05-26-09, Clark Jensen:
When Can I Go Pro?
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I started with 20$ and played micro stakes up to 0.25$ BB. I like to play Limit Texas Holdem, sometimes No-Limit. After 3-4 weeks was my bankroll around 150$ and I moved for higher stakes 1-3$ BB. Then, I lost all my money in one day. It happened to me about 4 times and I don't exactly know why. I didn't change my style or discipline and I don't think the reason was a game with more experienced players. Many of them I successfully played in the micro BB games with.
Simply, I didn't get any playable hands for hours and if I got some good hands, I always flopped different cards. Finally I had many bad beats there. While I played with smaller stakes, something like that NEVER happened to me. My questions are:
1. Are there some different levels of the game? I mean the difficulty of software in the higher stakes.
2. How many times BB should be a total bankroll? For example, if I would like to play in 1$ BB game, how much should I have on my account?
3 Is there some poker software for training? Some guide during the game, different levels, pot odds calculations, recommendations how to play a particular hand, etc.
Thank You.
Paul
Hi Paul
It's good that you admit being a loser in the long run. Many aspiring poker players don't think so although they have serious leakage in their bankrolls. But if you wish to become a professional player, losing in the long haul is not a particularly great start. Most people who play poker for a living first realized that they were winning more than they could earn at a regular job and then decided to go pro. And unfortunately, I think you have a long way to go.
I'll try to answer your questions:
1. As far as the software is concerned; there are no differences between the levels. The competition of course gets tougher the higher you play - an average $1-$2 would get slaughtered at $10-$20. However, when you compare the smallest stakes, I don't think that the difference is that big. A big winner at $0.10-$0.20 can probably beat $0.5-$1.
2. I'm really glad that you asked this question. Conventional poker theory says that you should have at least 300 x BB (big bet) in your bankroll when playing fixed-limit games. In no-limit games you should have 3,000 x BB (big blind). You say that you moved up to $1-$3 when you bankroll was $150; when following these guidelines, you should have waited until you had $900. When moving up the ladder too early you can't handle any sorts of swings, and just as you said happened, the money could be gone after only one day running bad.
Furthermore, when playing professionally, this is not enough. Remember that the money you earn from poker has to pay the bills and put food on the table. A pro must have a decent bankroll to play with and also money for the every-day life - money that never should be mixed.
Do I sound like a boring old man? Well, there is nothing I can do about it. If you don't mind an increased risk of going bust, of course you can make a run for it and play at a level where your bankroll is at risk. But if you do that, don't plan a professional career.
3. There are quite a few poker tools on the market that can help you improve your game - especially when it comes to calculating odds and analyzing playing styles. However, although these programs can help you improve your game, you must learn to make the right decisions and play optimally.
Software suggestions (all available for free):
My advice for you Paul is to wait before you start playing poker for a living. If you really like the game, study it carefully and analyze everything you do. Play because you love poker, and if you take it seriously, perhaps you will become a long-term winner one day.
Regards,
Clark Jensen
Learn Texas Holdem
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