Buy software or not?

Hello guys been away from the community for a while, practising my type of poker, playing online a couple of hours a night, grinding Daily dollar abd BLT on Full tilt. Often getting up to $20 then trying some single table sitngos. Playing only freerolls to get a bankroll started.

I noticed a new tournament open for New Zealanders only on pokerstars, paying down to 99th and $27 for the winner. Well first time and i got 4th for 11 dollars, next day i got 3rd for $14, played a few sit n gos, couple of tournies then with $25 dollar bankroll, decide to sit myself down and play a good game of poker. I chose the 180 player $2.20 and as the field got smaller I kept my chipstack healthy and then we're in thew cash, then there are 9. I was 16/18 and enter final table in 7th. I concentrated on reaching each extra spot, working out how much it will be worth to bear just one more player. I make a point of this as I have been blase in the past, making fast math decisions and then going all in, and if i lose and i was ahead I just write it off and think ah well, ill have the best of it in the long run.

So I just kept reaching one more spot until I was heads up and its worth $38 to win not get 2nd, so again buckle down ive got half his chips but I make it and take 1st. $108.

So, in one tournament i achive my first poker goal, to build a $100 bankroll from nothing.

But now I wonder what I should do with my first little roll. Do I buy some software?

I want to play tournaments rather than cash table poker, anyone got 2penceworth?

Roy

Oh yeh if last time i looked, as I didnt create my fulltilt acct thru CC i thought I wouldnt be able to qualify for the CC freerolls one day, any good ideas to use the cash to get eligibility to some freerolls....one day....

Many thanks

Depends on what your goals are with poker, if it's to play recreationally, then don't but any software. With a $100 roll, i wouldnt buy any software, most of it is around 50-100 and really only pays for itself if you are playing mid stakes or higher.

So yeah, i would say, don't buy any software, it's going to cost you a lot, and i'm not sure if you will get much use out of it if your playing only a few tables at a time.

You should still be able to play in the freerolls on this site, you just need to be an active and contributing member. I suggest posting some hands you have trouble with in the HA (hand analysis) forum, asking specific questions to what your trouble spot was.

YES buy it. But build yourself a little room to breath first.

Only helping players who play mid/high stakes is just not true.

I play micro's and its helped me a BUNCH.


You can get HEM for $50 for being a member of Cardrunners.

I didn't say it wouldnt help, i said it wouldnt pay for itself. You really think it's a wise move purchasing tracking software for 50-90 when your 1 tabling the daily dollar?

I see so many new players getting HUD's just because they saw some pro use one. It's not a miracle cure guys, it might be nice to see a bunch of stats up there, but if your not fundimentally equipped to use them, it's pointless.

I think you should just use the old fashioned HUD, it's called your brain, watch and pay attention to the 1 table your playing, and you will be able to pick up on player tendencies without spending your whole roll.

Agreed, if you are just playing one table and only playing tournaments, there is no need for software.

Well, it seems i am a good player, sort of, well, ok ish with lots of room and desire for improvement. I currently am final table of 90 player 1.10, i was 2nd in last man standing for $40, at our pub poker i came 3rd, cashed and came home with $70 for a 10 investment.... . 3/750 4/650,1/180 <6/90, there have been few tournies in between, so running ok in mtts.

My goal is to make money from poker (not lose), i enjoy it, i love reading, researching learning, i wish to stay away from cash tables, whilst enjoyable I just seem to earn from tournies, spend some time earning 5 dollars in a tourney, then it goes, quickly on a cash table, begin the tourney grind again.

So im sorry but you know, i wont be putting any cash on poker sites(that I didnt win for free), One should be good enough to win free money if good enough to beat players for real money i beleive.

So I just want to b a long term winning sitngo, mtt player. Im ver happy to sit down for a session and play the sattellites on ft, i had a roll or only a couple of dollars there from $150 freeroll, $2 is not extremely difficult to get, 27/600 players per night. So on ft im skinty right now, 10 seconds of rush poker before bed saw to that. But to play there again i simply need to play the nz frerool, then begin with the 25c.5c, then on to the 70c +10c tournies to try to build a roll. I have been quite patient playing lots to try to get the roll to grow, but with $131 on pokerstars I can let go of FT for a minute or two.

So theres my intentions if that would make much difference to whether to buy or not.

Is it some magical step that imroves your game, you suddenly see these trouble hands that turn up and you no longer leak like you did? Magical reads and bubbles over the other players, beep beep, he's bluffing go all in!

Thanks for your time

Roy

One thing to consider about software weather it be Hem or PT3 iis if you get it and use it at low limits you will get used to using it correctly. it really is not needed for the DD or low limit tourneys, but just using it and getting used to it is a lot cheaper at lower limits than waiting till you move to higher limits and trying to learn it there.

Congrats. You showed me in your first post that you are thinking correctly for tourney play. It's amazing how many folks get it wrong.

Ignore the thoughts about PT3 or HEM, for now. You are doing fine without either. SO at this point what will they or can they gain you?

You might want to figure out how to save your hand histories longer than normal. Most of the HH's will go by by from your hard disk after about 30 days. If you copy them to another folder they will not auto delete. You could mix them from different sites, but subfolders would work better, one for each site. If you later decide to get a tracker, having them will be convenient.

You may not realize it, but you look to have a head start on understanding ICM (google 'ICM'). At its heart is a way to maximize late contest results.

Keep in mind you could conceivably be on a heater, but from that first post I think not.

Keep up the good work.

All good points about PT3 or HEM. I just want to say that I am purely a rec player and I went ahead and bought the software with the notion that it would not only help my game(I multitable micro ring) but would be a fun adition to the game(it is). I probably didnt need it but I figured if any hobby has money invested for enjoyment then why not this? I bought the micro version for $40-50. Just wanted to throw that out there. It probably hasnt payed for itself yet but I only play 2nl at low volumes.

I had this discussion with Makwa and it is absolutely worth it to use tracking software at micro stakes. The reason being that many are not using this software so you will have an advantage. Also if you are getting something like HEM or PT3 it is the ability to look over your game and find leaks that makes this software so awesome. But the fact that when you sit down at a table and have information on a player is worth it to get the micro stakes versions. Now in tournament play this might not make as much sense and fo me I do not play a lot of ring so that is why I invested in the Indicator series. I have found that it has helped my game. It has not paid for itself yet but I do expect it to over time.

Both HEM and PT3 offer free trials for 30 days (or around there). Try them out if your curious.

I use PT3 and it's been very helpful. I do think that HEM has pulled ahead of PT3 in terms of what it offers for a similar price because of all the applications that can work with it that PT3 doesn't use.

Both of them are hard drive and memory hogs though.

Totally agree with this ^

It's totally NOT necessary. You'd be better off investing $50 in your bankroll (or on a book, or even better.. a short-term membership to a trainingsite).

OP.... just something to think about.... did you know that ALOT of the TOP MTT regs. don't use a HUD.. ever?? These are players who are regularly multi-tabling some of the biggest buyins online, with many tables at a time, with profits exceeding 1/2mil+.
Don't bother with it!!!

Wow, lots of obviously honest replies, with ovbious pros and cons for both buying software and not...yet

Analysis of my game and leak finding are attributes of the software I will be interested in. Whilst not having much in my br, and playing large field freerolls 600+ for 27 places(I probaly wont commit the time to them now, wifey not impressed with $2-$15 after a few hours play) over the past 6 months has improved my play. ANd helps towards my goal, (to be a great tournament player)

Reading Harringtons tournament books a year ago helped, learning pokerstrategys tournament strategy helped, a couple of months ago began reading Sklansky/Harris NLHE theory, that has helped, and ive been dipping into sklansky Theory of poker. Reading Egon Towst strategy had an effect, I should take the time to find that and give it a re read.

I had an injury and spent a lot of time from Jan to may perhaps playing as much poker as i liked. I sat in bed and palyed poker possibly for as much as 10 hours a day or night. I was running so breakeven in tourneys id have made some money in rakeback alone. Some bad br management saw those go pop. I continued to play and scratched back a few dollars here and there but was playing too loose, thinking I was better and more experienced than I really was.

I feel like things are slightly different now, Ive adjusted my game and seen some results.

I played the first P* freeroll and kind of imagined I was my partner. She is a very tight player who always does well when we play live tournaments. So I restricted myself to good cards, in position, plenty of folding, folding to raises and more folding. Obv when I had a great hand id be going nuts into the pot. Then at the end of the tournament I was happy but not so surprised that I went deep. I repeated this style for the second freeroll and the $2.20 tournament well I like to think that was all me!

I understand how lucky i was to get these results in terms of the fields and yes I probably have been on a little heater. I have no current intentions of playing 180player tourneys at any buy in.

Im thinking for a while I'll stick at the 9 player 1.40 ko games on stars, Im guessing that if im gonna cash in these I'll probably take a ko or two, and the rake is .15c not 20.

So I set my next goal at achieving a $200 br without entering any tourneys over $2, so maybe some 18 player $1.75 tourneys if I can do well enough at the 9 player games.

Thanks very much for all your input and thoughts guys.

Wizzim dj11 and poker orifice, in a sense Ive known you for a few months ive seen you post all over the place and my guess is you wont rip me off.
would you like to trade my $21 P* cash for $20 fulltilt, i like to play on both. Might look dodgy or wierd but im straight up, cubs honour.

^^ You can use Sendmychips.com to send yourself chips between sites. They do charge something like 5-10% if its under $20, and the charge caps out at $2 or something. Just a thought. Also good luck man. I built up a bankroll of 180 from freerolls in june, but I splurged and lost it all like a retard. Thanks to a great friend though I'm back in the game. =D

Thanks for that, Id be happier to give the dollar to one of these guys though. What comes goes around comes around.

DO FREE TRIALS FIRST, most all the software comp, offer free 30 day. If sit gos you need to understand the push idea at 10bb or lower, and their is software you can look at after you played to see if your pushes were to lose or to tight. If your playing in tour with same people than everyday then PT3 is a must-dont care level your playing at, you need it, now or later.>had trouble working it at first/ but now its priceless.

anyways try free trials first- you may find you dont like it.

If your a tournament player think of it this way. If it means the difference between just one place at the final table it can pay for itself. Everything after that is just gravy.

I'm actually low on Fulltilt at the moment... otherwise it'd be no problem.

'Cept that requests for transfers are against the rules here at CC as far as I know.

Sorry didnt know about that, i'll do it the old fashioned way and win some freeroll money.

Poker Tracker 3 has a 60 day free trial. That's what I'm using right now.

It has never interested me in buying software to be honest. Of course I've looked at it but never thought about shelling out money for it.

Reasons?

1: I want to build myself a bankroll
2: I will feel i achieved something doing it one my own, instead of using an advantage over another player.
3: I personally don't think a better player should/would use them
4: Someone using software may as well just go by a bot

Oh i see people mentioning poker tracker. Of course something that shows stats like that i dont mind although i'v never used it myself. I'm a stat whore and intersted in websites like pkr/opr etc

With results like your having and at the stakes that your playing your brain is obv working well enough for the moment however if you do see yourself moving up in stakes then the software may well be an idea

and try the free trials that way you get to see if you like/need it before you spend any hard earned money on it

inti

That is one thing it does very well. You can have it either automatically import your hand history or manually import them in. Then you can go crazy analyzing specific hands, starting hands, tournament history. Heck if you know any db stuff, you can even create custom reports.

One thing I found out last night was that I apparently get KK as a starting hand about twice as often as any other pocket pair. I kinda thought I was getting a fair amount of pocket kings but was able to verify the exact amount. Kinda cool to know.

You obviously don't know what you're talking about here.... '3' & '4' are both just so out there.... umm... never mind. A bot is completely different from the software that members are referring to... & as far as '3' goes 'ALL' of the better cashgame players do use them (I don't even know of any who don't?)... and quite a few MTT regs. do too (although a bunch of them don't).

Oh i see people mentioning poker tracker. Of course something that shows stats like that i dont mind although i'v never used it myself. I'm a stat whore and intersted in websites like pkr/opr etc
Again I do believe you're confusing the stats that PT3 & HEM would give you... in comparison to OPR. Maybe try the ol' google search & learn about what each is & what the difference is between them.

[quote=Poker Orifice;1566157]You obviously don't know what you're talking about here.... '3' & '4'

Totally agree with this, wanst going to bother commenting but, Im am very happy to second it.