playing hold em question

Ive been reading different holdem strategies online but when I try to practice on play money tables people are calling an raising on everything I was wondering if I should start at the 1&2 cent tables (where money is involved) an try to improve on my game or stay at the play money tables

Depends on your bankroll, if you can deposit & can afford to lose it, the lowest level rings or SNG buy ins, while very loose, are worlds better than the play tables. Another option is freerolls, crazy, but still much better than play tables. The play tables, once you are used to the site hardware, primarily tend to reinforce bad habits & give you a false sense of your ability. Good luck.

Houch, commets here are great advise as usual here at CC. Welcome and good luck. See you at the tables.

Thanks,I really value your advice I love hold em an want to get better. I retired in May so I have a lot of free time to play an and study strategies,one more thing when I enter a game I always wait for the big blind is that the right thing to do?

A few people have started building their bankrolls strictly from winning free rolls, maybe you can too.

Good luck.

I think micro and play money are around the same type of style of play. Both being extremely loose and impossible to narrow down ranges. Tips for these games that I use are to limp in alot in position and when hit never slow play it just be and take the lit down right there and then

I disagree that micro sakes and play money tables are played by similar style. Of course there are plenty of loose players at micro stakes, but in addition to them you also have some tighter players who are beginning to understand poker or even very tight players who are trying to build their bankrolls by multi-tabling and playing only top hands. That is where you learn to distinguish fish from better players.

So if you want to put your theories into practice I would suggest micro stakes. At least if some strategy doesn't work out, you are not going to loose a lot of money.

Freerolls are great as a preview to MTT's or if you want to give a little boost to your bankroll, but they are different from cash ring games.

And you are absolutely right about waiting for the big blinds ( I was already taught to do so by better players here at CardsChat)

Try playing 2nl (1c/2c) or the lower buyin SNG's

keep away from play money and either play micro stakes or freerolls or even both

Gotta thank Houch for this thread as I was about to post a similar one until I saw this one. Anyway I'm w/ Houch as I'm sort of backed into a corner here. Playing online at the play money tables just doesn't allow me to apply anything that I've learned. I'm going to have to take the step into the cash games for the sake of being able to play the "game within the game". I'm leaning towards starting out in the "micro leagues" myself. I've heard the pros and cons about the smaller stakes games but I just can't be hopping into $5/10 blinds right off the bat.

There's a couple things I'd like for you guys to clear up though.

- Calculating a starting bankroll is obviously important. I'm guessing that this means only play money you can afford to lose. Then I'm guessing once you figure out what your starting bankroll is that will sort of dictate what kind of games and stakes you can jump in on. Am I correct in that assumption?

- SNG = Sit N' Go games? If so could someone please explain what a Sit N' Go game is. I'm guessing it's like a cash game where you can get up and leave w/ your winnings at any particular point in time?

- Right now I'm on Poker Stars. When you go to the cash games there's the information bar across the top. I understand it all except the column "players/flop". The whole column is percentages. What's this mean?

- What are Freerolls? Where do you find these types of games? Is this sort of like how Poker Stars will spot you $2 to start your bankroll w/ in the micro stakes games?

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just figured I'd chuck them out there while I had them and hopefully the answers will help Houch as well as myself.

Thanks in advance!

I humbly suggest if you are not able to continually cash, or make the money in freerolls, you do not begin playing $5/$10 blinds unless you are very wealthy and just dont care about throwing money away. This level of cash game will include mostly very skilled players.

$.01/$.02cent blind ring games often have some very skilled players at the table, some "good" players and some complete idiots. Obviously some idiots at the table can be a good thing, as for the pros and cons you cant play at these people the way you play a good player. The low blinds and buyins allow for bluff all ins, top pair top kicker all ins, and you'll even come accross "i have 2nd pair!" allins.

Still, learning the strategies for starting cards and position, playing tight and aggressive (very tight, very aggressive) can get some wins.

I wish when I had started somebody had explained winrates to me. You should know that if you can consistently increase your bankroll by winning 10bb per 100 hands you should be happy. So at 2c bb that means 20c/100hands. If this sounds too little, there are some things you need to get used to! In reality you may find youself with aces on the BB and a raise and a reraise in front, you may win $6 right there and then, cash out, start a new table and begin to see the long term increase in bankroll.

Normally 9 player although up to 360 players, you register for the tournament and when the number of entrants have ? "Sat down" the game begins. On pokerstars and full tilt there are heaps of different buyins for example $1+20c ($1 for the prizepool, $.20c for the pokersite) 9 players th prize will be split 50% 30% 20%, So $4.50 for 1st $2.70 for 2nd and 3rd gets $1.80.

This is the percentage of players at the table who are willing to see the folp in that particular ring game. the higher the number the looser the players are. I look for the loosest table with the biggest pots, then play tight, hopefully getting my money in against a weaker hand from a looser opponent.

Freerolls are tournaments where you play for free, but the winners will receive a prize. A great training ground im my opinion, it is by playing freerolls that I have learnt multitable strategy and earned money for free to then play cash games and tournaments which in turn have increased my bankroll.

If I hadnt learnt and gained experience in these games, i would be no real compettion for the players you will meet for money. (Im sure other better players higher stake players may disagree and tell you the low levels are full of unskilled donks, but then, thats because they really are that much better.) or they just have an ego issue. lol to myself.
To move forward in levels you should be confident that you are beating the level you are playing at.

Private message me for ideas on how to get a bankroll in order to start playing with real money for free.

Hope this helps.

I don't have enough posts to PM people yet but feel free to shoot me one.
Thanks,
-Ian

Thanks players, I started playing the 25/50cent tables and won a little bit, the poker strategies seem to work better. I think they are more at my level of play for the most part. I'm still reading cc an soaking up all this good advice love this site

I am with the skip the play money, I find the play horrible.
Play the micro cash or sng's.
And yes, when you sit at a table, wait for the BB to post it.