Bankroll

[DrewTheHead]

Have not played online seriously in a little while...just got a job 9-5 and want to start up online since live poker has been taken out of the question for now...can someone please give advice on how i should start out?

should i dump all my money in one site? and if i were 4 tabling what should my bankroll be starting at .25/.50 or .5/1?

[pzhon]

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Have not played online seriously in a little while...just got a job 9-5 and want to start up online since live poker has been taken out of the question for now...can someone please give advice on how i should start out?

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Are you a winning player? If so, you need to provide details on what games and levels you have beaten. Otherwise, set a budget and play within it until you have a better feel for the games.

Online $1-$2 limit is comparable with some live $10-$20 limit games. Don't declare that you are a $3-$6 player because you play $3-$6 live, and expect to survive online $3-$6.

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should i dump all my money in one site?

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There are pros and cons of each site. I recommend trying a few. Look for good deals such as sign-up bonuses, or a return on some of the rake.

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and if i were 4 tabling what should my bankroll be starting at .25/.50 or .5/1?

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If multitabling does not change your game, then it doesn't change your bankroll requirements. This may be counterintuitive, but it is well-established. Multitabling gives you the same swings faster, just as if you were playing on a site that dealt more hands per hour to a single table. It does not increase the size of your worst drawdown or increase your risk of ruin, unless it changes the way you play.

If you are an expert player, you can be quite safe with 150-200 BB ($150-$200 at $0.50-$1), and less if you are clearing good bonuses. In fact, clearing a generous bonus can give an expert's win rate to a break-even player.

Since you have a job, your balance is not your bankroll. You can play $0.50-$1 with a $50 deposit. If you bust out, review your game and deposit again later.

[pzhon]

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If you are an expert player, you can be quite safe with 150-200 BB ($150-$200 at $0.50-$1), and less if you are clearing good bonuses. In fact, clearing a generous bonus can give an expert's win rate to a break-even player.

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You didn't say whether you played limit or NL. I assumed you were playing limit, since on some sites the lowest limit games are about $0.25-$0.50 or $0.50-$1 and it is less common to refer to NL games by giving two values. From your other posts, however, it looks like you play NL.

The proper analogue of the 300 BB guideline most people quote, which is too conservative for $0.50-$1 limit and below, is about 10-12 buy-ins. People often say 20 buy-ins instead, but that is much more conservative for a solid winning NL player than 300 BB is for a winning limit player. Again, without a track record, you should not assume that you are a winning player, and you need to set a budget, not manage a bankroll.

I don't recommend starting at NL $100 or NL $50 if your main experience is with live games with a $2 big blind. Online NL $25 is closer, though still a bit tougher than the live NL games I have seen with a $2 big blind. The rake is a lot lower in proportion, though.