Just started playing online poker for real money

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JimmyS1985

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Hi, Im unemployed, Im not expecting the community to blow smoke up my rear on the glamorous life style you can live playing online poker all day every day, but I got a lot of time on my hands and a little bit of money to play a lot of online poker.

Id like to know the game pretty thoroughly and know of which things I should get (such as hold em manager 2) any books that perhaps I should read and anything else.

Without getting into too many personal details, Im finding, finding a job, to be very difficult, on top of that, I got a 2nd DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) further making finding a job harder and probably next to impossible. There is a good chance I will lose my license for some time. Basically Im gonna be stuck in the house for long hours and possibly the better part of a year if I do happen eventually lose my drivers license . Ideal situation for learning online poker if you ask me. Lots of time stuck with just me, a tv, a dvd player and a computer with an internet connection.

Id like to start by getting a recommended book on poker strategy, Im between a beginner and an intermediate player, I understand how the game works and the rules, currently, playing micro stakes, Im on my 4th day of play, playing the cheapest tables of microstakes, and blew through most of my first starting amount ($50) but I am learning much faster playing superior card players than what I had been use to when I played more casually, back when I had a job.

So any tips on how to turn this into a source of side income could really help me, again plenty of time, I have some money to spare and I have a basic understanding of the game. Any help would be much appreciated.
 
Kenzie 96

Kenzie 96

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First thing you need to understand is proper BRM, {Bamk Roll Management},if you are looking at poker as a source of income proper BRM is crucial. All sorts of excellent information on this topic here.
Next issue, GWI, {gambling While Intoxicated}, every other player at the table is looking to bust your ass & if you can't play without drinking you are wasting your time & money.
Good luck.
 
Ducky7

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Using online poker schools is a way of learning the game and understanding key concepts. Try using pokerstars Online School (PSO), that has a lot of articles relating to your level of poker and should be useful, along with offering freerolls which you can improve your game by playing
 
Arjonius

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Start by considering yourself a beginner. Not a complete beginner since you know the rules and have played some, but close enough that the best thing you can do for yourself is to learn to play basic ABC poker well enough to be a solid winner at the lowest stakes, where you've lost money so far. With a decent amount of self-discipline to avoid tilting, spazzing et al, it won't take very long before you have a sound base to build your game on so you can increase your win rate and move up.
 
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JimmyS1985

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First thing you need to understand is proper BRM, {Bamk Roll Management},if you are looking at poker as a source of income proper BRM is crucial. All sorts of excellent information on this topic here.
Next issue, GWI, {Gambling While Intoxicated}, every other player at the table is looking to bust your ass & if you can't play without drinking you are wasting your time & money.
Good luck.
BRM I got down pretty good, I don't graduate to higher tables til I have a minimum of 10 buy ins. I prefer max buy ins because I don't like games where the blinds take a heavy toll on your buy in, especially if you don't hit on the flop.

Yea I pretty much bar off alcohol when Im sitting at the table. Thank god its low stakes but I find even if we are all fighting over pennies nickels and dimes at these micro-stakes tables, the loss of money from an inherently bad call I made to be a great teacher. I would just like to lessen the learning curve, time I've got plenty of, I just need advice, coaching, and going over the information.

Any more experienced players willing to go over some of my hand histories?
 
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First, do not play poker while drinking, much like driving its dangerous. Secondly I would like to say Strategies do not worry yourself with. Just know position of the blind and where you sit. Early position (seats 1-3), middle (seats 4-6), and late (7-9) Late obviously is the best place to make a move, but not always the case. Most important, patients is key to sucess. If you get tilted from a bogus call or bad beat. (They happen to any poker player), take a breather, relax till your calm and then continue playing. Good luck at the tables.
 
micromachine

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Sorry but 10 buy-ins is terrible BRM, I would recommend having 30 buy-ins before moving up to the next level.

Post tricky hands in the 'Cash game hand analysis' part of the forum, you should get some good feedback.
 
Poker Orifice

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So basically you're looking for a 'fast-track' to gaining experience which takes time. Am I right?
Learning how to get good at this game takes time. That's the bottomline.

Not even sure what else to write beyond that...??? idk... maybe start off by reading Phil Gordon's "Little Green Book" & take it from there.
 
Poker Orifice

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Read the strategy articles.
Also, before concerning yourself with posting 'tricky hands' in HH analysis section I'd suggest reading more stuff along the ABC lines. (ie. bet-sizing, position, value-betting, folding dominated hands while OOP, etc. etc.).
 
Samango

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First thing you need to understand is proper BRM, {Bank Roll Management},if you are looking at poker as a source of income proper BRM is crucial. All sorts of excellent information on this topic here.

BRM I got down pretty good, I don't graduate to higher tables til I have a minimum of 10 buy ins. I prefer max buy ins because I don't like games where the blinds take a heavy toll on your buy in, especially if you don't hit on the flop.

No. First thing you need to understand is proper BRM
 
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JimmyS1985

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Well thanks for pointing out my flaws such as thinking I knew proper BRM when I didn't. Yes Ill accept that I am a beginner.

I've played "games" of all sorts, since I was 4. Gaming has been my life, I usually make it a point to thoroughly understand a game that I enjoy and play for free.

I am willing to make it my "job" to live, eat, and sleep poker, in part due to my bleak employment situation. I don't know how many hours you put in playing the game, but surely I must have some kind of time advantage to learn the game quickly over people who do it as a past-time.

For example, being a beginner to the online, I would bet big on an Ace King Pre-Flop. I've decided to label this hand my own rookie hand. What I failed to recognize was while the hand had potential, that was all it was if an Ace or a King didn't show up. I've quit betting big on Ace King pre-flop, and am starting to exploit players who haven't learned this.
 
c9h13no3

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Just given the info in this thread, I'd suggest not playing poker. Its a game where you try to out-smart/out-discipline people out of their money, and from the scant information you've provided, you don't seem smart or disciplined.

However, if you choose to believe that I cannot accurately judge whether you will be good at poker through the internet, you could start reading here.
 
MTTGOD57

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Just given the info in this thread, I'd suggest not playing poker. Its a game where you try to out-smart/out-discipline people out of their money, and from the scant information you've provided, you don't seem smart or disciplined.

However, if you choose to believe that I cannot accurately judge whether you will be good at poker through the internet, you could start reading here.


Coming from the mouth of a member who just a few days ago could not distinguish the difference between a good LAG and a bad LAG.
 
individualequal

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Well, when I was out of work, I played poker. In this period I treasured every single penny too much to play poker, but still did it. I would not recommend this, as it will make you forgot about your priority, which is to find a job , I presume?

Firstly, I'd recommend writing out an excel spreadsheet with details on profit/loss, poker points earned, etc. This way you will be more aware of the money you are losing or winning. At the end of your session, (after signing up for free), I'd recommend logging on to pokertableratings.com (if you play on one of the supported sites: partypoker, ipoker, 888, etc), look at your session once its all up on the database and look at key hand you won and lost and see if you got lucky in ones you won and if you could have done anything different in the ones you lost.

I would not recommend playing cash games, as these are a proven way to blow your roll without conditioned discipline. If, like you say, you have plenty of time on your hands, then you may consider playing micro Sit and Go Tournaments (remember, the BRM for these is different to Cash). There is probably a lot more variance in these, as the stacks get smaller and smaller in comparison to the blinds. They are pretty easy to beat on most sites, albeit I found there were always a minimum of 2 regulars/multi-tablers on each table at PokerStars. Read strategy articles on these things and you should do fine.

Playing on multiple tables/signing up to multiple sit and go tournaments, is also a good tool as the downswings should come to an end quicker and short-term variance should even out better.

Don't worry about deposit bonuses at the moment, or scheduled tournaments. ESPECIALLY don't try your luck at 7-card stud, Omaha, 5-card draw, etc. Become a *LONG*-term winning poker player and then you can start thinking about these things.

James
 
Arjonius

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I am willing to make it my "job" to live, eat, and sleep poker, in part due to my bleak employment situation. I don't know how many hours you put in playing the game, but surely I must have some kind of time advantage to learn the game quickly over people who do it as a past-time..
Maybe you should look at your overall financial situation to help assess how well or poorly poker fits at this time. Keep in mind that it's poor financial management to play poker with money you cannot easily afford to lose.

You don't have to disclose any specifics, but think about how much you have in savings, how much your monthly living expenses are, and how much you can afford to lose with no further effect on your lifestyle.

Any intelligent, reasonably self-disciplined person can be a winning poker player. But that doesn't mean we can all win enough to make our livings. This is because we're not all equal in terms of aptitude / talent, the ability to learn relevant types of things, risk tolerance, etc. So, we advance at different speeds, win at different rates, stall at different levels, some start winning immediately while others "pay their dues", etc.

Unless you're a prodigy, it will probably take at least a few months of dedicating yourself to poker in order to get a feeling for your chances of making a living from it. So a vital question I think you really need to consider is simply whether you can afford to do so.
 
MTTGOD57

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Good poker players are made not born. There is no such thing as a poker prodigy its a game which require patience guts and discipline to succeed at in the long term. Phil ivey never got as good as he did overnight. He started of like the rest of us being taught the game by someone he knows or through tv in this case it was his father. Anyways, Phil ivey would think about poker practically 24 hours a day reviewing his play and studying the game. He wanted to be the best in the world and look where he is now.
 
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JimmyS1985

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I don't really spend money at all but for gasoline, food, cigarettes and sometimes alcohol. Since the 2nd DWI is going to cost me well into the thousands, spending a little money (so far less than $50) playing micro-stakes poker to get a feel and learn the game, all day every day, is hardly a frivolous use of money. BTW, I don't want to make this thread about the immorality of drinking and driving, its just life threw me a curveball and I'm gonna be stuck in the house for several months.

I was looking into being a poker dealer, but to get a gaming license in this state you can't be on probation, so that's not going to be a possibility for the next several years. It's going to be hard to find a job outside of the house, without a license to drive a car, pretty much you can't do anything in the city I live in, without a license to drive a car. Seems to me it would be a worthwhile venture to take a shot at it for the situation I am in at the moment.

I'm playing on Bovada poker, and when my initial deposit just about ran out, the poker site deposited an additional $10 into the account. Im squeezing every penny, my gameplay was piss poor in the first couple of days playing poker since I wasn't use to playing much better opponents, but now Im stingy as hell on whether I put in that big blind or not since Im down to not a lot of cash. So far my losses seemed to have stopped for the time being since I now more thoroughly think out my decisions at the poker table.
 
c9h13no3

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Move to a city with public transit IMO. I know it took me about two years to get to the point where I was withdrawing any serious money off the internets.

Everything you're saying is fine except the part where you need a job now. You're not going to see real profits from poker fast enough to help you.

In all seriousness, dont be a fish. Play the lowest stakes possible, be very conservative with your roll, and post hands in the hand analysis forum.

You can skype me as well if you like (c9h13no3hcl is my username). I dont get to talk enough poker these days.
 
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JimmyS1985

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Can you do teamspeak 3 or xfire? I have both of those. I could use a mentor, I had to deposit another $50 in my account last night because I keep making horrible calls. See if I can make this $50 last longer than 7 days.
 
c9h13no3

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Can you do teamspeak 3 or xfire? I have both of those. I could use a mentor, I had to deposit another $50 in my account last night because I keep making horrible calls. See if I can make this $50 last longer than 7 days.

I used to use xfire back in my gaming days. Im on aim and google chat in addition to skype.
 
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JimmyS1985

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Ok I got AIM, whats your screen name and Ill add you, or you can add me, Im Superjew113

BTW, Im playing a much tighter game, I only play if I have both face cards or aces that are my hole cards, pocket pairs, and suited chasers (I don't know the proper poker term for two cards that are one right after another, such as a 5 and a 6). One thing I have thrown out of my game is two cards, like an 8 of spades and 7 of diamonds for my hole cards. I use to put a nickel down on those in my micro-stakes games, but found it was a good way to lose my nickel or more. Im also not chasing after flushes or straights unless I can buy another card on the cheap (1 big blind). This adaptation to poker strategy seems to be working much better.
 
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c9h13no3

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Sounds like you're still playing too loose.
 
slgalt

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Spend the next year learning the game, not trying to make money. Use very strict bank roll management no matter the stakes. Try sit and gos rather than cash games.
 
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with a huge amount of motivation and the right information it's probably possible to go from a beginner to making $1,000+/month within 6 months.

here are some questions you should ask yourself:
how much do I need to cover expense's?
how many months can i survive with no income?

if you can last 12+ months with no income then you should focus all your study on one specific game type.
doesn't matter which game. just pick one you like that has a large player base. then spend 90% of your time studying and 10% playing for the 1st month.

once you get a solid understanding of how to beat the game then you can spend more time playing and learn new skills, like multi-tabling.
wish you lottza luck! for most it takes many years to do what your trying to do.

if you don't have enough money to live for a year with no income then i highly recommend finding work.
poker isn't the answer if this is the case. sry to say.
 
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individualequal

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Ok I got AIM, whats your screen name and Ill add you, or you can add me, Im Superjew113

BTW, Im playing a much tighter game, I only play if I have both face cards or aces that are my hole cards, pocket pairs, and suited chasers (I don't know the proper poker term for two cards that are one right after another, such as a 5 and a 6). One thing I have thrown out of my game is two cards, like an 8 of spades and 7 of diamonds for my hole cards. I use to put a nickel down on those in my micro-stakes games, but found it was a good way to lose my nickel or more. Im also not chasing after flushes or straights unless I can buy another card on the cheap (1 big blind). This adaptation to poker strategy seems to be working much better.

One big blind? LOL, you'll never get a flush if you do that! Call if you have the right odds. Say there's $2 in the pot and your opponent bets $1, there is $3 in the pot and you have to call $1 to try and hit. In this scenario you should call. Basically, if your opponent bets half pot or less, you should call. If an opponent before you calls this raise then you should definitely fold.
 
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