Looking for Tools for Serious Online Play

Hi, all. I just signed up for the site today and was looking for some help on becoming a serious online player.

I understand all the rules and odds and everything, I can crunch outs in my head, put people on hands, etc. I have countless times deposited $100 into an account, run it up to $1300-1400, lost it all, gone on tilt, draining my bank account in the process.

bankroll Management -
I know I need to practice Bankroll management, but those two words don't mean anything to me. I am ignorant to the concept. I was wondering if any body could point me to beginner and intermediate articles for the concept? I've had a friend tell me it's not playing a limit unless you have a certain number of buy-ins at the table. It would make sense, since when you get stacked, you have X number more stacks, so you don't need to play your stack like it's your last. I just need to read up on it to be sure I'm doing it properly.

Limit Selection -
I know this relates directly to bankroll management, in that you should only play limits you can afford. I prefer to play 1-2 NL, and I'm sure this will directly be related to Bankroll Management, so I'll wait until I know more about BM before I make my decision.

Setting Limits -
The problem is you can take $100 into $800, and start bossing around your stack, and after running into 2 spiked sets you're back down to $200. I decided in my case after I reach a certain amount (come to the table with $100, leave with $150-$170, go to another table with $100, rinse, repeat). I find that personally I am good for about 3 hours before I start losing money with consistency. Obviously the answer is quit before the three hours, or when I start losing the money. I was just wondering what some of you net plus players end up doing.

Site Selection -
I play two types of games, a very tight cash game, and a more aggressive game. I think ideally I'd be best running a couple tables, one of them playing aggressive with my focus on it, the other playing tightly, waiting for premium hands, etc. Regardless, I know fulltilt and poker stars are the big sites right now. Your thoughts on those sites would be very helpful.

Poker Knowledge -
I don't want to disclose my situation, but I have a LOT of free time on my hands (I'm not in prison). Plenty of time to read some books on poker. And I want to do poker seriously. If you have had a good experience with a poker book (advanced books are preferred. Especially about cash games, those are my preferred beast), I would love to know the title and author and why you liked it, if you have time.

I guess that's all I can think of off the top of my head, feel free to comment on any/all what you do to be successful... I'm kinda shooting out in the dark for some help, figure this'd be the best place to do so.

Again any help would be very much appreciated on how to take this from a hobby into a breadwinner.

Thanks-

Weregoat

Oh! Also, I know about Rakeback and Poker Tracker.

I plan on buying a book about Poker Tracker and am open to suggestions about maximizing rakeback. Any in-depth information about those would also be appreciated.

Thanks!

Poker Stove

Searched around on the net dude, should have some info on bankroll management..

To make money in cash games you need to seek out the bad players... simple as that, look for the donks and if you good enough you take their chips.. its hard to make money in tight games..

If you have a few $$ to spend i suggest you try this site www.pokervt.com

Google works wonders, try searching maybe "bankroll management" or even "brm". Generally no more than 5% of your BR on cash tables and 2% in mtts.

Full Tilt and pokerstars besides being the two major sites are also the best for multi tabling.

What do you mean by "buy a poker tracker book"? you don't need a book for poker tracker you need pokertracker. PT3 and HEM (Hold 'Em Manager) both have free trials.

And, umm, you don't do anything to maximize rakeback. You get your percentage and thats it.

I guess you'll find many useful information on CC, and on other forums too.
Browse the forum, use the search button, and you'll find what you're looking for
You'll also find threads about Poker Tracker and Holdem Manager, which are 2 of the best tools to track players and your own play

Regarding rakeback, I highly suggest you to open your accounts through affiliates that offer rakeback, because it's almost impossible to retag existing accounts for rakeback

One of the things with Holdem Manager (not sure about PT) but you can scan the tables for people that you have played with and have info on, and it will show you the worst (aka best) tables on the site based on how terrible the players on and their loss rate. So this is kinda confirming what WiZZiM just said, but find the worst tables and skip the bluffing because a lot of times, depending on the limit, youll get called down with bottom pair. This method hasnt failed me yet!

As for the bankroll management part, i suffer from the EXACT same problem, but ive been trying to get to where i can cut my loses for the day. Its hard to walk away after losing $100 when i have myself convinced that i can just turn around and win it right back, which happens sometimes but not enough to make it worth losing the rest. Ive gotten to the point where i set something else up while i play to make it so i have something else to go do, not just sit there and dwell on losing it and make myself go right back. Makes it a little easier for me to walk away and come back clear headed.

Rakeback is awesome, and all i do to maximize how much i make is i play for hours and hours a day. This month im looking at over $100 if i were to stop playing today. Just play a ton (obviously dont play only to make rakeback go up though!) and thats all it takes.

Thanks for all the posts. I have some experience with poker tracker 3, which I like very much. It has shown me some of the weakest parts of my own game, as well as helped me select targets at various tables. There are just some features of the program I don't understand. I'm sure, however, that the information is out there for free on the internet.

I'll look into more bankroll management on the internet. I appreciate all the posts with helpful information.

I've read a few books, but mainly know not to bluff in online poker, that my continuation bet 100% of the time is a bad move, to play tight and go after the weaker players, and that keeping book is a good idea. In the past month I've learned that after my third hour of play I start playing irresponsibly, etc.

Anyway, thanks for all the help guys.

Your biggest issue is BRM. Learn it, live it, love it!

Weregoat said:

Bankroll Management -
As a general rule, you should have a minimum of 20 buyins for the limit you are playing. At 1/2nl, this means a minimum of $4,000. Once you drop below 20 buyins, you have to drop down a level.

Limit Selection -
Depends on your budget and bankroll. I would recommend starting at 25nl regardless of your bankroll. If you can't beat that level consistently you most likely have leaks.


Setting Limits -

Don't play with anything more than a full buyin for whatever level you are at. Playing with $100 at 1/2nl is not good.

Site Selection -

FT is a bit smaller and you will run into more regs / nits generally speaking.

Poker Knowledge -

Reading No Limit Hold'em Theory and Practice by David Sklansky and Ed Miller a couple times through would be a good starting point.

Click to expand...

And get Hold'em Manager if you are going to be playing ring games. I have both PT3 and HEM and HEM is better for rings.

If you can get HEM to work continually. I downloaded the trial and was told it was necessary to update to latest version. After I did that, nothing worked. I spent 2 days with the site trying to get it to work, and just gave up. Now I use pokertracker with no issues.