Rebuilding my bankroll--is this a good plan? Plus: PS + FTP questions

[Quicksilvre]

At one point, before I spent all day tarding around OOT and BBV4L, I was a poker player. I even used real money, at both WPEX and Party. In fact, I wasn't half bad at it. Unfortunately, I was a total donkey about bankroll requirements, especially when it came to SNGs. I was playing $11s with less than $100 in my roll. Understandably, I eventually went busto. Not including Party bonuses, I think I made a profit of like $35, total. At this point I didn't want to play too much poker, and in any case Party kicked out all of its US players.

But, now I want to get back into the game.

Dear readers, please take a look at my plans. Alert me if you see anything that's really out stupid:

1. Re-read SSHE and the limit-hold'em and O8 sections of SS2.

O8 was my favorite game when I was playing. LHE was tied for second with NLHE, but I was much more likely to stick to a reasonable game in LHE.

2. Get an ePassporte account and deposit $300.

I already know that money is coming in a week or two. After fees that leaves me with $285.

3. Deposit into Full Tilt Poker, through a rakeback affiliate.

I was a (very) small winner while I was playing, something like $25 per month (~3000 hands). I didn't use Poker Tracker (more on that later) so I don't know what my win-rate was exactly, other than it was probably "low."

4. Grind out that deposit bonus.

I would be playing .25/.5 LHE, with a move up to .5/1 if I have a three winning sessions in a row. There I would move back down if I lost in two sessions in a row. I would never play a LHE game with fewer than 200 BBs.

If I could find a game of LO8, I would play 1/2, moving up to 2/4 or down to .5/1 following the same criteria as above, except my minimum there would be 75 BBs.

5. When/if I reached $400 on FTP, withdraw $50 and sign up at PokerStars and grind out that bonus.

With $50 I would start around .10/.20 for LHE and .25/.5 for LO8.

6. Find a comfort zone. Purchase Poker Tracker when/if FTP reached $400 again.

7. ??????

8. Profit.

Now, my questions for my peers:

Does my plan suck? In particular, is my bankroll reasonable for the game I'm playing?

How good are the O8 games at Party and FTP?

Is it difficult for someone used to full-ring LO8 to switch to PLO8 (which seems to be more popular on both sites) or six-handed play?

If I start playing at Stars and fall in love with it, would I be a fool to play there and ignore the rakeback deal at FTP?

How important is it for me to have Poker Tracker, considering the limits I plan to play at?

Thanks for giving this a read.

[Teddie]

i deposit in stars first then when you get your roll up too $600 go to full tilt

[ofdabeat]

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In fact, I wasn't half bad at it. Unfortunately, I was a total donkey about bankroll requirements, especially when it came to SNGs. I was playing $11s with less than $100 in my roll. Understandably, I eventually went busto. Not including Party bonuses, I think I made a profit of like $35, total.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, you probably are awful at poker for this kind of results on party pre-ban.
Why don't you read miller beginners book and play tight/solid until you know better?

[xxGreat1xx]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In fact, I wasn't half bad at it. Unfortunately, I was a total donkey about bankroll requirements, especially when it came to SNGs. I was playing $11s with less than $100 in my roll. Understandably, I eventually went busto. Not including Party bonuses, I think I made a profit of like $35, total.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, you probably are awful at poker for this kind of results on party pre-ban.
Why don't you read miller beginners book and play tight/solid until you know better?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do so many people feel the need to come in the BEGINNER forum and bash BEGINNERS by telling them they are no good. I bet they wouldn't be posting in the beginner forum with beginner questions if they were experts. Get a life

[EN09]

1) SSHE is a good read. Play whichever game is your BEST game until your 'roll is where it should be.

2) Know nuthin' about ePassporte. Do you know people you can send paypal to and do a cash transfer with? Save on fees.

3) RB at FTP is nice, but smaller limits are had at 'stars. Begin at 'stars and then move to FTP as you move up in limits. Move up the ladder as you develop.

4) Grinding is g00t.

5) Begin at 'stars at lower limits until your 'roll is up there. Then move to FTP.

6) A 'comfort zone' is good but can be overrated. Get PT as soon as you can. It will make you the $50+ or so back a hundredfold. Review hands, strategies, track opponents, find fish/donkeys. PAHUD by pokeracesoftware.com is also another must-have to begin with.

7) ???? On the 7th day rest I guess!

8) Profits yes! A good Ferengi always profits.

Overall your plan looks workable. I do suggest starting at the lower limits at 'stars before going to FTP. I'm playing NL now and have switched back to 'stars from FTP w/rakeb for this very reason.

PT and PAHUD are indispensible to begin with. Later on you tend to not lean on it so much, but it's great for reviews, etc. As for rb at FTP, if you're a losing player rb won't save you. Begin at lower limits and work up, if you can play higher great, go for it at FTP then but rb isn't everything. I'd rather win 4BB/100 and give up rb, then be breakeven and get rb. Make sense?

Don't know nuthin' 'bout O8 either.

gl to you.

[xMars]

i would probably start out on stars too, build a bankroll until you hit 600 and can maximize the FTP bonus

PT will help you ALOT, get it as soon as you can, you wotn regret it

check for other recommended books for your game. reading 1 book is a start, reading several will help you even more

[numbnuts007]

Starting at Stars is a good idea because you want to be able to put the full $600 in for the bonus at FT. At the same time, i wouldn't want to play at stars for any longer than you have to because at the lowest limits rb will help you out a ton.

What I would do is this: after you clear your stars bonus move to bodog and get advantage of their 10% bottomless bonus. Play there until you're up to $600. Or use www.bonuswhores.com to find another US bonus to whore. Bottom line i wouldn't play anywhere unless i was clearing a bonus or getting rb.

Good luck, welcome back.

[Quicksilvre]

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In fact, I wasn't half bad at it. Unfortunately, I was a total donkey about bankroll requirements, especially when it came to SNGs. I was playing $11s with less than $100 in my roll. Understandably, I eventually went busto. Not including Party bonuses, I think I made a profit of like $35, total.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, you probably are awful at poker for this kind of results on party pre-ban.
Why don't you read miller beginners book and play tight/solid until you know better?

[/ QUOTE ]

As I said, I was a donk with my bankroll. The point of my post was asking advice on that front. I didn't play too many hands either; I found it difficult to do more than 100 in one session. That, I know, is something I had to work on.

Incidentally, if you read my OP you will have noticed that I had read Ed Miller's book and planned on re-reading it. Did you even read my post?

[Quicksilvre]

Numbnuts/Great/Teddy/EN:

Thank you for the advice; I'll start with Stars instead. And numbnuts, thanks for mentioning Bodog. I hadn't even considered them and didn't know about that bonus.

[Quicksilvre]

Correction--I said SSHE when I meant to say Getting Started in Hold'em in my original post. Still, I never claimed to be an expert, mm'kay?

I will get SSHE and Poker Tracker as well.