Starting My Journey

[RichAM]

Starting My Journey

I started my poker "life" with the usual n00b like tendencies. I saw MoneyMaker make his millions in NL Poker at the WSOP. I thought to myself, "I could do that, it looks easy." Yeah, it's not. I have spent a couple of thousand dollars learning my lesson. Two weeks ago I got fed up with not being able to beat the game. So, I msg'd every poker site that I played at and told them not to let me deposit until I send them a letter with my signiture and a family members'. This way I will have time to learn the game before going on life tilt.

I will be starting my journey on August 1, 2007. For the last two weeks I have spent countless hours reading over the Micro-Limit and Small Stakes Limit forums, reading countless hands, and reading over everything Ed Miller (aka KONG) has written. I have ordered Small Stakes Holdem and I'm waiting to read it. I will read over it at least 4 times by August 1st. I tend to learn everything I can learn about beating Small Stakes Holdem.

I will be starting at 1/2 Limit, Full Ring Only! I thought I would start out at 25c/50c or 50c/1 but I think by the time I'm ready to start playing, I'll be ready for 1/2. If I'm not comfortable with my knowledge of the game by then I'll start lower (but I will). I'll be starting with the standard 300BB ($600), sit down with 30BB and if I get below 20BB then reload back up to 30.

I have learned that, it's not how many hands you play, it's how many hands you play perfect. I will start off slow, playing 100-200 hands a session. In that many hands I should have at least 10-20 hands that I will be able to review and post. That way I can continue my perfection of this game. I will be using Camtasia Studio to record my play for I can review it easily. I'll also setup a blog, that way others can look at the video and give me thier pointers. I will also be going over every session with Poker Tracker to find any leaks in my game. Posting on this forum and getting my plays berated by other players will easily be allowed. It's the only way someone will learn, by telling them what they did wrong. Criticism is the key to becoming a better player.

So, on August 1st you can find me at the tables in the 1/2 game at Full Tilt.

-RichAM

[terencetsao]

welcome
good luck sir

[Xylocain]

1. Thinly veiled troll post?

[edit] I just actually read your post, and to tell you the truth... poker is probably not for you. If you had to ban yourself, you should not be playing. sorry. [/edit]

[OziBattler]

[ QUOTE ]
I will be starting at 1/2 Limit, Full Ring Only! I thought I would start out at 25c/50c or 50c/1 but I think by the time I'm ready to start playing, I'll be ready for 1/2. If I'm not comfortable with my knowledge of the game by then I'll start lower (but I will). I'll be starting with the standard 300BB ($600), sit down with 30BB and if I get below 20BB then reload back up to 30.

[/ QUOTE ]

welcome

honestly, it sounds like you are learning to play Limit after playing (and losing) at NL and you really should start low, ie at 25c/50c. Learn at the cheapest level where the $ have some meaning for you. 1/2 is an aggressive game and you dont want to get eaten alive...I dont mean to underestimate your skills because i dont really know how you play but trust me, 1/2 is anything but plain sailing for learnnig players.

What Im saying is start low and get some experience in applying what youve learnt during this study time. I just fear that youve made this plan and if you start at 1/2 that youll be destined for a rough learning curve on a limited bankroll.

take a look at some of the graphs in this thread. Many of them are by players far more experienced playing at limits similar to yours.

bascially what Im saying is that it is good to be keen but given your stated history with poker you really should consider taking it slow and steady.

goodluck

[bennyhana]

wow, that's heavy.

just be careful.

oh, and good luck, i guess.

[RichAM]

[ QUOTE ]
1. Thinly veiled troll post?

[edit] I just actually read your post, and to tell you the truth... poker is probably not for you. If you had to ban yourself, you should not be playing. sorry. [/edit]

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason I banned myself was for I could learn the game. That way I dont read a little bit and say to myself (again), "that's easy".

[RichAM]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I will be starting at 1/2 Limit, Full Ring Only! I thought I would start out at 25c/50c or 50c/1 but I think by the time I'm ready to start playing, I'll be ready for 1/2. If I'm not comfortable with my knowledge of the game by then I'll start lower (but I will). I'll be starting with the standard 300BB ($600), sit down with 30BB and if I get below 20BB then reload back up to 30.

[/ QUOTE ]

welcome

honestly, it sounds like you are learning to play Limit after playing (and losing) at NL and you really should start low, ie at 25c/50c. Learn at the cheapest level where the $ have some meaning for you. 1/2 is an aggressive game and you dont want to get eaten alive...I dont mean to underestimate your skills because i dont really know how you play but trust me, 1/2 is anything but plain sailing for learnnig players.

What Im saying is start low and get some experience in applying what youve learnt during this study time. I just fear that youve made this plan and if you start at 1/2 that youll be destined for a rough learning curve on a limited bankroll.

take a look at some of the graphs in this thread. Many of them are by players far more experienced playing at limits similar to yours.

bascially what Im saying is that it is good to be keen but given your stated history with poker you really should consider taking it slow and steady.

goodluck

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks for the writeup Aussie, after July is over I will post again, and by that post hopefully you will think I'm up to par with 1/2 and the aggressive side of limit poker

during this month, if you dont mind of course, get a mix of questions that you think the 1/2 player would easily know, i'll take your test, if i dont pass it that will let me know to move down and start at 25c/50c

thanks again
-RichAM

[Aaron W.]

Here are some pointers:

[ QUOTE ]
I have learned that, it's not how many hands you play, it's how many hands you play perfect.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's nice. Now unlearn it. It's not how many hands you play perfectly, but managing the size of the mistakes that you end up making.

[ QUOTE ]
I will start off slow, playing 100-200 hands a session.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope you have the discipline to do that. Many well-intentioned players set themselves up for failure by being too restrictive and not allowing themselves enough "enjoyment" by actually playing the game.

[ QUOTE ]
In that many hands I should have at least 10-20 hands that I will be able to review and post.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should have that many hands that you could post. But this doesn't mean that you should post them all, or even post any of them at all. Responding to posts is far more valuable as a learning tool than starting new threads. Also, don't post too many hands at once. It's quite rude.

[ QUOTE ]
That way I can continue my perfection of this game. I will be using Camtasia Studio to record my play for I can review it easily. I'll also setup a blog, that way others can look at the video and give me thier pointers. I will also be going over every session with Poker Tracker to find any leaks in my game.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should also sign up for the session swaps (about once every couple weeks).

[ QUOTE ]
Posting on this forum and getting my plays berated by other players will easily be allowed.

[/ QUOTE ]

The only way you could stop that from happening is by not posting.

[ QUOTE ]
So, on August 1st you can find me at the tables in the 1/2 game at Full Tilt.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good luck.

[RichAM]

@aaron

thanks for the pointers ... i will take them to heart

[OziBattler]

[ QUOTE ]
during this month, if you dont mind of course, get a mix of questions that you think the 1/2 player would easily know, i'll take your test, if i dont pass it that will let me know to move down and start at 25c/50c

[/ QUOTE ]

umm, if only it were that simple. basically the tried and proven recipe for getting better and testing yourself is
- reply to other peoples hands
- participate in session reviews (see sticky post at top of this forum..there is also an FAQ which probably isnt in there but can be found via searching)
- rinse repeat til better at poker

when you get to a level where the other posters actually agree with you then you are on the right track.

Ill leave you with something to ponder..."it is not about what button you press but about why you pressed it".