[john]

You need to have plenty of buyins as eventually your gonna have a bad run that is unavoidable no matter how good you play. Sometimes you will get your chips in good and just continually loose as if pokerstars is picking through the deck for the few cards to help the other player. You'll watch your bankroll slide and the only thing that will save you is your good bankroll management. These bad times can last months but if you play well are always recovered over the long term. My words of advice would be that if you take a bew big hits in a row dont try to get it back quick. This usually is the death of the online bankroll.

[Poboy]

Originally Posted by jaeden

So what you are saying Jojo is that I should have at least $500 to play in the $0.10/0.25NL games???

Would you consider low-limit multiple table tourneys???

bankroll considerations should be based on goals and ability. Sounds like you are pretty new, and your goal is to move up. Because of that, jojo's numbers, ~20 buyins, is a good starting point.

[littlebu]

Originally Posted by Poboy

bankroll considerations should be based on goals and ability. Sounds like you are pretty new, and your goal is to move up. Because of that, jojo's numbers, ~20 buyins, is a good starting point.

Also since you brought up tournies a good number is 100 buy-ins for that level. So if you want to play $11's you should have $1100

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by jaeden

Just wondering if anyone has started off the same way and has built a huge bankroll. Also, at what point should I consider moving up limits?? I figure if I can build it to $1000 I will play 0.50/1NL.

I started the same way, and built a good sized bankroll after starting with only $50 on pokerstars. As one previous poster recommended, check out PSO for a lot of good promos where you can build your bankroll with bonuses.
I am proud to say I've never deposited any more money than my original $50. The only way that has been possible is by solid bankroll management. If I were you I would listen to jojo on this one, have 20 buyins for the level you are playing. Move up when you have 20 buyins for the next level. I play limit, and never let myself play w less than 300bb for the level I was at while I was learning the game. Now that I play 6max exclusively, I won't move up until I have 1000bb.

Remember that after 1 week of play, it isn't really possible to know if you're a winning player, or just getting lucky.

[Poboy]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

I started the same way, and built a good sized bankroll after starting with only $50 on pokerstars. As one previous poster recommended, check out PSO for a lot of good promos where you can build your bankroll with bonuses.

That reminds me, rakeback is essential for a serious player.

[TheMightyJim2k]

as many have said your bankroll is too small and you are moving up too fast. At the rate you are going when variance takes its normal turn you will go broke, and fast.

Also I don't mean to be a spoil sport, but it is highly unlikely that you are ready to play NL 1/2, let along 5/10. The 5/10 games online are infested with pros who grind all day every day for a living, and it takes a lot of practice and work on your game to be ready to play in them. I play professionally and I am not good enough to be a winning player in the 5/10 games.

I highly recommend that you work to get 20-25 buy-ins at the next level up before making the jump. That means that you need at least 1000 before playing .25/.50. I also recommend that if you hit a hot streak and get there fast you not move up and take shots unless you are ready. Determining whether you are a favorite in a game and at a particular level generally takes upwards of 25,000 hands. If you go on a 4000 hand hot streak and run up your bankroll you could easily jump up before you are ready and blow half of it in games you aren't prepared to play in.

I know this sounds like a real pain, but it will likely take you several years to grind your bankroll to those limits. I started with a $100 and it has taken me almost 300k hands and I am currently not playing above 15/30 limit and 2/4NL online. I probably could have moved up faster if I had focused on NL instead of limit, but the fact is that most players spend their first +50k hands just learning how to go from being a decent player to a really good player.

sorry for writing such a negative post, but I think it is better to take a realistic approach that way you won't be surprised or end up broke.

[bigcheese191]

Thanks a lot guys, lots of good info and its good to know that I'm not the only one who tries to jump up before my bankroll is ready for it. Also, what is a rakeback?

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by bigcheese191

Also, what is a rakeback?

Some sites offer rakeback through affiliates. Every casino/poker room takes a percentage of each pot to make a profit. This amount is called the rake, and online is generally 5% of the pot, capped at a certain amount. Rakeback simply means getting a percentage (usually between 30-50%) of the rake you pay back.

You won't easily be able to get rakeback at a site you're already playing on, and some sites like Pokerstars do not offer rakeback at all. When you go to join a new site, take a look at some of the rakeback affiliates out there. Pokersourceonline (PSO) is a good one, and they are a sponsor of this site. There are many others, and some of them will have different percentages offered and/or different pokersites available, so it is worth doing your homework on.
Sometimes you will get paid the rakeback daily, sometimes weekly/biweekly/monthly. If you plan to play poker regularly it will definitely be a boost to your earn rate. You shouldn't necessarily get rakeback at every site you play, but if you will play there regularly you should (so get it at the bigger sites). Here's a tip: if you join FullTilt poker get rakeback, I didn't and now I really regret it.

[Poboy]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Some sites offer rakeback through affiliates. Every casino/poker room takes a percentage of each pot to make a profit. This amount is called the rake, and online is generally 5% of the pot, capped at a certain amount. Rakeback simply means getting a percentage (usually between 30-50%) of the rake you pay back.

You won't easily be able to get rakeback at a site you're already playing on, and some sites like Pokerstars do not offer rakeback at all. When you go to join a new site, take a look at some of the rakeback affiliates out there. Pokersourceonline (PSO) is a good one, and they are a sponsor of this site. There are many others, and some of them will have different percentages offered and/or different pokersites available, so it is worth doing your homework on.
Sometimes you will get paid the rakeback daily, sometimes weekly/biweekly/monthly. If you plan to play poker regularly it will definitely be a boost to your earn rate. You shouldn't necessarily get rakeback at every site you play, but if you will play there regularly you should (so get it at the bigger sites). Here's a tip: if you join FullTilt poker get rakeback, I didn't and now I really regret it.

What he said. I know the question is about PS and PS doesn't offer rakeback. That's why your goals are important. If you are trying to make money playing online poker, then you'll want to play at more than one site eventually, and getting a portion of the rake you pay back from the site is a serious bonus. When you are ready to switch to a rakeback site, pm me.