First off i want to say great thread!
I have been looking on this forum the last couple of days that would help me to push myself in the right direction to learn about poker.

Thanks for the advice, i just have to read & learn a lot more so i would make better bets.
At the moment I don't play enough hands because i'm too scared i would get all-in re-raised after i raise with my AK or something like that.

I played 10,000 hands at 10nl cash, payed the site $400 and won $50

I've now played 100,000 hands in micro tournies and have won $900 and paid the site $150 - go figure... I read somewhere that even with a good rakeback deal cash is only worth playing at higher stakes where the rake is negligable.

bump.

good read.

It sure was.

RIP OP

How relevant is this post today? I've heard the SNG meta has gotten to the point that a lot more games well below the $100 buy in price point are now also in a state of deadlock? Is this true?

I feel like SnGs are still easily beatable at the midstakes. the edges do of course get smaller the higher the limit, but the main point is you have to put in tons of VOLUME and cooperate rakeback into your winnings.

If you want to save money, but still improve your game, free sit-n-go's aren't bad. There may be some dummies who shove with weak hands, but most of the players will play to win. I play Zynga poker sit-n-go's on my iPhone, and for something free, it's worthwhile.
In contrast, cash games with play money tend to be worthless.
Of course playing sit-n-go's for small amounts can be even better. The thing about these games is that they are a lot of time and effort for a small amount of money.
Usually you're better off staying tight almost all the time in a cash game, but sit-n-go's require you loosen up, change gears.

Insightful and helpful, thank you.

I liked freeroll tournaments as they were closer to 'real thing' than play money games. zynga etc were not around then but I guess playmoney < zynga < freerolls < money games.

even the first few orbits shove fest is educational if you take time to consider why people are shoving nearly any two cards.

With real money I would most likely play 150-300 player micro tournaments to get experience under my belt to start with.

SNGs are a bit more difficult than they were a couple of years ago, but still very beatable if played correctly.

I would always recommend sngs over cash games to anyone who is starting out, simply because you can make more mistakes in sngs and "get away with it", also cash games generally run deeper and the compition is almost always tougher.

So correct me if i'm wrong.
I have tried both cash games and SNG and haven't really decided which one I prefer most (it's like 60/40 to SNG).
But I can identify myself with the "It's only -- cents" and I find it boring to play cash games (as they are basically never ending, on the contrary , SNGs do end)

I am playing poker for about 5 months now (with a pause in midsummer, about to start again)
So the best is to 'create' a strategy for winning the microstake SNG to build a bankrol and when I got a significant (for me at least :P) bankroll I should try to hop over to cash games in order to get the 'trail and error course' going.
I don't intent to become a pro or something , im still a student and just looking for some extra moneys to spend :P

Zhank youuuuu in advance.