First deposit bust report

[Propane Goat]

What is the best place to practice if I shouldn't start playing money yet? Where can I get the real experience without having the spend money. I have my reservations when it comes to quality of game practice gained by playing on Facebook(zynga), pokerstars, bovada, another couple iphone apps. Any comments on using this as a practice tool?

You probably already realize this but CC freerolls are the absolute best place to get a risk-free bankroll started and get some great experience on top of that. Play money tables won't get you anywhere, it's hard to learn anything playing against people with nothing to lose. Just comparing the number of players seeing the flop between play and real money already tells you what the difference is.

You might also try playing public freerolls, BCP has on-demand freerolls with a $10 prize pool. Betonline has been criticized here quite a bit but AFAIK they still have freerolls every hour. Public freerolls are loaded with crazy donks in the beginning, if you can be patient and play only super strong hands in the beginning then things settle down later on. Keep in mind that tournament play has a number of strategic differences compared to cash games, so be aware of that when you're reading sources of info.

 

[Arjonius]

The good news is that it's not very hard to get to where you at least break even at the entry level stakes. The biggest factor is simply making fewer poor, questionable decisions than most opponents, which TAG will help accomplish. This isn't enough to make you a big winner, but not losing is a milestone since means it no longer costs money to learn.

In a related vein, don't be over-concerned about losing $25 even if if happens a few times. If you intend to play for years and to become a winning player, it's basically meaningless in the big picture if you happen to lose $100, $200 or more depending on your finances to get your poker "career" started. Even if you only reach a modest win rate playing the micros for entertainment, the small amount you lost as a newbie will be recouped many, many times over.

 

[aa88wildbill]

1: don't limp.
2: fold a lot.
3: raise a lot in the cut off an on the button.
4: cry, crying helps to get the sad out.

LOL

 

[TheDuke177]

I can say from lots of firsthand experience that your deposit amount is almost negligible if you don't have the discipline to avoid the temptation of playing outside your BR. Recklessly upping stakes and managing to go on a miraculous run with like 2BI may feel great, but the idea is to train yourself to avoid those kinds of decisions because they are too much of a gamble, and are also highly unprofitable.

Remember, the more times you make a bad decision and get good results, the harder of a time you'll have avoiding the same mistakes in the future.

I suspect mastering this kind of discipline may be one of the biggest, most important lessons in poker. One of these days maybe I will learn it

 

[sj_pi]

You probably already realize this but CC freerolls are the absolute best place to get a risk-free bankroll started and get some great experience on top of that. Play money tables won't get you anywhere, it's hard to learn anything playing against people with nothing to lose. Just comparing the number of players seeing the flop between play and real money already tells you what the difference is.

You might also try playing public freerolls, BCP has on-demand freerolls with a $10 prize pool. Betonline has been criticized here quite a bit but AFAIK they still have freerolls every hour. Public freerolls are loaded with crazy donks in the beginning, if you can be patient and play only super strong hands in the beginning then things settle down later on. Keep in mind that tournament play has a number of strategic differences compared to cash games, so be aware of that when you're reading sources of info.

Thank you for reinstating my earlier doubts of the seriousness of BRM with virtual money.

BCP doesn't have a mac client, I currently downloaded the BetOnline and installed it.
Now I gotta figure out how to get freerolls over there. hmm

 

[tothbopo]

You done the first step right seek for help and being aware of the fact that poker is compleks and you need to study study study.

You can learn the game in 10 minutes but it takes years to know the game and play it right.

Of course I also lost my first deposit very fast

 

[sj_pi]

Remember, the more times you make a bad decision and get good results, the harder of a time you'll have avoiding the same mistakes in the future.

That is very true. Last week I was in a tourney NL and was 2nd chip leader and had about 30 BB.

I got served 2h2d and I pressed hard on the gas pedal and lost 25 BB with a runner runner flush. Little did I know this would be my penultimate hand in the tourney and I'd be out the next hand.

The final hand I get dealt 2s2d and did the exact same mistake as last hand and got out betting the last 5 BB which were remaining.

So bad decisions with good results are gonna ruin the learning process encouraging subconsciously to play that darned hand. Very true

 

[BearPlay]

Congratulations on your vulnerability to being willing to post your loss and to ask for support. Those two character qualities will go a long way towards upping your game.

You came to the right place. The expertise here is invaluable.


Post your hands. Ask your questions. Be open to feedback. Study. Study. Study. Practice what you've learned.

Then, one day when you are on the wsop circuit with paws too small to tote all of your chips, pay your knowledge forward to some new guy starting out.

Wish you the best.

 

[sj_pi]

Congratulations on your vulnerability to being willing to post your loss and to ask for support. Those two character qualities will go a long way towards upping your game.

You came to the right place. The expertise here is invaluable.


Post your hands. Ask your questions. Be open to feedback. Study. Study. Study. Practice what you've learned.

Then, one day when you are on the WSOP circuit with paws too small to tote all of your chips, pay your knowledge forward to some new guy starting out.

Wish you the best.

Furck man! such a great piece of advice I'm moved!!
I'm really moved! Thank you for the wishes. Best wishes to you too!

I've started the green book by Phil Gordon.
it is so much more than what I expected to assimilate.

Learning to crawl today, probably ----> walking, jogging, running and sprinting is to follow..

I played a local tourney & I finished 11th out of 44 today. Last week I finished 32nd out of 45. Thanks again.

 

[trent32la]

Would recommend posting Hands you have questions on in a separate thread...we are here to help...$25 is a very small deposit..if you are going to redeposit I would suggest a much larger amount in order to give you room to maneuver...learn..aswell as have a steady bankroll if you go on a downswing...2 rules I've always had for new players is NEVER Open Limp and cbet cbet cbet...the raise preflop and cbet works extremely well at micros...We need more info on what your playing what stakes etc in order to help you further
I must say it took balls to post this...and it may have been the best decision for your future in poker!

 

[Arjonius]

I played a local tourney & I finished 11th out of 44 today. Last week I finished 32nd out of 45.

Don't assign any meaning to results like this. Lasting longer doesn't mean you played better.

As an admittedly unusual example of how meaningless where you finish can be, I once came 2nd in a 10-player STT where I didn't play at all because I lost my connection after registering.

 

[sj_pi]

Don't assign any meaning to results like this. Lasting longer doesn't mean you played better.

As an admittedly unusual example of how meaningless where you finish can be, I once came 2nd in a 10-player STT where I didn't play at all because I lost my connection after registering.

Thank you! Is there an indicator which completes the feedback loop, something to revisit periodically and measure progress of some sorts..??