Hey all,

I am just looking for some general direction. I started playing poker around a year ago. Through some success in home tournaments and low level NLHE tournaments at my local casino, I was able to run up a bankroll of about $2500 from basically nothing. I have a regular job and consider myself an ambitious recreational player.

I have played almost exclusively tournaments, as I haven't found much success playing 1/2 in the times that I have tried. I either leave up a very small amount or get felted - never really able to double up or run up a big stack. I just don't think I'm very good playing cash. Not that I think I'm very good playing tournaments either, but at least they're fun to play and don't cost much at the volume I play. My main problem is that I'm still scared money in cash games, as 10-12 BIs isn't much wiggle room (especially when you aren't a winning player).

Another thing I should mention is that my state (Colorado) doesn't have a lot of poker action and has a $100 betting cap. I don't think this has much of an effect on the game at 1/2 most of the time but it does mean that I most likely will never be able to advance past that level of the game. I am an American obviously, so I don't have the option of playing online. I went to Vegas recently to play a freeroll at the Golden Nugget and had a fantastic time - played cash and SnGs at the Rio and played some cash at the Wynn. Would love to go back to Vegas next Summer and maybe enter a WSOP event (even if just one of their daily tournaments or satellites).

My question is where do I go from here? My goal is to be the best player I can be and to become a profitable player, hopefully eventually building up a bankroll large enough to play bigger tournaments when they come through CO (HPT, Mid States Poker Tour, etc) and taking occasional shots at out of town tournaments when I get a chance. I am currently reading Harrington on Modern Tournaments and the Mental Game of Poker. People have recommended signing up for RunItOnce as well, so I think I might try that.

Is there any advice anyone has for me to help run up my roll? Some have said that I should focus more on cash games but it is tough when most results have been discouraging and the action around here isn't exactly juicy. Is it just plain stupid to continue playing mostly MTTs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you are showing as a 'new' winning player in MTTs that is pretty good. If you are playing 'low-level' that should also mean that the structures are pretty ugly as well and that even further shows your handle on the game is decent IMO.

Not being able to play winning cash is a bit 'off' to me. I'm leaning towards 'scared money syndrome' more than anything. The betting cap should make you even more comfortable playing cash (as a tournament player) IMO. But the fact that it's 'real' money and not tournament chips may be a mental barrier for you.

Playing MTTs you should be pretty comfortable with 'spots' that you must move your chips or get swallowed up by the fast moving blinds. These 'spots' come up in cash games as well where you should feel just as comfortable moving your chips around. Since cash is not 'do or die' your opponents may be attacking your style differently than during a tournament. You may be applying 'tournament' type of value betting when you should/could be getting more, thus charging a steeper price to chase down your stack with marginal holdings.

$2500 is marginally rolled to play 'a lot' of cash depending on your buy-in limits. Your success seems to be MTTs, can you find some with a little higher buy-in? Higher BI usually means deeper stacks and better structures, which should help you style even more.

Yes, there are players out there who thrive better in 'only' tournaments or cash, but the better/best players know how to modify their style to fit the table whether it be cash or tournament. Typically it's pretty hard to have long term success with low-limit live MTTs, so yes, expand your knowledge with the books, threads here and other information out there. Hopefully you can test a slightly higher BI tournament or post a few cash hands so we can take a look at your approach. GL

Hey, I really appreciate the response. Thank you.

Your comment about a barrier when it comes to putting in "real money" vs. tournament chips is spot on. I know that I can't move down in stakes from 1/2 so I'm still scared to lose a BI and eventually bust my roll. Not sure how necessarily to get past this.

However, I know that success at low-level MTTs isn't usually sustainable and the variance is an absolute killer. I am looking into larger buy-in events but I face a similar problem - I don't really want to put that high of a % of my bankroll towards just one tournament entry. I have entered a few satellites but haven't been able to get through one yet.

I guess another problem is that I'm just a huge life-nit.

Also, being American does not preclude you from playing online. Unless you live in one of the states that has specifically banned online poker (I have never heard of Colorado being one of them), there is no law against you playing. Many people on here (including me) are Americans who have been playing online for years.

It actually should be easier for you to get through a satty than cash in a 'daily' MTT. I'll take another guess that the skill and aggression level in the satty is much higher than your normal 'daily' tournament. It does depend on whether it's a 10% or 20% satty as well.

Lots of players go into these sattys still thinking they need 'to win' the tournament when they only need to survive. Which usually opens up more opportunities for the tighter players.

Reading about the mental side of the game (life) should help you get more comfortable playing the actual poker 'spot' and not getting caught up in the 'what if I lose' side of your decisions. We all want positive results, but in the long run it's more important to consistently make good decisions with our chips. GL

This. I know a couple of former online pros that still live in the U.S. and are now hybrid live/online pros. Yes, American online tournies are smaller now (hey, lower variance!). For example, there are $100k GTD Sunday tournaments on Ignition Casino that pay $30k for first. There's a $300k GTD special event coming up in August. The software isn't as nice as the ole Full Tilt and PokerStars, but it works and I rather enjoy playing on there.

America's Cardroom is also pretty solid with big tournies, though I don't play on that site as much (just preference)

Both sites have been around awhile and have good history of paying out, but obviously people are still skittish after Black Friday's events.


If you have a mental block about livecash - then be like me, just play live MTTs! Early in the tourney it feels like shooting fish in a barrel. So easy to play. I target the recs, iso, and steal their chips. Build a stack to play against the competents you might find later in a tournament!