I would guess when the tourney starts, but if not, then when it ends. I couldn't find it stated explicitly anywhere online.

Pessimistic beginner question:

Do a decent number of successful players begin life at 2NL? Or do most serious players skip this level entirely?

What optimism would you have for a player grinding 2NL from a $50 bankroll and one day be making a reasonable profit from 10NL or so? Is graduating from 2NL generally just a pipe dream?

Well if you can beat 2nl then obviously you'll build your BR up enough to move but really it's best to just deposit a little more and start with 5 or 10 because 2nl is just play money. The time you spend grinding in 2nl could be spent studying, watching videos, whatever else.

Really dumb question here.

What is the minimum raise I can make in a tournament? Is it the amount of the big blind, or the amount of the original raiser's bet?

I was in a tournament and an opponent made it 1100 at 200/400 blinds. I wanted to make it 2300 but can I make it even lower than that? How low can I go? How low can I go?

The minimum bet is the size of the big blind; the minimum raise is the size of the last bet/raise in the current betting round.


Assuming this was PF (where the bet is the big blind: T400), then the raiser raised T700 to T1100. Therefore, you have to raise at least T700, up to at least T1800.

If the bet was not PF, but on a later betting round, then you have to raise to at least T2200 since the original bet was T1100.


--klez

My optimism rests upon how hard the player studies and works on his game, not on what level he begins his journey.

GL


--klez

My current winrate is 15,64bb/100 over 14k hands. That is obviously a bit of a small sample, but how much is needed to really make some conclusions about the winrate?

that's a nice slant on it, thanks.

As for me I don't really know what to think. I'm a student who can't afford tracking software, who can't play more than 4 tables at the moment and who cannot put in 0000s of hands a day.

I'm like a recreational player but I'm easily bankrolled for 2NL and I only play like 500 hands a day.

1. Keep you priorities straight: school is more important than poker. (It sounds like you are.)

2. Don't spend money you can't afford to spend. If this means no tracking software for the time being, so be it.

3. I, personally, would not be comfortable playing 4 tables without tracking software, but that doesn't mean it can't be done successfully. However, if you're having trouble keeping track of what's going on, drop it down to 1 or 2 tables.

Playing fewer tables can also be a better learning experience since you'll have more time to focus on—and think about—every hand and every opponent than you would have if you were playing more tables.

4. Do what your comfortable doing, not what many grinders on this site say you must do to be successful. Have fun. Play poker/study poker when you have the time. But don't let schoolwork fall behind because of poker: it's much too important for that.

You have a lifetime ahead of you to study poker.


--klez

Thanks for the advice.

I'll weigh in here since I am in a similar position: Basically I'm a student who wouldn't feel comfortable depositing more then 40 bucks for a hobby so I got started in 2nl at the end of August.

2nl has been really good for me because at higher stakes, when I lose and realise that I just pissed away 10% of my bankroll in a marginal hand, that's certainly no fun. At 2nl I still take it seriously because I like to win and, if I make a mistake that costs me, instead of tilting I can learn from it.

Also from what I've experienced at Party Poker: Even though you get your fair share of total nits and psycho's that have total disregard for the game due to the stakes, it's still really good to learn the basics of solid play, and finding leaks will hurt your bankroll a lot less then at higher stakes.

I guess the most important thing I've picked up is that I still find it really fun to play at 2nl. If I stop having fun at 2nl and want to move up to more challenging games, I'll look at my finances and decide if it's worth it rather then grinding until I have a healthy bankroll.

I don't know how skilled you are but if you're still quite new to poker then theres probably a lot of stuff you can still learn and work on at the lowest limits.

edit* lol I just looked at you post count, my advice probably won't help you at all but I'll leave it up there - it might help someone Who's just starting out or something

IMO the point that needs to be realized here is that most hobbies actually cost money - If you wanna set up a train set in your basement or if you want to build a hot rod in your garage you're going to be pouring cash into it. In rare cases, ie; collectibles if you're willing to take on a bit of a dealer/buy/sell role you can be self-sufficient. However, it's really pretty rare for a hobby to come anywhere close to actually making money. So if you guys can be anything resembling break-even or better at poker that's actually a pretty big accomplishment.

As far as buying tracking software or whatever, maybe think of it like the guy buying a new steam engine or a new set of power tools. Sometimes you just gotta invest some money in your hobby if you want to get the most out of it.

Firstly, don't worry about my post count, most of it goes in the televised poker forum! You're advice is helpful so dw about that either :P

I'm not necesssarily "new to poker" but I would say I am quite new to online poker. I've played live for years but only in local games with friends and at my local pub SnG with the same people for about 18 months.

My BR was actually a sort of gift from my dad. He knows I'm interested in poker, we sometimes we play HU for fun and I teach him strategy and whatnot as he's little more than a novice at it. I mentioned how I'd like to play more and we got round to the idea that if he gave me like £35 ($48) I could play online at a bankrolled level as a hobby and a challenge. The idea was I'm really interested in poker and I read a ton about it - so I need an outlet for that interest right? As far as BRM goes, I NEED to be easily rolled for the games I play. I get tilted by losing sessions so badly if I can lose too much of my BR at one time, even at 2nl. Now I have $89 if I drop a BI it's really easy to forget.

As for 2NL, I do enjoy it. Obviously the money doesn't mean much but it is a way of keeping score. I do tilt if I drop some BIs, even if they're tiny. I want to be a winning player after all. I want to make it to 5NL and upwards I guess.

I think this might be how I look at it eventually. I really want to be beating 2nl without it for now though I guess. Hopefully if I win at this level I can invest in pt3 or something to move up.

Constantly seeing the term "BvB" and still cannot, for the life of me, figure out what it means.

Thanks in advance.

What is the 5/10 rule? Thank you in advance.

Hard to say exactly without context, but most likely referring to "Blind vs. Blind".

Search is your friend: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/32...0-rule-231747/

Yep that was it.

Ty sir!

Hey everyone

Does anyone know how to show all in hands on Pokerstars?

When me and a villain go all in preflop I can see their cards, however when we go all in on the flop/turn/river I cant see the hands until showdown.

Adds a bit of suspense to it, but not a fan

I do have the option ticked that says 'Show all in hands'

Thanks

Can somebody link me to that ultimate sticky with all those links? I've been trying to search for it but no luck.

Thanks.

It actually has nothing to do with when you go All-In. Pokerstars has an option to "Show Hole Cards When All-In (Ring Games)". It will only apply when all all-in players have this option checked.

Top thread in NVG: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...sticky-251207/

Ah I see, I had it checked and presumed that was all that was required

Thanks for the response

I am making this post to try to get some advice on impoving my ROI in MTT's. I have been playing online as a hobby for about 2 years. I was wondering what it takes to become a full time pro player. Here are my MTT stats for the past 2 years.

370 Tournaments played ($12 avg. buy in)
12.2% ITM
-22% ROI
544 hours played

Biggest Cashes:
3\2108 in Full Tilt Midnight Madness for $1550
4\550 in a $5 tournament for $220
2\180 in a $8 tournament for $250
plus some other small cashes


My question is this. Does this look like the beginning of a poker carrer or not? These are my results after 2 years of casual play and after only reading 2 or 3 poker books. If I begin to study poker and really put in some work and time, do you think it is possible to make a living playing poker? How long did it take the big name pros to become profitable when they first started? I am just looking for some friendly advice, but dont be afraid to point out any problems you see.
Aslo, what forms of eduction are good for a begginning player? Books, training sites, etc...

No possible way to guess - You wouldn't be the first losing player to turn it around but we can't possibly predict whether you will do so.

IMO, wait at least until you are a winning player before you start using phrases like "become a full time pro player".

Post hands.
Post hands.
Post hands.