I've given myself a 1,200 roll the only available game I have in town is a 2/3$ 50min-300max NL game. It isn't much for the game, but its a pretty soft table most days(everyday). So the question is should I take a full buy-in approach giving me 4 bullets. Or should I SS, and if I should what bb/stack should I be looking to buy in for, also should there be a designated number I should hit in regards to rat holing when SS? Normally effective stacks at the table are around 200$.

Your bankroll requirements don't change, even if you choose to buy in short. When people say you need a 20 buy in bankroll, what they really mean is that you need a 2000bb bankroll. If you play well deep you'll be much better off buying in full. Varience will wipe you out sooner or later either way.

I understand that short stacks experiences higher variance(money goes in lighter, and quicker preflop/flop), but do you not think there is a optimal way to build my bankroll for the game I'm playing.. really? Not everyone has the 6 dimes to play 2/3 proper, and if you don't variance is sure to wipe out your tiny roll?

You are basically going to have to rely on some run good. If you have $1200 and no other means of an income I'd suggest staying away from a cardroom. If on the other hand you have a job and have $1200 saved to take a shot at it by all means go for it. Your risk of ruin will be extremely high, but if you are fortunate to be on the good side of variance for a month or two then you might make it.

+1...relying on run good is only for a few certain ppl and unless u are Jason Mercier, you won't have more than the average person...

I have been grinding 1/2 for almost 9 months or so. I feel that my game has really come around in the past couple months. From January until now I have been running at $22.50 / hr for roughly 215 hrs. It seems to be that an average downswing for me is $500 - $1000.

My question for you 1/2 grinders is, what are your winrates and downswings? How long does a typical downswing last?

Try searching the forums, I suggest.

Hey guys, this is my first post on here (long time reader). Guess I'll just get into it.
Was a rec reg playing 1/2 until about 6 months ago, playing 1 to 5x a week but still winning player. Some life **** happened and I was forced to dump my poker br to cover expenses (don't drink and drive lol).
Basically trying to rebuild my br from scratch. I have played a few sessions since and have been getting coolered in my AI spots. Overpairs getting cracked, flopping monster draws and not hitting when the action is huge, all the good stuff. One leak I have found this time around for myself is not making the big call on the river when I know my read is right but the numbers don't add up. Not being properly rolled is tough bc I can't reload if I'm wrong (used to having 3-5k to rely on).
Was just wondering if anyone implemented a strategy if they were on something like their last 1-3 bi's. Any advice on buying in short? There's also a 3-6 limit game that plays at my local club that gets a lot of action with a $60 bi, but that's just bingo. Min bi for 1/2 is standard $100 so I've been thinking about just taking shots once a week to get back to having at least a few bi's. It's either that, or save for like 3-4 months to come back and play. I know some of you that preach br management will say just wait til I'm rolled again, but I guess I need some help from the degens that made a stand with their last bi and came out on top!

Been there. It's a b****. Just dont get another one!

On 1-3bis theres really no magic formula. You just have to rungood. Then after you rungood and turn your 2bis into 6, you have to keep running good. I've done it, but I wouldnt recommend it. Theres really no way to circumvent proper br management.

Youd be much better off saving for a few months and instead of playing using that time for some hardcore study. Then when u return to the game youll be a better player AND properly rolled. Then youll be this:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-tldr-1165605/

!


And oh yeah, welcome.

I hear ya. The games by me get so juicy it's hard to not play. Especially when I've gone on runs buying in at 100 and cashing out 800+ in like 2 hrs. But like you said, that's running good (but not as good as you'd think, some tables are just that easy).

The risk right now is on my life roll. I make decent $ but nothing crazy (commercial construction). Got to the point where I was relying on poker roll for things like taking my girl out to eat, nights out drinking, etc. Can't afford it on my paycheck all the time, but poker has more than supplemented my income over the years.

Just hard getting back in the groove after not booking a win past 3 shots.
Guess I have to take down my weekly $20 trny if I wanna keep taking shots. Otherwise I guess it's $100 a week to the safe and more study in my off time.

Taking time to study is a good idea, but if playing with your last BI won't affect your play, I don't think you really need to stop playing while you add a little to your BR each week from your job.

Just play as normal. If you win, you win and don't even need to supplement your BR. If you lose, then the time off is forced because you have no BR until you slowly build it back up. No need to sit on a 1K BR until it's 5K. Just play the 1K and stop playing if you bust it.

I would feel comfortable rolled at 1k for a short period. Gives a little leeway for the variance of fishy 1/2 games. I'm thinking to save 1k would take me around 5weeks. Sure, could be done earlier if I gave up going out and things like that. But I'm 27, I like to have fun with friends, and I have bills.

I guess the main thing I'm missing is the extra cash to do "fun" things, as my poker br has not dropped below $1500 in the past 3 years. And has allowed me to do things, go places, that would not be affordable if it weren't for poker.

I keep telling myself after these losing sessions that im not going to play again, but then I review my session and realize I'm not playing bad, just running bad. And the fact that I'm playing 1 bi at a time means I can't reload and grind a table where I know I can get my money back after losing a flip.

Arg.

One thing that comes to mind is you should probably get up once you double up and change tables (or wait the 20 minutes) and buy-in short again.
oh, and i would stay away from tournaments.

Another thing you can do is maybe deposit on merge (assuming you're American) then you will be able to practice proper bankroll management.

Ya, the only trny I really play is a $20 at my local elks lounge (family had been long time members and I joined when I was 21). That is more of talking **** about sports and having a few beers than anything else. Im the youngest there at 27, most players are in there 30s-50s and a few old timers. Haven't been able to play as of late due to work schedule.

Other than that I have only played a handful of tourneys over the past few years. Mainly because the structure at my club is horrible unless it's the monthly deepstack $500. Everything else is just 60-250 donkaments. I have won a few, but can't play them without ripping my hair out 90% of the time.

Correct. Those guys are generally playing higher. There are at least a couple that play 2/5 where I play (because there aren't many games of higher stakes) but I'm sure that they beat the games for far greater than $25/hr.

82 an hour at my last 100 hours, all 1-2 with 500 max, sustainable?

nice run but not even close

My February stats:

Hours played: 33
Games: $1/3 NL w/ $300 max buy-in
Venues: 32 hrs at Horseshoe Tunica, 1 hr at Harrah's Tunica
Profit: $1,084
$ Per Hour: $32.85

I have a $42/hour wr at 1/2 500 max over 400 hours. I think that $50/hour is the absolute peak u can get in these games. Also, where do u play?

Not always. Some of the online players have trouble/don't adjust their games enough for live play. They still beat the games, but not at the rate they "should" if they could figure out a better way to play live.

I say that not to be a pain in the ass nit. But to highlight there are some big differences that must be adjusted to if you're going to transition to live play.

Feb Stats:
Hours played: 47
Games: 1/2
Profits: $1225
$26/hr or 13bb/hr

I feel utterly disappointing with this because I feel like I'm costing myself money by sometimes being fancy or doing something reckless. There's literally 3 big pots I've lost, each costing me from $100-$200, from putting people all in for no particular reason or on a draw just because I felt that itch to gamble. I'm trying to avoid doing something reckless and I figured that I've been able to analyze the situation get up from the table and leave right afterwards.

Also a big leak I've found is that there's this bus schedule that runs every two hours that I take for free and for some reason when the time comes for me to almost leave, I sometimes do something reckless. I like try to bully someone or try to gamble to increase my profit cause I only have 15 min. left to play. I don't know what to do about this. maybe just stop playing early as I approach the hour but I'm working on this. Anyone ever have a similar situation?

^^^ you may be playing too fancy but perhaps that helped you get paid off well when you did have a hand.

And to the second part, just pride yourself in not forcing the issue. Tell yourself poker is all one long session, no need to force tough spots to eek out profit, when that tough spot is likely -ev

You should really think about moving up. I know ur games are deep and juicy but why not play a deep 2/5 game if you are crushing 1/2?

been having a great year so far, on pace to be my best. but lolol small sample size.

don't have my spreadsheet in front of me (at work right now) but through 2012:

15 sessions (~55 hours) of 1/2 = +3600
1 session of 5/10 (~3 hours) = +2900

thats awesome diskoteque; This year I am +1975 over 77 hours for $25.65/hour. The sample size is also pretty small but it's my best winrate ever so far. again though, sample size is miniscule.