Some general advice requested and needed.

[RJT]

I started playing hold ‘em about a year ago. I concentrated on limit with some SNGs here and there. I have been playing NL (mostly 1-2) online now for a few months. I am doing ok at NL. I enjoy it much more, anyway.

I have pretty much been buying in for around $80 (40-min 200max). Once I double my money or get around $200 I cash out and get on another table. This has been a conservative approach for me and it seems to be working. Most of the times when I get over that amount I end up losing much of what I have gained.

I often see others building their stacks up quite a bit higher than that and have no problem maintaining it.

I am making money so I see no reason to change this pattern - at least for now.

Probably, I am starting out with my A game and when I get more money, I must be playing less optimal.

Any general thoughts here. Should I be working on my discipline and not take the “lifeline”? Should I continue this method? Do others also use this method?

Thanks for any input.

RJT

[cata1yst]

I always buy in for the max. If you are only buying in for 40BB you are not maximizing your monsters and you also do not have much of a stack to push people around. On your BIG hands when you double up you profit 80 dollars whereas someone buying in for the max profits 200. I don't understand the point for buying in for anything less.

[RJT]

Ok, I'll buy that.

Mostly I have been buying in short to be conservative - a bit gun shy. At any rate what do you think about having a set goal at one table and cashing out, then starting over and building?

Kind of like folk do with stocks. Buy low sell high. Finding that point when (if) to sell is kind of what I am asking about.

[Slap My Jack]

There are general differences in playing a shortstack and playing a big stack. There have been several threads discussing playing a shortstack like this. It's really personal preference.

The biggest reasons against this approach are if you are a good player you should buy-in full. It sounds like you have trouble playing deepstack poker and this works against you.

It really comes down to personal preference. Some people aren't comfortable with $200 on the table. I'd personally advise you to just play $100NL, even $50NL, instead and see how that works.

[Garon]

Hi RJT,

Since you are new to NL, your problem could be you don't know how to play the later streets very well. You don't need to know that when you only buy in for such a short amount, then when you build your stack enough to have to play them you lose all your money. That probably isn't coincidence. Either that or you play well for an hour and then your play goes downhill. But if that were the case you would lose it all the times you didn't build your stack also. Do you lose it all after an hour or so when you haven't built your stack up, or only when you have? Therein lies your answer I think.

Garon

[cata1yst]

Stay as long as the game is good. Plus, having a big stack at the table is always fun and the other players respect your play. I feel that players are more timid to play against you since you can easily stack them giving you more opportunity to run the table over.

If you were to set a limit when to stop I would say after you have profited 2 buy ins. IMO I prefer to keep going but that is just me.

[cata1yst]

[ QUOTE ]
There are general differences in playing a shortstack and playing a big stack. There have been several threads discussing playing a shortstack like this. It's really personal preference.

The biggest reasons against this approach are if you are a good player you should buy-in full. It sounds like you have trouble playing deepstack poker and this works against you.

It really comes down to personal preference. Some people aren't comfortable with $200 on the table. I'd personally advise you to just play $100NL, even $50NL, instead and see how that works.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto, if you are gun shy at 200NL just move down.

[4_2_it]

Setting limits on play is fine. Winning or losing $x should not be one of the factors to consider. Time and # of hands are much better limits to set for yourself.

[RJT]

I know I am not giving you guys much information. But, so far I am getting some good responses in spite of this.

I will start buying in for the max at any level I play. My problem isn’t my bankroll, per se - I am not playing with “scared money”. I usually have no problem building my stack. It is basically maintaining it.

It just seems that I see others building their stacks to well over 3, 4 5 xs the buy in and hang on to it. Maybe it is my overall play on later streets. I will try to give some examples - post some hands when I lose “my profits”.

[RJT]

Maybe I start out aggressive and get “scared” to lose my profits. Perhaps, my play changes in this manner.