Going from 0$ to playing 50NL possible?

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notafraiddd

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Hi , I was just wondering if it's possible to go from playing freerolls to playing cash games(0.25/0.50)?
If so what's the best way to do it?
Do you start off at 1c/2c and go from there?
How much buy-ins do you need at each stake?When to increase the stake?
Also would you benefit from a good poker program?
I would really appriciate any advice.
 
Ozzzzy

Ozzzzy

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My br started from thursday cardschat freeroll for 2k ppl, I took 5th place and got 6 dollars, now trying to increase br eith 0.11$ tournaments and 45ppl SnG. I would play cash 1/2 but I am mtt player, but I think its possible to start career from freerolls.

Btw I heard that 1 pro player in FTpoker increased his br from 0 to 15000$ for a year.
 
J

J_Slice

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Hi , I was just wondering if it's possible to go from playing freerolls to playing cash games(0.25/0.50)?
If so what's the best way to do it?
Do you start off at 1c/2c and go from there?
How much buy-ins do you need at each stake?When to increase the stake?
Also would you benefit from a good poker program?
I would really appriciate any advice.

It is certainly possible. It's going to take some persistence on your part, and a little luck never hurts. You'll need to have the mental stamina to invest lots of time in freerolls for very little pay out. The large field freerolls held by poker sites you will need lots of luck to cash in those. I'd recommend searching for private freerolls held by independent sites (such as the ones offered here by the wonderful CC staff ;) ). Those generally have fewer entries and better payouts. I have ran up decent bankrolls going the freeroll route a few times. I had previous experience playing real money games online so I had a bit of an edge over a complete beginner though.

Where to start after you have cashed in a freeroll is really up to you and what you are most comfortable playing. The 2NL ring games are a decent choice. Micro stakes single table sit and go games are another good option. Of course keep playing the freerolls to pad your baby bankroll until it can sustain itself. There's a decent chance you will bust your roll when you are first starting, but try not to let that discourage you. There are times you will run good and times you will run bad.

There are lots of different advice on bankroll management systems. Some cater more towards people who like to take risks, and others for more conservative minded people. I would use the search function here at CC for bankroll management and find one that fits your style. You can tweak it however much you want since there is perfect plan.

Poker tracking software is a really good investment if you want to improve your play, track your progress easily, and/or play multiple tables at once. You probably won't need them for freerolls or while you have a small bankroll, but when you start moving up stakes or putting in a higher volume of hands you should consider picking one up (assuming you can justify the purchase). Both of the major trackers offer free trials so definitely take advantage of those before buying one.

Good luck! It does feel good knowing that you have ran up a bankroll starting from nothing. Just remember to keep studying and working on your game as you go along. There is a ton of useful information at CC as well as other places online so soak up as much of that as you can.
 
G

GWU73

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It is possible, but difficult. You really have to get lucky (or not unlucky) over the first few thousand hands so you can afford the swings. I would recommend taking your early free-roll winnings into single table sit n go's. They are very easy to beat, and you can cap risk. Build up enough to buy into at least 10 cash tables before you play in any. I would also consider buying in for half a stack for the first few sessions, until you get comfortable. Then buy in for 80 bb a few times, then try a full buy in.

The reason I suggest starting short, is when you free-roll your way into real money games, you are coming from a tournament mentality. Short stacked cash games should feel very familiar. As stacks get deeper, you need to adjust your play. You just can't stack off TPTK very often for a 100 bb stack, but it would be pretty standard if you were playing really shallow, like 30 bb.
 
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rw11687

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Absolutely its possible. I was lucky enough to do it myself several years ago. Started by grinding freerolls and worked up to a $400NL consistent winner. Things are definitely different now then they were then, so it will be harder to do, but its possible.

It takes a lot of patience and time. Grinding freerolls can be exhausting, but its a great way to see a lot of hands and situations, essentially learn for free. Be prepared to bust the small BR you build from FR's several times, but consider all of these times a great learning experience. Eventually, as your game improves, you will build the small BR into something that allows you to get away from FR's altogether, and start building even further.

It takes a lot of time, but it is worth it. Its a lot of fun to build a BR from nothing. I am attempting to do it again since I pulled all my funds a long time ago, and I am enjoying every second of it.
 
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Lexxx

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I thonk it´s possible, but very difficult. Keep trying! I´m doing it! lol
 
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NorskNewman

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I say skip the free rolls and get $80 deposit on and play 2nl
 
PapaC

PapaC

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Yeah it is possible. But it will take awhile. I've been playing at 10nl along time and still have not tried the move up to 25nl. Every level is harder. Like at 2nl you would probably call a raise to $.25 with K10, but would you call $5.00 with the same hand at 50nl. What's been hard for me is to manage my BR when I have a bad run for days. The worse it gets the less I put out there, and that's when building your BR is hard. And you never know. You may hit a good hand and be forced all in and find out your hand is 2nd best, and you might have to start over. I would not stop the freerolls, but I would make a deposit. That way you can go to the freerolls when you are on a downswing and not lose your cash. anyway GL to you
 
koreano

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You can be able to mount a solid bankroll with only freerolls? Yes, it is possible.

What is the time you should spend the freerolls for cash game? This is very personal and also require some practice time. For freerolls players have to "custom" bet some all-in pre-flop meaningless. That will not happen in cash games.

What I advise is: Build a bankroll playing their common freerolls. When you get over $ 1.10, indicate that play the biggest tournaments of $ 0.11, for'll see a little difference of freeroll players for tournament players (say a little difference because many jogadres freeroll to win any amount already run into these tournaments) . If you want to try, you will see that $ 0.55 tournament has a very different dynamic from $ 0.11 tournaments and freerolls.

I believe that not to waste your money (if deposit) or your bankroll right away in cash games, spend time playing these tournaments a few cents that will give you a better preparation for the cash games.
 
arielakarel

arielakarel

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I'ts hard but defenatly possible..
All depens on the amount of patience and persistence you have.
Freerollers dont play the usual poker, cause they are not investing money, so when you move from the freerolls to the real money dont forget to make the switch in your head.. and don't continue playing freeroll style.
 
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zingbust

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best of luck to you, it's hard to do, but with the right frame of mind, I think you can meet your goal
 
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NorskNewman

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I believe that not to waste your money (if deposit) or your bankroll right away in cash games, spend time playing these tournaments a few cents that will give you a better preparation for the cash games.

I don't think playing tournaments could in any way prepare someone for cash games. Play a cash game remotely like a tournament and watch yourself lose your roll.
 
Henry Minute

Henry Minute

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I would also consider buying in for half a stack for the first few sessions, until you get comfortable. Then buy in for 80 bb a few times, then try a full buy in.
The problem with this is that all the regs in those games will attack people starting with less than full stack. Also you should, ideally, have the settings to auto top-up your stack to avoid appearing weak. With only 10 buy-ins how will he be able to afford that?
 
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