A serious venture into poker (help and suggestions please!)

Ok, so i dont post a whole lost around here mainly because im stuck at 2nl and the hands i read in HA are 25NL or up and i simply dont have enough experience there to comment i feel.

That, however, is about to change. I've been saving and at the end of August I should have $600 saved up to make a serious stab at poker profitability. The plan for now is buying Holdem Manager and depositing the rest on pokerstars (I really like the setup there and the FPP thing from what I've read has the potential to be WAY higher than any rakeback if/when i get to the supernova status.) Does this seem the best idea for the money available?

Next, as i said it will be end of August so I need suggestions of the top 2 or 3 books to read between now and then. I've read harrington on cash 1 and im buying 2 tomorrow so dont advise those. Plus links to any online articles would be great. I've read ChuckT's article here but the more the better on poker reading.

3rd: Anywhere you know of that has educational videos like stox has for free? I cant afford stox right now but i plan on subscribing if/when i profit a couple hundred from my venture.

anything else is welcome as long as it constructive, which i fully expect knowing the people here!

Hmm, the reason more hands in the analysis are higher levels is because people don't post hands from lower levels; if you posted some, people would happily give comments. In fact, I'd encourage you to do so, before you make a move for your own sake, but also to grease the wheels so others will do so.

As for videos, check through the existing videos section of the forum. There's some great ones in there from the past year or so.

I'd highly recommend :

Amazon.com: Professional No-Limit Hold 'em: Volume I: Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta, Ed Miller: Books


and

Amazon.com: No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice: David Sklansky, Ed Miller: Books

I recommend Phil Gordon's set of books: Poker - The Real Deal (co-authored with Grotenstein); Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book; and Phil Gordon's Little Green Book. You can get them on eBay sometimes at a good price. They are quick and easy reads with lots of practical information.

I forgot to mention the "bible" of poker: Doyle Brunson's Super System and Super System II. I just read the chapters dealing with NLHE, because that is my favorite game. These two volumes are huge and more intensive reading than the other books I recommended earlier. They are considered staples in the area of poker. If you check eBay periodically and are patient, you can often purchase electronic versions cheaper than the hard copies. Personally, I prefer the bound volumes, though.

I don't recommend books I have not already read myself. Sklanski's works are good at the advanced stages. I am going back and re-reading them because they are so in-depth and contain so much information it is hard to get it all the first time.

It worries me that you're not winning at 2$ NL. You should really be able to beat that level without too much trouble. Why invest more money to play higher limits when you can't beat the lowest one?

Please, please please post 2$ NL hands. I played a ton of 2$ NL, and I would be more than happy to comment on your set of hands.

From the sound of it, you have some large holes in your game. Getting hold'em manager, reading a bunch of books is overkill if you're doing stuff like limping aces in the small blind with 6 limpers or something.

As far as videos go... check your PM's.

Thanks for the books guys, ill start picking some up. I've read supersystem and heard the supersystem 2 is basically the same as the first.

@c9h13no3: Perhaps i should digress, I'm beating 2nl consistantly but my brain doesnt like playing for such small limits and i end up getting to like 50, playing 25nl and getting set over set or flush gets drawn out to a boat. pennies are just so hard for me to take seriously when i know i could reload the $25 and continue playing.

I posted a 2nl hand in the analysis yesterday, ill add more as they come up.

Oh yeah, you're the guy who was making tiny bets with the overpair.

Yeah, at this point reading a bunch of stuff on 3-betting light & other advanced concepts isn't going to help your game. You need to focus on playing the right hands in the right positions & situations, sizing your bets correctly, and generally playing solid poker.

Moving up stakes isn't going to help your situation. You don't want to take the money seriously! Once you start considering the #'s in front of you have actual value, they prevent you from making the most correct play. Plus if you're splashy & loose at 2$ NL, it probably won't change by moving up stakes. And if you're undisciplined at 2$ NL, how do you expect to learn discipline by moving up quickly? Get disciplined now while its cheap, since being disciplined & conservative with your roll is one of the most important lessons you can learn.

Additionally, whoring bonus is a great way to boost your roll when you're starting out. And its next to impossible to do that at stars micro limits.

Bottom line: It only took me 2 months to move up from 2$ NL to 10$ NL with a 10% rake at Ultimate Bet. If you can't keep your zipper up for 2 months while you build your roll, I seriously doubt you're gonna hold it together at 25$ NL and up.