Hey all,
I was interested to know, if you have $500 to spend on improving your game, how would spend it and what are your recommendations?
I already use PT4 and have a number of books on poker strategy but I would like to improve my game and move up the levels.
I have been using Preflop+ Postflop+ and Solver+ free versions and they seem helpful, if limited as I haven't paid for them - anyone use these programs and can comment on their usefulness?
I currently play micro stakes cash poker for fun and I have a positive win rate at NL5 Full Ring and 6Max after 10k hands.
Any thoughts or recommendations re really appreciated
The problem in answering the question is we really dont know about you and what you know. Your wining after 10K hands but 10K is not a lot of hands to really have an idea if your a winning player at that level or not. You need to do this to 50 or really even 100K hands to know.
As for tools. You get what you pay for. Using the free version is great to start and see what you think of the tools but there limitations are usually huge.
So you play for fun so far. I like that as that why you got into the game. If its about the money and you dont envoy it its becomes works. I play for the fun as well and the love of the game. Don't care how much I win and it helps. Does not mean I dont take it seriously.
As for what I would do might be very different than what you should do. No matter how much you spend will not necessarily help you overall. While I play for fun I am a student of the game. If you are not putting in the time and effort to study and improve no matter what you do it wont help long term. Also the game is always evolving. You will need to never stop learning and studying the game. Mike sexton said it best. No limit holdem, It take a minimum to learn and a lifetime to master.
As for what you should do, I will make this suggestion. Sit down and really evaluate what you want from the game. Ask your self the really hard questions. If I do this will I be willing to sit for 1/3 of my playing time studying and reviewing the game. Can you be brutally honest with your self? Yes that's a big question. 20 friend can sit there and say it was bad luck but can you honestly review the hand and admit you really did not play that hand well? I meant what I said, can you be brutally honest with your self. Are you realistic with your goals? Many people make this type of investment looking to make some real cash but it may take years to really start making money. Are you willing to accept that? Are you willing to accept losses as you learn? Yes losses. As you learn you will make some big mistakes when trying something new. Its a long learning process.
If your really ready and want please feel free to ask me questions and I would be happy to respond.
FYI, what do I meant by brutally? Last live
wsop event before covid we were on the money bubble. I had played well all day to get there. I lost a flip my last hand to be the bubble boy. So why did I not get paid? Many I know say it was just bad luck to lose the flip. I lost the payout because I misplayed a hand 20 minutes earlier is why. My mistake is what cost me not the last hand. Had I not made that error the last hand would not have the way it did. I lost not by luck but by mistake. If you can look at the game this way, you are on your way to something more.