building a bankroll...

Styrofoam · Post by **Styrofoam** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:35 pm

In poker. I deposited 50$ @ pokerstars and have been playing the Sit and go tournaments, and have managed (with the help from a 144$ 2nd playce finish from a 180 person 4.00 tourney) to get my money up to 242.12. I'm bankrolled enough to move up to the 5.00+.50 games, till i get about 440$ in my bankroll then i can move up to the 10 +1.00 games

Post by **Kadian** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:13 pm

I played some tournaments at pokerstars, but never the sit and go ones, I was actually thinking I should try them after doing well in some free tournaments, but of course people play differently when it's for actual money.... I started with $50 and went up to about 150, then I lost it...

Styrofoam · Post by **Styrofoam** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:18 am

well, i'm up to nearly 300$ now. got 4th in a 180 man 4.00 tournament (bad luck. got all in with a hand that dominated my opponent only to be outflopped..not once, but twice at the final table) but still just trucking along.

Post by **Kadian** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:41 pm

Ok tell me what I'm doing wrong, I can't get anywhere in these tournaments... One time I lost when I had pocket 4's and I called to see the flop, flop comes 4, Q, A... so of course I worry about pocket A's or Q's, but only two other callers, so I figure what are the chances? So we go around and one guy bets big, and I figure he thinks he's doing good with a pair of A's or A's and Q's, so I go all in, well of course the guy has pocket A's (making a set of A's vs. my set of 4's)... Every tournament ends similarly, I have a set, or two pair, and I get beat by just a little bit... I think I am just cursed.

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:03 pm

Nothing you can do about that Kad.

Post by **Kadian** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:11 pm

I guess I know, but it's just similar things seem to happen constantly, I guess I just am not one of those guys born with "luck", and yes, luck does exist... (or else God favors some people, one or the other)

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:20 pm

Everyone goes on runs. If you can deal with mentally and financially, just keep playing. If you find yourself constantly getting drawn out on, waiting a lot for hands preflop, and throwing a lot away from out of position, then you're probably playing good enough to win. Just remember. Stay aggressive.

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:21 pm

Wait, i should also ask what your typical stack size is compared to the rest of the field when you get knocked out? You might be playing too tight (i forgot this was tourny)

Post by **Kadian** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:00 am

I'm usually a little lower than who knocks me out, so I guess it's more of an attempt to get back in the game when I call an all-in, like just now I went all in with about 1200 when the average was about 2000 and someone else went all-in first

Shaz · Post by **Shaz** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:33 am

My first thought in that scenario is that going all in is a BAD idea unless you've got the nuts. Mostly because were I in the $2000 position, I'd be bullying the shit out of you to push you off pots or make you go all-in with a less than stellar hand to get you out of the tourney.

I'm a mean fucker that way when I play though - a short stack is like chum in the water.

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:29 am

Well, the issue is, waiting for the nuts isn't usually enough to win.

Shaz, you should play Pot Limit Omaha. Waiting on the nuts is what omaha is all about.

If you flop top two pair in hold'em, under most normal circumstances you have a monster.

I was playing omaha and flopped a set of aces with a nut flush draw, check raised (pot limit, remember), got called by a guy with nothing more than a straight draw. He hit it on the turn, pushed in for his remaining chips (at that point, probably $70 into $300). Board didn't pair, no flush came. You think your luck is bad?

Styrofoam · Post by **Styrofoam** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:24 am

Kadian wrote:I'm usually a little lower than who knocks me out, so I guess it's more of an attempt to get back in the game when I call an all-in, like just now I went all in with about 1200 when the average was about 2000 and someone else went all-in first

kad:

Use position to your advantage. Raise when you're the first to enter the pot, no matter what you're entering with. Steal pots when people show weakness... like betting the min or min raising. Play premium hands strongly. If you raise with AK, someone will almost always call you if they have KJ. If a King comes, you can almost always take them for a large bit of their money.

I also suggest, if you're serious about playing tourneys, you should read Harrington on hold'em volumes 1 and 2. They are amazing books, and will help you tremendously

Styrofoam · Post by **Styrofoam** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:27 am

and as for set against set... you're going broke there no matter what you do. that is out of your hands. In that situation, the only thing that beats you at that point are 2 hands. thats it. You have a few hands that can draw and beat you... KJ, KT, AQ. You're sitting very VERY well here. Nothing you can do. He has AK or worse more times than he has AA in that situation, you have to go all in when he raises.