actually in multiple hands at one time, although of course over time it happens and once in a while I find myself having to make moves in all 4 of them. The music is an interesting point too. Do you think playing with headphones (with music obviously) on is a bad idea?

Playing shortstacked or 'mid-stacked' is fine if that's where you're most comfortable. But trust me, you'll be kicking yourself in the ass when you flop that top set and get a flush draw all in on the flop

Sorry, the guide used to be a tab at the top. It's been moved here:

http://www.cardschat.com/poker/guide/

I've only been playing for about 10 months or so, but I would suggest not playing $.05/$.10 tables if at all possible. For the first 8 months or so $.05/$.10 was all I would play. I'd put $20 in my account and try to make it grow... never happened. I probably dropped $800 in the first 8 months, limiting myself to $20 a week while I learn. Then recently I tried a few sports bets which grew my account to $100. At that point I decided to go up a level to $.10/$.25, although it's not a huge step financially, I've noticed a major difference in play. People don't suck out nearly as much. With a $10 table it's a bunch of donks (such as myself) and people say "eh, what's $2$4..$10 to see the next card"... and then catch their draw or boat. With just one step up people tend to put a little more thought into what they call since they can drop $25+ in a hand. Less people limp into a hand and less people make it to the river. That said, less people going to the river means less $$ in the pot sometimes, but when 2+ players have a good hand, the pot can get rather large - make sure yours is the strongest :-)

LISTEN TO CHUCKT's....that's all I will add.

Are you kidding me? If there are "donks" playing at $0.05/$0.10, I will play there. I've already noticed tonight playing there that you're right (I used to play $0.25/$0.50 as mentioned). I had my set paid off. By what? The guy called an all-in bet on the turn with AK, no A or K on the board. Even when it seems logical (I have a read on them and they have a semi-weak hand) bluffing a lot is a bad idea because of what you mentioned. The odds of them hitting a suck-out card is not good, or else it wouldn't be a suck out. I'll take playing against them any day over real poker players.