Ch4nc3
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Originally I started this thread to talk about my bankroll, but soon realized that more importantly than my bankroll is my playing progress, understanding progress, and strategy progress. Add all those together and I think the Bankroll progress should increase in relation to the others.
My bankroll is still fairly small, but I thought I would start this thread because I hit one of my bankroll milestones. I broke the 30 dollar wall.
A little history first. I started playing cash games around the middle of March. I deposited 25.00 (the minimum for neteller) and immediately lost that. I played in too high of games buying in with 10.00 and not being that experienced of a player I would lose that and then start scrambling trying to make it back.
This pattern went on through the rest of March and April. Every payday I would deposit 25.00 and the following week I would be broke. Counting it up, my ignorance on playing and bankroll management cost me 150.00 from March through the end of April.
Thanks to this forum and everyone here, especially Nick, I was awarded "Best Newbie on the Forum" along with Lo-Dog, I believe. This included a deposit into my neteller account that kept me from dipping into my bank account. I was down to 5.00 on pokerstars.
So for the month of May I started out with 35.00. Through some very foolish playing, my 35.00 became 8 dollars and some change (I learned to never play while sleep deprived). I then took a mini-sabbatical (1 week) without playing. Then came back to the game, won second in a 1 +.20 SnG and my bankroll went back up to 18.00. Then I played in some .1/.2 NLH ring games and got my banroll back up to 25 and some change.
The past couple of nights I have played in the .5/.10 games because the .1/.2 and the .2/.5 games were all full. My bankroll is back up to a promising, but modest 45 dollars.
So that is what I meant about the 30 dollar wall, or quicksand (I'd get stuck in it and just sink from there). I've been up to 39.00 a few times and would play and play just trying to etch out that extra dollar with no luck. So last night was a turing point, I hope.
I believe I have improved my strategy (from zero strategy to "There's a strategy to poker?" realization).
I take things into account now like position, chip stack, betting patterns. I'm understanding the value of check-raise, pre-flop betting, premium hands, bluffing, etc.
I'm also learning some of the terminology such as check-calling, +EV, UTG, MP, etc.
I've also taken advantage of some of the criticism given in rooms by getting past the rudeness and crudeness of the tone and used them as learning tools, if I felt they had a point. I've been the donkey that I hear about from others in this forum (keyword "been"). I still have my donk moments, but I'm getting better.
I still have to wrap my mind around "result-oriented" playing. I think I'm still a results oriented player, but as my understanding for the game increases I hope this changes.
I gain a lot of benefit from hitting the "Hand Analysis" thread and seeing how different people play hands and some of the comments and advice given. I compare what I would do to what other, more experienced, players would do. Sometimes the right answer is not always obvious.
Anyway, I tend to get very wordy when I write so I will close this post now.
My bankroll is still fairly small, but I thought I would start this thread because I hit one of my bankroll milestones. I broke the 30 dollar wall.
A little history first. I started playing cash games around the middle of March. I deposited 25.00 (the minimum for neteller) and immediately lost that. I played in too high of games buying in with 10.00 and not being that experienced of a player I would lose that and then start scrambling trying to make it back.
This pattern went on through the rest of March and April. Every payday I would deposit 25.00 and the following week I would be broke. Counting it up, my ignorance on playing and bankroll management cost me 150.00 from March through the end of April.
Thanks to this forum and everyone here, especially Nick, I was awarded "Best Newbie on the Forum" along with Lo-Dog, I believe. This included a deposit into my neteller account that kept me from dipping into my bank account. I was down to 5.00 on pokerstars.
So for the month of May I started out with 35.00. Through some very foolish playing, my 35.00 became 8 dollars and some change (I learned to never play while sleep deprived). I then took a mini-sabbatical (1 week) without playing. Then came back to the game, won second in a 1 +.20 SnG and my bankroll went back up to 18.00. Then I played in some .1/.2 NLH ring games and got my banroll back up to 25 and some change.
The past couple of nights I have played in the .5/.10 games because the .1/.2 and the .2/.5 games were all full. My bankroll is back up to a promising, but modest 45 dollars.
So that is what I meant about the 30 dollar wall, or quicksand (I'd get stuck in it and just sink from there). I've been up to 39.00 a few times and would play and play just trying to etch out that extra dollar with no luck. So last night was a turing point, I hope.
I believe I have improved my strategy (from zero strategy to "There's a strategy to poker?" realization).
I take things into account now like position, chip stack, betting patterns. I'm understanding the value of check-raise, pre-flop betting, premium hands, bluffing, etc.
I'm also learning some of the terminology such as check-calling, +EV, UTG, MP, etc.
I've also taken advantage of some of the criticism given in rooms by getting past the rudeness and crudeness of the tone and used them as learning tools, if I felt they had a point. I've been the donkey that I hear about from others in this forum (keyword "been"). I still have my donk moments, but I'm getting better.
I still have to wrap my mind around "result-oriented" playing. I think I'm still a results oriented player, but as my understanding for the game increases I hope this changes.
I gain a lot of benefit from hitting the "Hand Analysis" thread and seeing how different people play hands and some of the comments and advice given. I compare what I would do to what other, more experienced, players would do. Sometimes the right answer is not always obvious.
Anyway, I tend to get very wordy when I write so I will close this post now.
Seems you are really analyzing your game and are determined to improve, which of course is excellent. I have to agree that this site is a great help and if I can ever get back to playing more often(the weather is so nice here!) I might soon get my bankroll high enough to get off the 5c/10c tables. Keep up the good work and keep posting your progress.
