Transition to Cash Games
So I have stuck to mainly tournaments (SNGs with a few MTTs) with some decent success over about 2300 tournies. Lately I have found it hard to find enough time to play the games I like, and SNGs are just boring it seems. I found myself donking off a lot of money and playing really bad overall. So I took a break as per the usual. Came back to more of the same.
So, I decided maybe its time to transition to cash games. I have played the past few nights (about 1200 hands) and I am in the positive about $45 or so playing 10c/25c - two tables at a time. I never used to win anything at cash games, in fact, I still show a negative profit on pokertableratings (-100 or so?)
I understand bankroll management, and I have set up strict parameters as to when I have to move down, and when I can move up. But I have a few questions:
1. Where are the significant jumps in skill level that you guys have noticed?
2. I noticed in another thread that deuces cracked has a 7 day trial. Are they the best cash game strat site? I can download all or most vids in like one day, so if they have a trial period, thats best.
3. For you cash game players, what is a good bb/100 rate to shoot for? And when do you start assuming your sample size is sufficient to look at things like this? 10,000 hands?
4. Do you ever cash out any of your roll, or do you keep it compounding to move up in stakes? I used to keep like 600-800 in my account for tournies, but if I want to move up in cash games, I will need more than that!
5. How many of you use those password protector things that you can order through stars store? Is hacking accounts popular enough that I should worry about it, if I need to keep more $ in there as I move up? (if I move up lol)
6. Am I screwed? :baffled:
That is all 4 now...
So, I decided maybe its time to transition to cash games. I have played the past few nights (about 1200 hands) and I am in the positive about $45 or so playing 10c/25c - two tables at a time. I never used to win anything at cash games, in fact, I still show a negative profit on pokertableratings (-100 or so?)
I understand bankroll management, and I have set up strict parameters as to when I have to move down, and when I can move up. But I have a few questions:
1. Where are the significant jumps in skill level that you guys have noticed?
2. I noticed in another thread that deuces cracked has a 7 day trial. Are they the best cash game strat site? I can download all or most vids in like one day, so if they have a trial period, thats best.
3. For you cash game players, what is a good bb/100 rate to shoot for? And when do you start assuming your sample size is sufficient to look at things like this? 10,000 hands?
4. Do you ever cash out any of your roll, or do you keep it compounding to move up in stakes? I used to keep like 600-800 in my account for tournies, but if I want to move up in cash games, I will need more than that!
5. How many of you use those password protector things that you can order through stars store? Is hacking accounts popular enough that I should worry about it, if I need to keep more $ in there as I move up? (if I move up lol)
6. Am I screwed? :baffled:
That is all 4 now...
Comments
If you think sng are boring, just wait to you get to cash. So far from what I have seen is half to 3/4 of the table are nits.(which I know is not entirely a bad thing), but still in the early stages.
(Please be advised I am having a bad day no matter what I play so far today so take the above as you may:p)
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? lol
Might sound like a noob, but what does 2nl mean? You bought in for 2 bucks and its nl? Or the bb is 2cents or what? Im confused. <---Doesn't take much.
Honestly, the most fun I have had well on stars is 5 card draw, just waiting to get more bankroll to go to a higher level, actually I might go play some 5 card draw here in a few minutes.:wink2:
That being said, it is a challenge because cash game play uses a different skill set and I think a skilled player has a bigger advantage in cash play than tournies because tourneys are far more about math due to your chips changing relative value as the blinds go up.
Im sticking to a LAG game in position and TAG game OOP. Or trying to anyways. And I keep one thing in my head the entire time (something I heard Hershelw say on a vid on pp) - Cash games are the opposite of tournies in that in cash, you should default to folding. You should be looking for reasons to call or raise, but if you can't find any, then fold. Tournies are the opposite.
And I think the reason I am not bored with them is I just started playing, so its new, and it has instant monitary value. I know if I get stacked, im out $12-25 or whatever I have. So I don't make AS MANY stupid plays.
I've played cash games in the past. Nothing significant, but perhaps this would be something challenging and interesting. I really miss playing and it's good mental exercise for a lowly painter who's brain could shrivel up and die with the challenges of his job.
This might even be a good venue for my horrible tight/passive play style that never seems to get me anywhere. I need to find a way to open up my game more. Perhaps the deuces cracked videos could be of assistance with this?
Anyhoo, good luck with the cash games Reibs and Philli. I'm planning on playing at least something over the next few days while gf is out of town!
Just killing time till dinner mind you:)
Okay, thanks Jah. So my next jump to .25/.50 should not make a huge difference in your opinion? Maybe I will go snoop around in some of those tables tonight to see what the play is like. Unfortunately im not rolled at the moment to play, but watchin is free!
Anyone else able to provide some answers? Do you guys have a strategy as to how often you cash out, while still enabling you to move up in stakes at some point down the road?
IMO NL isn't worth the time online...it is pretty dead except for the cap and short stack tables. PLO, stud8/razz and mixed games seem to be where most of the fish are these days.
Unfortunately, I would be a fish at the PLO tables still, and have never played the others....
Are you guys shoving AK in rush poker?
It has been crappy 2 days in poker for me.
$5.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Saturday, September 04, 12:11:53 ET 2010
Table Flash (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Seat 1: Chrouw ( $5.18 USD )
Seat 2: poldinkoo ( $2.00 USD )
Seat 3: mikioho ( $1.99 USD )
Seat 4: gworth ( $4.88 USD )
Seat 5: Heratio ( $4.95 USD )
Seat 6: white04wrx ( $3.56 USD )
Seat 7: zking75 ( $3.08 USD )
Seat 8: budrik ( $5.00 USD )
Seat 9: connel1000 ( $5.33 USD )
white04wrx posts small blind [$0.02 USD].
zking75 posts big blind [$0.05 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to gworth [ Ac Ad ]
budrik folds
connel1000 folds
Chrouw raises [$0.20 USD]
poldinkoo folds
mikioho calls [$0.20 USD]
gworth raises [$0.92 USD]
Heratio folds
white04wrx folds
zking75 folds
Chrouw calls [$0.72 USD]
mikioho folds
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5h, 2c, 9s ]
Chrouw bets [$4.26 USD]
gworth calls [$3.96 USD]
Chrouw shows [Jc, Jd ]
gworth shows [Ac, Ad ]
Chrouw wins $0.30 USD
** Dealing Turn ** [ 6c ]
** Dealing River ** [ Kc ]
gworth wins $9.37 USD from main pot