Building Your Online Poker Bankroll from Nothing

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AlexTheOwl

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Welcome Bonuses
These are great, but they don't go along with the micros or baby bankrolls. Usually, to get a bonus, you need to deposit a certain amount and then you need to clear it within a short time frame. To clear the bonus, you will have to play higher than your actual deposit amount should normally allow. I have adopted pretty liberal bankroll requirements to try and max out my benefits on the bonuses, but I have never cleared the entire thing. At my normal, stricter, bankroll limitations, I would never come close.

Excellent point, and this is doubly true for SNG and MTT players.
Clearing bonuses is usually dependent on paying a certain amount of rake, and tournament players pay less rake than cash players.
Don't bust your bankroll playing above your head to chase bonuses.

Men, don't repeat the mistakes that I have made.

What mistakes?
- Bitter Recently Divorced Animal Lover :D
 
vinnie

vinnie

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What mistakes?
- Bitter Recently Divorced Animal Lover :D

Sadly, the doggie was a gamble that we eventually lost. Going into the original surgery, we were told there were three outcomes possible based on what the lab eventually sent back from the tissue sample. First outcome would mean little hope to even survive the month. The second outcome would mean we stopped it for now, but it was inevitable it would come back (could be a month, could be 5 years, but it would be back), and third outcome would mean she was cancer free.

The tests came back with the second outcome. It bought us an extra year and a few months, before we started seeing issues again. After that, the conversation with the vet was amputation (this time it was in her back leg) and chemo, or putting her down when the suffering was unfair to make her go through. A couple weeks later, we had to make that horrible decision.

It sucks. That was my puppy. Still miss her all the time.
 
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AlexTheOwl

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Sadly, the doggie was a gamble that we eventually lost. Going into the original surgery, we were told there were three outcomes possible based on what the lab eventually sent back from the tissue sample. First outcome would mean little hope to even survive the month. The second outcome would mean we stopped it for now, but it was inevitable it would come back (could be a month, could be 5 years, but it would be back), and third outcome would mean she was cancer free.

The tests came back with the second outcome. It bought us an extra year and a few months, before we started seeing issues again. After that, the conversation with the vet was amputation (this time it was in her back leg) and chemo, or putting her down when the suffering was unfair to make her go through. A couple weeks later, we had to make that horrible decision.

It sucks. That was my puppy. Still miss her all the time.

Condolences. Many dogs and cats have broken my heart over the years. Still totally worth it.
 
korneel

korneel

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My bankroll strategy is so bad.
I just can't stop playing poker until I lose it all, because I use all my money for one tournament entry.
 
A

astein1987

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I made a bankroll from nothing many years ago when I was teen on pokerstars. I remember they had a special event freeroll going to celebrate 10 Billion hands being dealt, and they were giving away a ton of free money. You could earn 2 dollars at a time pretty easily with a very bad placement in the tournament. Also back in these "golden" days Play Money were sellable. I do not know if this is the case any longer, but I recall selling 1 Million Play Money chips at a time for $10 dollars. Unfortunately since I am US Player I no longer have access to PS or FT for that matter and am on Betonline now, which I am not sure you can sell play chips on anymore?

Grinding 1 Million playchips wasn't very hard since the players didnt care much and went all in with junk. If you played smart tight aggresive poker (no bluffing, they were never fold anyway) it was easy. I built a bankroll off that and made it into about 10,000 dollars. Fortunately I got most of my money out before USA lost access to these sites!
 
albosaltenio

albosaltenio

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I stopped depositing and started to play and try to create a bank through freerolls but whenever I managed to add more than one hundred dollars I had to lower the money and I never managed to build a considerable bank.
so I think it's possible to get a good bank from freerolls.

the truth is that I never taked into account playing in other modalities and I think it is a good advice to take into account.

Bank management is very important, you should know very well what tournaments or what limits to play.

a dream even for me to get something similar to ferguson, but not impossible.
With a lot of discipline you can achieve
 
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chronical

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As I se it's easy.
You can dep even a bit for some low variance game do that. Even nl2FR/ 10с 180-max Sngs any thing do that. If you can well frerolls are freerols do them.
you just have to manage them in a good way if you can get youк hands on a good 1 like our favourite one ;) it's good? but 50$ for 10K people... I mean you can hope to win 2$ for 1st place...yay? I can agree with @oakthyago it's cool to be the person who grinds up from 0 to "insertYourFavouriteProsName" but unless you have good freerols in mind it's easier (atleast I see it that way) to dep min $ and grind for low ROI or 0.5bb/100.
With that being said I just cant for myself to grind 1$ games for a 50c/hour so my BRM is bad... very bad =) send help if you can.
 
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Muzyka1996

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I rarely do deposits, because I always try to make my bankroll with frets cardсhats freerolls and others. It's pretty hard to do your bankroll with freerolls, because there is a fairly large competition, lol. This year I do not spend a lot of my time playing poker and therefore I get a good $ 200 from freerolls. Perhaps in the near future I will be able to pay more attention and necessarily the value of my winnings will necessarily increase
 
Zorba

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I have averaged over $1000 each year, over the past 3 years, playing just CC freerolls and special events. Each year the prizes keep getting bigger and I can only play USA friendly sites. CC forum gives away a ton of money.

BRM is important once you start building a BR, I agree that a good forum like CardsChat is the best way to go, if you're looking to build a BR that means that you will also need to learn more about the game and what better place to do that than here at CardsChat.


Starting from $0 on SportsBetting to try and build a BR from nothing. I transferred my full BR from poker to sportsbook, which I'll just hold there until I'm ready to cash-out.

I also reset my stats on SS for Nov. 2, when I started this challenge to rebuild a BR. 2nd MTT in and I took 3rd for a cool $14. So, not a bad start to the challenge.

You will have to make a deposit to withdraw I got this reply when I wanted to make a withdrawal from SB recently.


SB Customer Support Department said:
This is Dan from Customer Support, I hope this email finds you well.

Please be informed that we received your verification documents in good order. Your documentation has been approved and your account updated.

"Players who generate winnings from a poker freeroll and have no previous deposit are required to make a minimum deposit and roll this over at least once in the sportsbook prior to any Payout being approved." You can review it by accessing to this link: https://www.sportsbetting.ag/rules#payout-rules Rule #14.

In this case you should make a minimum Deposit of $50 and comply with a 1 Time Rollover of your Deposit Amount and if you are considering using Skrill then you will need to deposit with Skrill for this option to be active on your account has a payout option as well.

We would like to inform you that we offer a $50.00 Fee discount every Friday applied to the Payout method of your choice every 30 days. To take advantage of this offer, please add a note in the Payout comment box, make sure to include the total amount you expect to receive.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Score more with Bitcoin and take advantage of hassle free deposits, faster withdrawals and zero transaction fees. Click here for details.

If you have any other questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,


Dan
Customer Support Department


I'm planing on making a $50 bet on something I know will win.

:top:
 
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ph_il

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You will have to make a deposit to withdraw I got this reply when I wanted to make a withdrawal from SB recently.
I've deposited and withdrawn from there already.

I just moved my curent poker BR into sportsbook so I couldn't use any of it for this challenge of rebuilding a BR from $0.
 
PsychoVas

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I can only state my experience, as I am one of the never depositing players (i.e. starting playing real-money poker, for I have taken advantage of many depositing bonuses later on).
For a long time - before I even found CC - I was searching the net for any free-roll there was, combined with any no-deposit offer there was. At the time if I remember correctly there were no-deposit offers in PartyPoker and 888poker.To be honest, the reason I found this great community was the free-roll in Pokerstars. I saw it in the lobby, searched for "Cardschat" and took up the challenge of becoming a member of the "Free Roll Club". This was actually the best thing that ever happened to me in relation to playing poker. I evolved -not much, I'm still mainly a free-roller, I learned and had tons of fun and considerable winnings and rewards in the process.
If anyone is interested in the first steps of this journey, check out my Free-Roller's-Diaries.
So, I have to say that it is possible, as long as you have a lot of time to invest in it and a huge capacity for patience while slowly advancing as the winnings are just pennies in the start. I guess that after the initial struggle, applying strict BRM and taking some chances would be a shortcut for further improvement of your BR.
 
dj11

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My zero to hero story might inspire someone. I may be the champion here at CC if there were such a thing.

After Black Friday, we in the US were sort of pigeonholed into a lot fewer sites. CC had Freerolls at BCP which was then a Merge afiliate. I won some money in those Freerolls at the end of December 2011. I slowly built it up and won a HORSE tourney for $2500 in Late July or early August. Then I got HU in a $100K game in October. $12,500. My biggest issue with that was that Merge was having withdrawal problems. BCP then moved to WPN, and in short order those withdrawal issues were solved.

So, I went from a Zero balance at BCP to over 15 K in less than a year without ever depositing a dime, by only investing my time.:D:cool:
 
MTCashman

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If you want to avoid making a deposit, it's very important to do some research on which sites are offering the best promos/freerolls. You can find some great deals and can avoid putting any of your own money into it. There are a few sites that will give you free money just to get started.

When you have a few dollars in your bankroll, you will want to play the games you are most comfortable with and you need to follow strict bankroll management to avoid playing above your bankroll.

Also take your time when building your bankroll, there should be no rush in building it, be patient, stick to the games you specialize in and don't play above your limits.
 
Bev

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Learning how to play poker online is not easy, but a lot of people will stumble their way through learning how to navigate through a site if they know they can get money , without putting anything into it.
That said , the reality hits when they figure out that it is now going to take a lot more then just signing up to a site and playing bingo to win the games!
After they realize that is not the way to play, then they start to "learn how".
I have learned alot from Cards Chat, and from the pokersites I have played on.
The best thing is in a forum like this you get feedback from people who care , not just reading as you go on the pokersite you joined.
once you start learning how to play poker and you are not in a hurry, you can actually win a bankroll bit by bit with free rolls. ( I did)
Emphasis on not being in a hurry , it can take years before you win , and have enough to invest in other cash games :)
 
Rijckenborg

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It is a really precious strategy article.All new poker player who joined this awesome forum should begin their journey by reading it.
If we cannot or don't want to deposit too much we have to start somewhere .
When I started playing online poker, it tooked me 4-5 hours to earn less than $1 by playing freeroll.
It was before I join cardschat, I am very proud to be a member of this forum.
 
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ph_il

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My zero to hero story might inspire someone. I may be the champion here at CC if there were such a thing.

After Black Friday, we in the US were sort of pigeonholed into a lot fewer sites. CC had Freerolls at BCP which was then a Merge afiliate. I won some money in those Freerolls at the end of December 2011. I slowly built it up and won a HORSE tourney for $2500 in Late July or early August. Then I got HU in a $100K game in October. $12,500. My biggest issue with that was that Merge was having withdrawal problems. BCP then moved to WPN, and in short order those withdrawal issues were solved.

So, I went from a Zero balance at BCP to over 15 K in less than a year without ever depositing a dime, by only investing my time.:D:cool:
Nicely done! We're you putting in a ton of volume?

I'm hoping to make $50+ in November for this challenge. Maybe $1000 in a year.
 
Ivansito26

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if it is possible to build a bankroll of pure freeroll, it is necessary to have a dedication and be very applied .. in me when I started playing poker in 2009 I raised a bankrool of $ 109 in freeroll and started playing sit & go of 0.10 and 0.25, although in the freeroll there is a lot of variation and players of all kinds of games, the important thing is to keep your game and read a lot and also watch videos of professional players ...

and if they see that they can not do it, it is best to make a deposit and start with micro tournaments and sit & go .. but nothing is impossible if you have dedication you can upload your bankrool with free games..
 
demibar

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build a bankroll from nothing its possible, some good freerolls help ,Scratch and match now on PS ,tickets etc I usually play on sit and go to build mine and I play also for tickets .
 
Jamesuri

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Thank you CC for tons of information, new poker player as i am should have known this site before play poker ( i was so dumb wasting a lot of money deposited) but now all the free-rolls tickets expired, zero balance. I am desperate:(
 
CRStals

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There's no doubt that those without funds should turn to freerolls online to begin building a poker bankroll, and I have no idea if these suggestions have been said above but if you are a total newbie wanting to make money on poker than I'd suggest these points:
1) Research the promotions of various poker sites - This may actually give you a better foot in the door. Many poker sites offer incentives to do things other than signing up for their site for a free account:
PokerStars - They have been doing many giveaways on Twitter for sometime, offering satellite tickets to those that answer trivia questions, identify # of outs or missing cards, or simply retweeting their ads. partypoker has started doing the same and recently offered a title fight ticket worth $215 to two individuals who RT'd their tweet. I participated - I won the ticket - and cashed $495 today. Huge boost and I didn't play any freeroll
2) Look for Facebook groups that have prizes - I'm a member of a Facebook canada group that offers satellite tickets in a free tourney or $100 freerolls. These groups often have much up for grabs to a handful of people and can get your foot in the door. Cardschat I hear has a few of these in the mix....
3) Play money first - before you start risking any money you need to understand the game. Clearly the best way to do this is signing up for a free account and getting familar with the game. If you can't make play money chips, you may have a hard time making cash
4) Look for the sites that have free money to sign up - 888 has their $80 free, no deposit where you get tickets to make money, and then turn that money into more money. Other smaller sites may have similar offerings so like poker...do your homework!
 
nyjah0

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you could play tons of tournaments in Pokerstars if you have $20, I had one before and I could play 100-200 entries in SnG 360 $0.11 buy in and sometimes I play $0.33 $0.22 satellites to Bounty and manage to play there I earned $12 buy just their bounties I didn't even get in the money so $20 would be a lot of opportunities to build your bank roll.

I also tried and still doing building a bankroll by free rolls by now, I've won $5.75 and played cash games until I manage to get in $16 but get unfortunately I busted it out in no time :D
 
Hackerosito

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In short I am one of those who think, that achieve a banking from nothing, if possible. But it is required to go through the barrier of learning from error.
In my beginnings in poker the few gains lost very quickly. But today I analyze and it was necessary, because without this I would not have the patience that I have today and I consider a strength.
Today I play many freerolls but the gains made with it, I save and so I have managed to increase the bank, without abusing it unnecessarily.
The best advice I can give is Enfocate on good opportunities, do not waste money even if it's not enough, be patient and do the right thing. Enjoy your game, with the experience you achieve excellent results and a good bank.
 
belladonna05

belladonna05

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It is possible to build a bankroll from freerolls. Almost every poker room except for pokerstars before black friday I had money in. All from playing freerolls on this forum back before black friday. I may not be able to play much online poker now but the money I have in ACR is all money I won playing right here on this forum.
 
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mabeyta

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I myself started on this journey back in July. I am still going at it but since October the variance is eating me alive. The good thing is I have abstained from playing micro stakes until I have a proper bankroll for it. I just need $14 more to get to that point. It is a crazy grind as well as frustrating.

The one thing I am worried about is taking my freeroll skills to micro stakes. Freerolls are just a different beast. I feel like I have picked up some bad habits playing them. So will definitely need to correct said habits once I get to the micro stakes. It's taken me 4 months to get so close to a proper micro stakes bankroll and I'm not there yet but hoping to be before the year is out.

Good luck to all though trying this out. Patience is necessary for this journey. If I happen to succeed it will be amazing. Hard Work, Dedication!
 
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MstrBlast3r

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This is a really great article with some really great tips. Years ago I managed to turn a free online casino promo of $41 into a cash out of the max allowed of $205. Then used that to eventually grind out a little over $1,000 bankroll. Then the government had to get all pissy and shut everything down.

The lesson I learned from that is yes it was possible to build up a bankroll from nothing but it is not easy. Finding a really great promotion that gives you a jumpstart is really helpful. Having got back into playing poker after a long break, I find that the sweetheart promotions don't really exist anymore.

I have been on the freeroll grind trying to build up some cash, but it is a slow process. I play because I love the game so grinding through a freeroll MMT doesn't bother me much win or lose. Being a US player my options are limited but there is hope on the horizon now that Pennsylvania has legalized online gambling. Unfortunately, until PA gets everything rolling ACR has been my best playing option. Don't get me wrong I don't mind ACR the software is decent in my opinion. I just can't seem to be able to play on any other site. BetOnline I hear good things but the software is terrible Install it play for a while close it open the next day and it no longer works and needs to be reinstalled. Others I just have trust issues I guess.

I have found the CC Freerolls and various promotions to be my best value. I also play some others but CC options have been the best.

I will try to put some of the ideas in this article to use and hopefully, it will improve my chances of building a bigger and better bankroll.
 
Bankroll Building - Bankroll Management
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