Hello everyone, this is my first post. I started playing poker 2 weeks ago. I've been playing with play-money and managed to accumulate 500,000 chips (don't know if that is a lot). It has been "relatively" easy. All I do is follow the instruction in youtube tutorials. I feel greatly motivated and aspire to become a poker pro.

My question for you is this:
I am worried that if I play with fake money I'll acquire bad habits. However, I feel I shouldn't go into real cash games without enough experience. What are your thoughts about this?


If you recommend to better make a small deposit and practice that way, where would be the best place to start. Or if you recommend to continue using fake money, until what stakes could I consider to be playing with similar player as in real cash game in the lower stakes and make the transition?


Also any tips or hints for a noob like me are appreciated.


Thanks a lot.

Hi play money is exactly that PLAY.

If you have studied the game and it is working then why not put a small deposit on a soft site and play some small SNG or 1c/2c cash.....This way you will get to see where you are as play money is simply not a comparison to real play even at the entry level microstakes.

My experience, and many others (just search cc forum) is that play money games are different from real money games.
My situation is very similar to your, I've concluded:
- if I'm good enough to make money, I can do so with freerolls (initially); a deposit would give the earnings a boost
- if I'm not good enough, I'll spend the entire deposit
- every new type of game I play will require a learning curve
Result:
- I'm playing freerolls at different rooms
- keep some track of my performance/mistakes
Good luck!

I think any poker player, be it and the beginner, should make a minimum deposit. You only play virtual chips, I do not think she has any charm.

First thing is to stop playing play money and start getting into freerolls where there is stiffer competition. Americas Cardroom has $10 freerolls that start up about one an hour or less depending on how long it takes to fill up.

If you have a small deposit worth of money to lose, then I would recommend depositing and playing very low stakes (either .01/.02 cash games or 1.10 tournaments/sit-n-gos). Getting actual cash experience is infinitely more valuable learning-wise than any other type of learning poker.

I agree, start playing freerolls to get more experience and get to know some different types of opponents you'll find in other tournaments, use the money you earn in freerolls to invest in 1 to 0.50 cents tournaments with this you go far.

I am a big proponent of just making a deposit and playing with real money. I, once, built a bankroll from freerolls. It was not an optimal use of my time. It would have been much better to just deposit real money and work my way up from a reasonable deposit.

You can afford to risk some amount of money. What they amount is depends on your specific situation. But, everyone has some amount of money they can afford to spend/risk on entertainment. Just deposit that much and play real money games.

It is better. You will improve faster. There is almost no point in playing the play money games.

to be able to withdraw money you need to make a deposit look maybe you have some sort of bonus on the deposit use it.

I hate to lose money, then I began to play in freerolls and taked all the free bankroll that the rooms gave in other times. I made around $ 1000 in 4/5 years and I could learn, practice and loin a good time. Ever the rooms have promotions that you can take. PartyPoker had one where I taked a ticket for a $250K and I was able to enter in prizes. I won u$s 625!!!
But, if you don´t worry to spent your money, you're in a hurry to be a professional player, you are willing to give up everything to follow this path, respectfully, you could be trying to kill yourself!!
Be patient,study and practice a lot, and be carefull with your bankroll!
Regards

Play money will not help you improve your skills because players play more hands because there's no real value to lose, right? Try doing freerolls and learn techniques there and if you're lucky you won't have to make any deposits.

Better play freerolls

Just fulfil the requirements here on CC to enter the freeroll/club, this is the most realistic poker you can get for free or small money. play other freerolls in the meantime to apply the things you learn here. If you can easily afford a deposit, that would make sense as well to invstigate the different game types (Cash/SnG/Tournaments), as you need to make a deposit and verify your identity and adress anyway before you will be able to withdraw.

If you're really serious about getting good at the game and eventually going pro, you have to put down a reasonably sized deposit and then play games that allow you to practice sound bankroll management. There really is no other way. CC freerolls are a great way to pass time, but the only way to get good at playing real money poker is by playing real money poker.

Play freerolls and you can have some real cash without deposit

You are just starting to play poker, my advice is to get in the bubble in some freeroll games and win some cash. Then, you will have some cash to see what game to play.But make sure the tournaments you are playing...PLaying play games is good too. I play a lot before to play on real cash. I learned a lot in play games! Its always good to practice.. I have around 2,000,000 in play chips.. Good luck

Only play for real money. Playing the game chips will teach the basics, but will not let you know the beauty of POKER. Poker is not only winnings, but also losses, tension. This can be learned only by playing on YOUR money.

If you have just decided to play poker online and are familiar with the basic aspects and rules of the game, why not start a career in poker from the no deposit bonus. You will be able to play poker for free, without calling and without the risk at the same time own resources and using only the initial capital.

yea. in about 2 months of posting, you will be able to be in plenty of freerolls offered by Cardschat and will never have to resort to doing play money poker any more.


I usually only deposit at a new site using poker winnings from my other poker sites. That way, none of my own funds have been at risk.

I think you should start using real money. Because it's difference than playing with the play chips.

Play all the free rolls you can and try and graduate to micro tourneys without making a deposit. I'm trying to get something together from nothing and it's not easy but I'm sticking with it.

Freerolls are definitely better than play money. I would suggest using bank roll management practices and starting with micro stakes.
Good Luck

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. What I gather is that it's definitely better to play with real money. There seems to be some split opinions on whether it's better to risk your own money (small deposit) or wait for the freerolls and start little by little without risking your own money.

So in the end it's a question of your own risk aversion and if you have any money to spare.


Based on everything you've told me what I will personally do is make a small deposit (I can spare maybe 20-40 bucks). If I end up loosing everything, I'll wait for the freerolls and in the meantime practice with play money.


Maybe later I'll make a post with my experience (hopefully a positive one). Thanks to everyone.

How well you started playing with fictional money, but I recommend playing now freerolls there you will gain experience before making a deposit

It's better to play freerolls to get some experience and gradually fill up a deposit. Play monies do not really give anything, only inadequate moves.

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I recommend you first have to give up practice and also learn about theories ... theories you find in books or forums like these, you have to learn to play with position that gives you many advantages in a tournament, you have to learn that in each instance or part of a tournaments you have to play differently, a tournament has 3 stages, if you want to play only CASH you also have to read articles about strategies used is a CASH table because it is a different type of game, CASH tables they require a good study to the players of the table, that is very important in a table CASH to know your opponents

Since you have acquired some experience in playing poker using play money, you can move to real money but i suggest that you dont gamble your own hard earned money (unless you got plenty of them). You can go the freeroll way and earn your spurs there and time will come you gonna win small amounts and in time you can get to win bigger prizes. Which you can use to play with bigger games.

Deposited some. Brought the 50 $ several times to 100 and then got to greedy and fast ... so actually i play freerolls and if i got another 50 $ to spend then i will depo again ... the moment i can afford it, i deposit. Mostly i do before i rly can afford it xD

Deposit can be made only when you have free money, and for development in the game for training you can play freerolls. It's a slow way but it's free !!

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Try some freerolls for a month or 2 there you will find your answear. Freerolls playears are the same players in low stakes if you manage thouse you can manage low stakes.

Do not play more on conventional chips, you will never learn to play poker better to play some freerolls and make a small deposit more watch the video, stream, read and apply knowledge in the game for real money!

Freerolls are played similar to play chips, with no regard for money what-so-ever. You can try your luck at free rolls and Cards chat has plenty of them.

Play the freerolls and build you up a small bankroll from there. Good Luck to you on the grind.

Originally Posted by CommonZens

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. What I gather is that it's definitely better to play with real money. There seems to be some split opinions on whether it's better to risk your own money (small deposit) or wait for the freerolls and start little by little without risking your own money.

So in the end it's a question of your own risk aversion and if you have any money to spare.


Based on everything you've told me what I will personally do is make a small deposit (I can spare maybe 20-40 bucks). If I end up loosing everything, I'll wait for the freerolls and in the meantime practice with play money.


Maybe later I'll make a post with my experience (hopefully a positive one). Thanks to everyone.

Make sure you use appropiate BR-Management. Even 20-40 bucks can last you a long while (and you can build up from there) if you play the right games


Just dont start playing 1.10 MTTs for insatnce when you only have 40$, you will go broke most likely then.

It's one thing when you play for real and quite another thing when on conditional, I would advise you to make a small deposit of $ 10 and play cash games, with a limit of 1 cents to 5 and participate in freerolls.
Poker is not only psychology, luck, lottery, but also calculation, analysis, endurance, patience

I would make a small deposit along with playing freerolls. then read read read read read. I just think if you where to stay in the free money game you would pick up so many bad habits and gamble to much after converting to real cash

you say you wanna become poker pro. if you planing to be serious poker player may this link can help. gl gl


https://www.pokerstarsschool.com/article/Poker-Bankroll-Management-and-Moving-Up-Stakes

If you can afford to lose a certain amount, then deposit that amount and use a good BRM!

If you can't afford to lose any money, then play the freerolls.

You can make a decent BR starting with freerolls then playing BI games that's within your limits.

I thought I was a great player when I started playing on pokerstars as I was playing play money, I later found out that I was a fish

Personaly,I think freerolls are better than play money. In play money,players don't care about their chips,they play different. Are real players don't play with fake chips

Play with real money, start small. With play money you can develop bad habits and a skewed perception of the game.

Make a small deposit like 10 - 20$, and start playing small stakes.
Then you get all the benefits, free tickets and bonuses.
And the free rolls can support more cash to the bankroll.

Hello. I think it's best not to make any deposits yet. let's play the free tournaments, understand the dynamics of the game, gain experience, study the game. and if all goes well, we will not need to make a deposit. because we will have cash. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

playing in real money is very difficult, you must try first with the freeroll tournaments or failing in the micro limits

Get in there and play for real.. No reason to hold back. The great thing about online poker is you can play with pennies. You don't need a lot to start. Also play free-rolls and start that way.

maybe you should first check out some videos on Bankroll-management ; if you start playing with real money this is VERRY important. Unless you're willing to keep paying more then you'll ever get from the game.

I can say for sure that play-money-games are a lot different then real money; in play-money-games you'll get a lot off all-inns, in real money, the higher the input the less, you won't see that a lot pre-flop.

One last advice play only with money you don't need; it's better to play with 0.01$ and play with no stress, than play with 10$ and have the pressure that you MUST win.

Enjoy this wonderfull game called poker.