Cash game Bankroll???

I have a question for you. I play Texas Holdem all the time, and that's either MTTs or SnG's, ie I never play cash games. And low limit at that, on account of my limited funds. Now, say I wanted to venture over to the cash tables, how much money would be a good amount to bring to a 1c/2c NLHE(No Limit HoldEm) game to let me play comfortably for say, an hour or two? I'd like to try the cash games, see if I'm any good at them, as I seem to do ok at the SnG's.
Also, Omaha, I'm really liking that game, but again, I never play the cash tables, only the freeroll MTT's at the moment.. The site where my main bankroll is has Pot Limit/Limit Omaha and also Pot Limit/Omaha High/Low(is that also called PLO8?) cash tables, what amounts would I need to take to the tables for each of them four variations to sit comfortably for an hour? I'm looking at anything from the 1c/2c tables to the 5c/10c tables.
For all of the above I would play my normal game of tight/agressive?
Thanks in advance

I don't know exactly what you mean by "how much to play for an hour"
but the general rule is that for NL or PL you bring 25-100 big blinds and for limit you bring around 12-30 big bets to the table.
The difference in games doesn't matter
As for NL/PL, if you bring 25 BBs, you're basically shortstacked. I always bring the maximum possible for a couple reasons:
1) i don't like playing shortstacked and you play a different game than normally.
2) If i get a big hand and end up stacking off with another guy, i want to make the most money possible, not just 50 BBs as opposed to 200.
For limit, 12 is the absolute minimum that you should bring to a table because it's the most you can possibly win/lose in a hand (4SBs PF, 4 SBs post-flop, 4BBs on the turn, and 4 more on the river) but 30 is suggested.
As for the style of play in OH games, you should just stick to how you play best. It's just the same as with holdem: you win slowly and steadily with a tight aggressive style. With a looser wilder style, you take bigger swings but can win more quicker in some cases.

btw: pot limit omaha hi/lo is the same as pot limit omaha 8 or PLO8 - just a different name

I agree with Chuck, that bringing maximum buy-in is the best option. I wouldn't say you could play comfortable for a couple of hours, because you could find yourself with a big hand and loose it all at once. But the advantages of playing with a big stack are definately bigger than the advantages of playing with a short stack. As long as you can afford to loose your buyin, play with the maximum. And if you feel that the maximum buy in would be to much to loose, you should probably move down a level, instead of buying in with less.

Thanks for the great info guys, thats what I needed. When I said 'how much to play for an hour' I basically meant in an average game with the usual bad beats/monster nut hands at a full table how much money would see me sitting comfortably, ie not having to reload (unless I made one of my donk-plays!) for an hour.
I now realise it's better to have a large stack as opposed to the short stack for when you get the nut hand, I was always afraid of bringing too much to the table and letting the other guys slowly pick it off.
And a good point Osmann, I have to be prepared to lose my buy-in. I think sometimes Ive played way too cautious because Ive been at the wrong stake table for the size of my buy-in.
As for my bankroll, guess I'm gonna be playing at the 1c/2c tables for a while till I can build it up!
Cheers again guys!

I always buy in for table max, so for a .02 table you'd bring 2.

And I tend to keep my bankroll about 10X the table buy in, so i'd say at least $20 to sit and play for a while.

One thing to bear in mind is that in No Limit games, you can't buy in for an amount that will let you play comfortably for a given period of time. If you get the right hand all your money will be going in, and sometimes you'll get outdrawn - it could be first first hand, whatever your buy-in.
If you're looking at it as an evenings entertainment, and want it to last a particular length of time, then you would perhaps be better off looking at Limit games. The fast profits and losses happen at No Limit and Pot Limit...
If you want to ensure you can keep playing for longer at No Limit, make sure that the buy-in isn't the whole of what you can afford to lose - so if you do get unlucky, then you can get more chips and resume playing.

Lots of good advice here...

I am in full agreement about buying in for the max, especially at NL or PL tables. Starfall also makes a really good point about busting out at a NL table. Even great players will occasionally lose their entire stack in the first round or two at the table. For example, if you had a lower set and get busted by a higher set...don't sweat it. Good play wins in the long run.

Of course, the key to not sweating it is playing within your bankroll and with money you can afford to lose. DON'T do like me and start playing poker while you are unemployed! STUPID IDEA. Start with a bankroll you can afford to lose and put only 5-10% on a table at any one time. Personally, I prefer to put 5% or less of my bankroll in play. Bankroll Management is the non-glamorous side of good poker...but I think it is one of the most important, by far!

Finally, you need to be a winning player to grow that bankroll. If you are starting out, it will probably take a while to become a winning player. I suggest only playing one table at a time at the lowest level until you can win regularly (70-80% of your sessions) before you even consider multitabling. Playing one table will allow you time to learn the game, read your opponents and focus 100%.

Geez, I wish I had found the advice on these forums before I dumped $215 learning the game. BTW, now I have a job and a positive earning rate...so times are better.

i'm curious..how much time do you spend each session
till your satisfied?for example:.01/.02 game ,you bring the max
i mean for your beginner?

Personally, I just play until I am bored. Sometimes I play an hour, sometimes I play 8 hours. I will not start to play if I can't play at least an hour. I want to settle into the games and get to know my opponents before I have to leave.

My problem is knowing when to walk away from a bad session. I have that serious gambler's problem of wanting to "just get back to even". I am trying out a new "rule" of leaving the game if I am down 2 full buyins or more. I have had some big losses when I just didn't know enough to walk away. Tilt sets in and I start trying to make the cards do things that J7o were never meant to do.

So, I suggest setting a limit to what you will lose on any one session and otherwise play until you are bored or want/have to do something else. I am curious what others have to say on this.

The reason for being curious is ive been playing poker for 10 or so years but not online, when i started out about a month ago online i noticed a big difference in the way i played and the way other people played and the differences in levels of buyin that effect game play! freerolls icouldnt win because i pay tight <all-in crazy kids ruined my exp.>finnally i figured out a few things and tried real cash, won real fast and got a big head ,and then Whamo!slapped back down to size!so i need to set a level and goal to be acceptable...

what stakes did you play in brick n mortar games?

if you were refering to me and brick and mortar games are casino poker games..then 3/6

if you're successful at 3/6 live, then you should be fine online.
The big difference with online vs. live is that online, people chase a whole lot more, and aren't embarassed to call down with a high on a dangerous board.
I've found success playing a very tight aggressive style at cash games and with MTTs i just play my game and do fairly well.
what limits did you get "slapped back down to size" at?
like i said, if you play 3/6 live with an overall profit then you should be killing the 2/4 online.
Good luck

ChuckTs said:

like i said, if you play 3/6 live with an overall profit then you should be killing the 2/4 online.
Good luck

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I'm not so sure this is necessarily true. From what I'm told, a lot of the live games are actually drastically softer than the same-limit online versions. At a 3/6 live game, there is - again, I'm told - a lot of tourists and people who generally just try to find the lowest limits they can find to have fun for awhile. Online, a 3/6 table may well host a few online professionals who multi-table grind out their profit. One of the more well-known 2+2-profiles, a now retired online professional called QTip, multi-tabled 2/4 for a living (and made quite a good living out of it).

I'm not saying it's hard to beat 3/6 online, but 3/6 online is usually preceeded by at least 5 previous levels, making it a place where people who have played for awhile end up, not the first available limit to complete beginners.

Anyway, for what it's worth.

I don't even take my own advice!

Coryan said:

My problem is knowing when to walk away from a bad session. I have that serious gambler's problem of wanting to "just get back to even". I am trying out a new "rule" of leaving the game if I am down 2 full buyins or more. I have had some big losses when I just didn't know enough to walk away. Tilt sets in and I start trying to make the cards do things that J7o were never meant to do.

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My high school lit teacher called this foreshadowing! I dropped $93 tonight "trying to get back to even". Obviously I didn't pay attention to my NEW RULE. Someone kick me in the a** for being so STUPID! BTW, it would have been worse if I didn't double up with some action on my Royal Flush...the board was T-T-A-K-A! The RF was backdoor with me hitting a straight on the turn.

F Paulsson said:

I'm not so sure this is necessarily true. From what I'm told, a lot of the live games are actually drastically softer than the same-limit online versions. At a 3/6 live game, there is - again, I'm told - a lot of tourists and people who generally just try to find the lowest limits they can find to have fun for awhile. Online, a 3/6 table may well host a few online professionals who multi-table grind out their profit. One of the more well-known 2+2-profiles, a now retired online professional called QTip, multi-tabled 2/4 for a living (and made quite a good living out of it).

I'm not saying it's hard to beat 3/6 online, but 3/6 online is usually preceeded by at least 5 previous levels, making it a place where people who have played for awhile end up, not the first available limit to complete beginners.

Anyway, for what it's worth.

Click to expand...

I have found this to be true. I play 3/6 live and have starting taking a couple shots online. And the game is much less aggressive live than online. I've yet to see more than a handfull of 3-bet preflop. Most of the time its check/call or check fold on the turn. Their have been a few aggressive players but for the most part it's people who are just starting to play "How much can i bet? Is this an All In table, What is the bet?, How much is it to me?"and don't trust online sites. And those players who think it's great to see every flop since it's only $3.00. Which is great for me untill they hit . The other thing i've found is it's easier for me to call with like second pair live than online. I just think live i have a better feel for the players.I think that i pay more attention to the table. I don't have CC to glance at while i'm folding.