how long does it take?

[mecbluefugate]

just wondering how long it took the average poster to start playing poker well. because I've been playing for about a year now, I've read a bunch of the books, and I browse around a lot on here, but my bankroll hovers around even playing micro sngs and 6max on stars. i guess im not taking anything from the books, because i just dont seem to improve.

[phydaux]

Been playing for two years. When I start playing well, I'll let you know.

[mecbluefugate]

yeah but i'm talking about playing like 200-300 hands of 2NL and being up like 14 cents.

[mecbluefugate]

lol, i know i probably sound like a complete tool. i guess im just curious because so many 2+2ers are so successful, and everyone says oh you're 2+2 you must be good etc. etc. so i guess i got it into my head that just by hanging around here i'd get better. i guess i'm asking what does one do once they join 2+2 in order to take advantage of it, cuz i'm tired of breakeven penny poker...

[jtr]

Choose a forum, presumably micro stakes NL in your case, and start replying to strategy posts without reading the other replies first. When everyone disagrees with you, figure out why. Do this a lot. Post hands of your own where you were genuinely lost (not just hands where someone sucked out on you). Don't be defensive about how you played the hand; genuinely listen to what other people have to tell you.

Getting better is not a magical process, and it doesn't happen by osmosis.

[OziBattler]

get involved in strategy forums. Lurking isnt good enough IMHO. When I first joined I would lurk and think that I agreed with what someone posted or I'd try and remember any good advice I got. USually I was kidding myself and I wouldnt remember.

When you post you are forced to actually put e-pen to paper and get what is in your head into text. Also youll get seasoned posters corercting you, sometimes harshly, but if you get stung youll probbly remember it more and thats a good thing.

I dont post here just because Im a nice guy...I do it because it helps me get better at poker (and if I can help others out whilst doing so then thats good too).

Oh and it took me probably a year to get my game to a decent level...I misapplied alot of concepts early on but I was eventually able to correct most of these but Im definitely still learning and working on my game. The day I stop learning is the day I give up poker.

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
yeah but i'm talking about playing like 200-300 hands of 2NL and being up like 14 cents.

[/ QUOTE ]
That is much too short. It normally takes several thousand hands for someone with an expert win rate to be confident that he is winning from the results alone, and tens of thousands of hands to get a decent estimate of that win rate.

To answer your question, I started winning on day 1, before I learned of 2+2. After several years, and a lot of money won, I still don't think I play well by my own standards. I often run into situations where I know what I usually do, but I don't know whether it is right, and I think I may be making significant errors on many of these decisions. I keep winning because my opponents play worse, in part because they don't keep working on improving.

[mecbluefugate]

i mean like 200-300 hands a session... my bad

[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
just wondering how long it took the average poster to start playing poker well. because I've been playing for about a year now, I've read a bunch of the books, and I browse around a lot on here, but my bankroll hovers around even playing micro sngs and 6max on stars. i guess im not taking anything from the books, because i just dont seem to improve.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have poker tracker and poker ace heads up display, or equivalents? If not, then you are playing with one hand tied behind your back.

What are your playing statistics for cash games?

Are you posting hands and replying to hands in the cash and tournament forums?

I would recommend getting PT and PAHUD, if you don't have them already, then start playing full ring .1/.25 25 NL with a $500 bankroll. Post hands regularly in the Full Ring forum. Learn to play very tight and aggressively. You'll probably make about 2 PTBB/100 if you stick with it. After a while, either move up or move to 6-max. If you go to 6-max, post in the SSNL forum and keep trying to improve.

My guess is that SnGs can be tougher to win consistently than ring games. And I know 6-max has higher variance than full ring. So, start at the beginning. Track your play. Post and analyze hands. Double your bankroll, move up and repeat.

You should be >1 PTBB/100 within the first month of FR play if you play a TAG game while trying to apply the principles in the books you're studying (5/10 rule, calculating outs and implied odds, etc).

[mecbluefugate]

due to being a broke college student, my bankroll is the 50 bucks I have on stars, the 20 on UB, and the 10 or so on FT.