Hi,

My local casinos smallest cash table is 2/5 with 100-1000€ BI. Rake is 5% 20€ cap.

I haven't played in a few years and want to get back but have no bankroll, most was playing small live turneys and online microstakes tourneys for about a decade. I've read a lot on strategy, many books etc. and consider myself mostly a tournament player. However the handful of times I've tried cashgames I've come away with money except maybe twice, so want to give it a shot again.

I'm thinking one-shot 200 BI (all I can afford) and tight ABC (depending on the table dynamics), or do you think waiting until I can afford 1000 is better?

The one time I lost BI fastest there was a LAG and I was playing too loose with small stack (yeah dumb!). So I'm thinking I instead basically do very tight and prepared to go all in on the first hand I play. Like no speculative connectors etc. Only problem is if I'm card dead and bleed out..
Think I want to do this on a Friday or Saturday to maximise chance of beginners at the table.
I might be able to do this once a month until I start winning..
What else can I do to maximize my chances?

The best strategy is to save up until you have a reasonable bankroll before you play.

If you have to play, next best strategy is to play a short stack game (as you said, no calling connectors or small pairs when there is a raise), and hope to double up a few times.

The biggest risk is that you're a online player and this is going to feel extremely boring. You'll start playing more cards because you're bored.

one of the biggest things here is that there is no evidence you are a winning player. thats fine and i don't think matters much. reps and getting a feel for the game and your ability to eventually be a winning player is what might be best to figure out. I'd say saving upwards to 5K is really the best option and then spreading that out over 10 500 buyins. 2500 would work though. that way you give yourself some time to get a feel for what its like to have some ups and downs, play stuck, play after doubling up etc etc. i'd say have a stop loss and reevaluate if needed but losing 10 buyins doesn't often happen at these stakes for winning/breakeven players.

taking one off 200 buy in shots won't give you any idea to how you stack up in the game and what your long term prospects could look like. nothing wrong with putting a small amount (that 200 would be nice) online now and play low stakes full ring cash to start getting more acclimated to cash vs tourney play. some of the concepts at the low stakes are going to be applicable to the live cash environment which is a nice.

Save up. Poker has ebbs and flows. You're going to be down a buy in at some point in a lot of your sessions. If your buy in is 200 in a 2/5 game, you probably more likely than not going to lose the whole buy in.

I wouldn't play until you have at least 10 500 buy ins, and even then, a good amount of the time, you will lose 10 buy ins or more in a downswing even if you are a winning player.

play very tight. when you have strong hands, bet big.

I would save up until you have 600 at least for 2 short buyins. I started playing 2/3/10 with 800. I couldnt play well unless i had 2 400 buyins. Any time ive walked in with only 1 buyin i play like crap. Its a psychological thing.

I would want to have at least 300 as a short stack in your 2/5 game so that you have enough to 3bet fold for example if you face an EP open to 20, you can go to 60 w good hands you dont want to stack off preflop with and still fold if you get jammed on.

You are going to have to play extremely tight and pick your spots carefully. Hopefully you wake up w KK vs an EP open and 3bet and you can just jam. Also look for opportunities to jam when there is an open and 4 flat callers with a wider range. Try to see some cheap flops w speculative hands like suited aces and connectors if you can overlimp in CO or BTN when you know the blinds wont raise.

With a short stack like this it will be rare that you can flat call an open raise. Do not do it or youll be wittled down to nothing. The only time i would flat an open raise is in late position with a couple flat callers ahead of me with a low pocket pair and only then if i know for sure the blinds wont squeeze.

How long will it take you to save of for 1000e?

I think it's better to play with 200 now but that's just me. It would be a much more horrible experience if you saved up all the way to 1K and lost it all in one session, which can happen quick in 2/5.

So, you have $200 or $2,000? Can you play online?

Personally, I'd go for it unless it would tilt me to lose it. That said, I would never play with money I couldn't comfortably afford to lose.

Bankroll on table

He has euros

LOL. Thanks for the clarification.