starting bankroll..

[gorioboy87]

hello...i want to start playing online seriously...ive been reading a few articles, and was wondering if i should start with a $50 or $200 deposit...here is why:

$200 because this is 20x the max buy-in at the lowest limits of NL on fulltilt (5 and 10 cent blinds)

and

$50 because i read an article

any thoughts on how much i should start with?

thank you [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[JayA]

If you're planning on playing cash, $200 would probably be the best way to go because it would be hard to play anything comfortably on Full Tilt w/ $50 besides $2 sngs. Gl sir.

[sonneti]

Before you do anything read up on bonus whoring and rakeback...

[gorioboy87]

thanks for your advice guys...ill be sure to take it in...anyone else? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[mittman84]

[ QUOTE ]
Before you do anything read up on bonus whoring and rakeback...

[/ QUOTE ]That is by far the most important piece of advise for anyone looking to build a bankroll. I would also suggest depositing the most you are comfortable with. If that is $200 do that, if more then deposit a little more.

[PNXRMX]

[ QUOTE ]
Before you do anything read up on bonus whoring and rakeback...

[/ QUOTE ]
Except nowhere tells you the real story, since 99% of sites out there want you to use their links to get the standard wimpy hard-to-clear bonus. And most people fall for it, since it says 1000%, which means you increase your money tenfold!!!

[excession]

I started with $40 and played about 500x $5 SnG's (two at a time) before moving to cash games (the first 300 of these were limit).
I figured I would get a lot of play for each of my $5 and I did.

What is important is experience. Move up when your skill level and win rates are noticeably better than those around you not just because your bankroll hits $X.

Bonus whoring isn't that easy any more for US players so RB becomes more crucial. For goodness sake make sure you get a decent RB deal on any of the sites you register for (Stars don't do RB though - they have an FPP system instead which is pretty poor to start out to be honest). If you play 6 max a 33% RB deal is worth maybe 3 big blinds/100 hands played at small stakes - that adds up hugely over the course of your poker career.

The money doesn't matter at the beginning - learning the game does - play some SnG's, some Heads Up (the Stars HU SnG with non-escalating blinds are good for this), some full ring and some six max. Play short stacked, play full stacked. Get PT and a HUD (or check out the new Holdem Manager) before you play a significant amount of cash games.

If I had $200 to start playing poker I would spend $70 of it on PT (and get the free HUD GT+) right away.

I'd put the rest into a site that gave me some RB for playign the micros and start playing micro-stakes mixed with some SnG's to see which I liked best.

[Miyogi]

For full tilt deposit the $200 and make sure you get rakeback (27% is the max and use onr of the affiliates from the sponsored forums). If you want to do the SNG's the bigger deposit will still get you more bonus to clear.

[Hiiiiiiii]

How can you play seriously with $200?

[ChipFerFree]

[ QUOTE ]
How can you play seriously with $200?

[/ QUOTE ]

Carefully but it can DEFINITELY be done -- I started with 50 and have made a good bit and I'm sure I'm not alone...