Playing for success vs. playing for fun

Okay, here's my situation. I recently deposited the minimum amount of cash into Poker Stars and as a first time depositor, I get 100% match if I get a certain number of points. As with most sites, it's easiest to try and get the bonus by playing SnG's.

My problem is this: I've fallen in love with the HORSE SnG's but I'm not having very much success with them due to my lack of stud playing experience. I know that I'll get better with time. However, with a minimum deposit, I don't have much room for error. So, I've pretty much been watching my BR drop a bit playing what I like (HORSE) and then getting it up again by playing in O8 SnG's. (which I can pretty much cash in most of the time) What would you do if you were in my situation? Play the game you're currently enjoying and hope I don't lose my BR, play the game I'm successful at currently, or keep going back and forth??

clear the bonus first bud, then play what you enjoy.

You actually earn your bonuses much faster playing cash games than in sng's - trust me, I have deposited enough to lately to know lol.

Look for my post in the Poker Strategies section about Horse/7-card - cause I have had the same problem as you. I got some really good responses about how to play the stud hands.

In Pokerstars I do better at the Horse cash tables. The lowest they have is the .50/1.00 - but it is limit so it is not too bad. I am definitely ahead playing those. I have placed in the money a few times in their sng's but am losing on those.

The best Horse sng's I have found are in Full Tilt. I have done much better on those than in Pokerstars.

But bottom line is you need to play what you win at to earn your bonus dollars and build up your cash. (I wouldn't know a lot about how to do that lol) Being a woman I just increase my poker budget if I exceed it.

I'd say just pound away at the OH8 or holdem SnGs until you have either cleared the bonus, or have enough to dick around and have fun with the HORSE games.

good advice guys/girl

At the three sites where I play most, and where I have a decent BR, I did it this way:

Deposit $50 and grind away at whatever you can beat most easily. In my case, that`s the low buyin NLHE STTs. Build the BR up to $200, withdraw the original $50, then have some fun with other people`s money, entering tourneys and different games for the fun of it.

In each case, my BR has remained in the $100-$200 zone. I`m not accumulating any more, but I`m enjoying the play and it`s effectively free.

At other sites where I also have accounts but haven`t had the time (or the discipline) to grind it out for a month or two and build up a cushion, I`m hampered by low BR and can`t really enjoy the play, for fear of going bust and having to redeposit.

Apart from once, in the very early days when I was just learning to play online, I`ve never redeposited, and it`s important to me not to do so.

I would say your first statement is true if you have a decent BR to play cash games with but I only deposited the minimum. So on PS, that means I have to play in a 8 dollar pot just to get a single point! I can earn one point by playing the dollar SnG.

I did see the post you made about Stud. I actually bought Phil Hellmuth's book specifically for the sections on Stud and Razz. My problem isn't knowing the basics, it's getting more experience to avoid bad decisions at critical times.

As for everyone else, thanks for the input. I kind of expected you to tell me to grind it out on my best game. I've taken your advice and have already hit a new BR high on PS! The bad news, I'm not quite 20% toward clearing my bonus!!!

Do whatever it takes to make sure you don't blow through your bankroll, whether that means mixed HORSE and O8, or just O8. You might have more fun playing HORSE, but the fun will evaporate if your bankroll does the same.

med, I'm currently having some success at micro-limit cash tables at my main site, even though I'm a stt/mtt player. So when I load up, I play cash for half an hour, more often than not triple up or more(this is 2c/4c, people going all-in with bottom pair, etc) and then with the winnings buy-in to a stt or mtt. That way it doesnt affect my bankroll too much.