ITH Poker Forum

[DeltaChaos]

About 15 months ago, I loaded $200 onto Full Tilt to start my online poker career. At present, my bankroll is sitting around $180 (on Stars - at one point I had a Drag the Bar coach trade me $200 across from FT to PS). My bankroll, at it's highest point was just over $1K. I have had many opportunities to reload (as a temp poker dealer in Vegas, it has been feast or famine), but I have been stubborn just wanting to make something out of the initial $200.

My quick bankroll declines have been due to taking shots on larger games, basically playing tournaments where I had less than 60 buy ins total for my bankroll. Also, I suck at cash games IMO, so I just don't play them anymore... especially Rush.

I'm currently playing the $1.40KO 90man and the $2.20 90man SNGs on Stars, probably 80% the former. Playing any lower than that I think would be pointless. I really feel that my level of play is strong enough now that I could be successful at much higher buy-in games, and I don't really see the point anymore of trying to protect a $200 bankroll.

I'm thinking of playing only the 180man $4.40 SNGs now and just reloading a grand if that $180 I have left goes away. I believe I have a good shot of making something much bigger of my bankroll by stepping up now, though.

My question to all of you is this: If you were working with a bankroll of $180, and you wanted to try to make something of it without reloading, would you play it unprotected and bump up to 50 buy-ins, or would you stay at 100+ buy-in level? Would you even bother protecting less than $200, just on bankroll management principle?

[the_hawk]

My question to all of you is this: If you were working with a bankroll of $180, and you wanted to try to make something of it without reloading, would you play it unprotected and bump up to 50 buy-ins, or would you stay at 100+ buy-in level? Would you even bother protecting less than $200, just on bankroll management principle?

You don't want to reload but if push comes to shove you can do so without difficulty (or so it sounds). In these circumstances I think that your "true" BR is well above $180, and playing at the 4/180s is fine.

[DeltaChaos]

Played the 90mans for about 10 days. Cashed five firsts, five thirds, two seconds, and about eight other final table finishes. I'm currently down from $180 to $120.

I'm going back to the large field $2 and $3s. Those are the only games I've ever shown profit. It seems like I'm cashing consistently, but the payoffs are too small.

[kbrkal]

The limits that your playing your roll is OK. I would if I were you add another $50 to be safe.

[Piscivorous]

Have you given thought to the $5 Double or Nothings?

[DeltaChaos]

Yeah, about that...

I've played about 20 of those (which isn't really many) but I just seem to suck at them. I bubble most of them. I think people that play them just don't get involved with marginal hands, where I'm overly aggressive trying to squeeze value out of top pair good kicker type hands. They play really tightly, and I figure I'll try to exploit that, and it works for a while, but eventually I get caught by monsters. I'm a donkey.

[kane2]

Yeah, about that...

I've played about 20 of those (which isn't really many) but I just seem to suck at them. I bubble most of them. I think people that play them just don't get involved with marginal hands, where I'm overly aggressive trying to squeeze value out of top pair good kicker type hands. They play really tightly, and I figure I'll try to exploit that, and it works for a while, but eventually I get caught by monsters. I'm a donkey.

That would be your problem then.. You don't play those to win.. You are supposed to play them to survive. There is no extra money in finishing first.. only finishing in the money.