Transition to real money

Let me give you a little background:
I first learned to play about 1.5 years ago.
I have played 90% online play money and used to have several live (just for fun) tournaments a week. I have played for real money once in a 7 handed single table tournament. I came in third.
Now I play exclusively online in 9 handed single table SNG's (mostly because everyone else has lost interest in poker) between 250 and 10000 buy ins. I haven't kept exact records but sometimes I bomb out in 5th but I usualy make the 'cash' (third or better) and if I make it that far I often win. My play chip bankroll is about 180k. I had to reload once early on but thats it. I find I'm not neary so good at MTTs. My strategy just doesnt hold up that long. I like to watch them take eachother out while waiting on a premium hand. If I make just one big pot I can hold out til the bubble then I play my absolute best and can (not always but often) take down the leader from a shorter stack mostly because of the sudden gear change from supertight to LAG because I already profited on the tourney, the pressure is off.
So to my question. A) Am I any good at this? and B) Do people behave much the same way when real money (albeit a small ammount) is involved? I've found the play does get progressively better or at least slower/tighter with higher buy ins which makes bluffing possible.
I'm talking about a minimum deposit $50 which I can afford to lose and I dont expect similar results to my play chip exerience (1000 into 180k in 1.5 years = $50 into $9000) and if I'm only making a dollar or two a week, Hey I'm doin it for free now.

Conventional wisdom says that the highest play money stakes play somewhat similarly to the lowest real money games.

One major change for you will be the presence of rake. With play money, you only need to be somewhat better than your opponents to show a profit. In real money, you need to crush them to beat the rake and show a profit. And since you play on full tilt poker, don't even bother to play the $1+0.25 ones. 25% rake is absurdly difficult to beat. With a $50 deposit, you should go for the $2+.25 stakes.

Then, you should

1) track your results accurately. At the very least use something like PokerDominator which is free.
2) analyse your play. After each game, go over the big hands in your hand history and post any hand you are unsure about here in the hands analysis forums
3) once you get a better feeling of how this goes, get yourself The SitNGo Wizard. There's a 30 days trial version. It essentially solves the high-blind play for SNGs, which is the real money time.
4) if you can afford it, buy Collin Moshman's Sit 'n Go Strategy book. It's a bit of overkill at the $2 level, but it will make you many times its worth once you move up in limits.

Definately ya just gotta bring your A game when your switching from play to real money. And just cause you might be winning play money, doesnt mean you will hold up with real money. When I first started playing I was playing play money and brought my chips from 1K to 130K in less than a month, then I switched and started depositing a little here and there and would have a good run, then get spanked. I've learned alot since then, learned alot more about bankroll management, so now until I get a roll built up, I'm not really playing much except freerolls here and at other sites. When I can afford to deposit, I will...self employment can suck sometimes. I'm not saying not to deposit, definately if you want, deposit and play away. If you blow 50 here and there it will only help you evaluate your play and help you get better, and the way I look at it, I can drink more than 50 worth when I go out on the weekend so might as well play poker instead of getting trashed, just dont make a habit of it if you start losing. Main thing, don't get discouraged if you bust, everyone does every once in a while, If you find you need help, you can get pretty much get every thing you need here and people are always willing to help and evaluate your plays. Good luck and have fun.

RichKo said:

Main thing, don't get discouraged if you bust, everyone does every once in a while

Click to expand...

Not everyone...

If you are good enough to have positive expectation and you apply proper bankroll management, you should NEVER bust.