I've been playing poker and used to think I was getting somewhere maybe even becoming decent.

I realize that I'm not and while I read things and know some things I didn't apply enough of what I read and just followed my own simple way of doing things ie. preflop raise with hands that I like and using my intuition to try and make people think I had the better hand.

I really need to play more to know for sure that I can build a bankroll on a consistent long term basis.

Is it worth it to play for play money to do this or use some other free poker software, even though the style of play might be a little different?

Play money is a bad way to learn anything other than game mechanics IMO. The reason for that is that properly exploiting play money tables involves using tactics that don't translate well to even the lowest level of real money games. For example, open shoving premium hands for 300bb; generally only c-betting flops when you hit, that kind of thing.

You can learn 2NL cash by depositing $50, that's my suggestion FWIW.

Yeah I always use to deposit another 50 again and again... I always start out disciplined and either make money really quick or really slow but once I have that I always get too loose or get tilted and lose it all lol. (I once made close to 1500 30 minutes into buying in with 50 and I was just like...time to make 10,000 and I lost it all before an hour)

I feel I just need to be more disciplined and less greedy and maybe tweek my simple strategy.

I mean is it really neccesary to memorize whole poker books and theories or should you just try to pick out what works for you?

1. If you stick to the lowest limits, it will take a long time to bust out $50, unless you go on ridiculous monkey tilt.

2. You can't memorise whole books, I mean I guess start by deciding what hands you will generally fold/bet/call/raise from what position and what flops you will and won't bet...then take it from there.

No it is not worth it. People play the game far differently when they know that they have nothing to lose. The only use of play money is for those who don't even know the rules of the game. It won't help you at all once you are beyond that point.

Since you've already been playing, no. Play money is for newbs that need to watch for things like flushes and straights before they play for real. No value in actually playing them other than to get accustomed to the board and mechanics as Mr Beer said.

Read about Bankroll Management (BRM)

If you follow good BRM, it would be impossible to lose $1500 in an hour. On the other hand, you won't win $1450 in 30 mins either.

I'm not quite as dismissive of the value of playing play chips as some here are. Poker is all about adjusting to your opponents. Learning to observe and adjust to players at your table is a valuable skill wether its at play chips or real money.

A major difference between real money and play chips is how much you can expect to win in a short amount of time. With play chips its not uncommon to win 5X-10X your buy-in in just a few hundred hands. Thats almost never going to happen with real money ... its more of a long slow grind and you're not going to get rich quick from $50.

You will learn very very very basic stuff from play money, the play is so horrendous that it is almost not even worth playing. People just mess around on it too much.

if you can deposit then play 2nl

It's certainly not necessary to read poker strategy books, but leveraging other player's experiences makes the learning curve much quicker.

Play money practice will really only make you worse in the long run of real money play bc they differ so greatly.

As much as I don't play for free, I think it's a good way to practice how to play. Like if you want to try a line on a player. I think there's a cool 45 man sit'n go that is fun to try and win.

I think if you win it you are doing well, but I also think the play chip table is fun, don't think for a minute that cash/MTT is much different cause they make huge moves when money is on the line too.

This 100%

As soon as one can beat the game/limit in the long run that one is playing, one is wasting time there as far as getting better goes.

Playing at the lowest limits is sometimes infuriating, because you have to fold a great starting hand, or they suck out on you with total junk (93o). Additionally, many are too scared of the board to pay you off well when you hit.

2NL and 4NL are basically giant tilt machines. I would say a huge part in winning at these games, for me, is folding your top pair top kicker or over pair to a re-raise, even on a dry flop, unless the person re-raises like every flop. Also, if you are going for a flush, you better raise before the third suited card hits, or there is no point in even trying to get it in the first place. Everyone will be too scared to pay you/re-raise you unless they have one.

Adding to that, if there are six people still in the pot on a suited flop, do not go for an ten high flush.

Also, massively important, do not bluff unless you think there is a 90% chance the person is going to fold. No bluffing in multi-way pots.


Playing for free (unless it is a freeroll tournament), is usually just a bunch of idiots raising way too much with crap, 5 way+ pots, or all-in pre-flop lotto.