Marty Smith asked:
The most common error with new online poker players is bankroll management. That generally relates to playing in a game or tournament with too much of their poker bankroll at risk at any one game. This may be a shocker for you new players, but if you have just deposited $100 and that is your worldly poker bankroll then you should be playing no higher than $2 sit and go tournaments and .25/.50 limit ring games. Many of you probably thought that depositing $100 was going to last you some time, but playing over those guidelines will prove to be costly for players still learning the game.
The biggest rule breaker in regards to bankroll management is playing above your skill level and your poker account balance. Playing above your bankroll translates into this… those who do so are the fish of this game, because due to the mathematical variance of this game which can be tough sometimes, you will downswing – even when playing to the best of your ability. Now, WHEN you do downswing your bankroll will be adversely affected to a point where you may have to reload – if you were playing at a limit too high. This should hardly ever happen if you are serious about building your skills and bankroll.
In other words, if you lose a tournament or have a losing session, at worst, you may be forced to move down a level, but by sticking to some tight bankroll rules, you won`t have to reload. The pro players often recommend a general rule of thumb to never have more than 10% of your bankroll in any particular game or session. For new players, that is WAY TOO high, because their error variance is far lower than yours. You should consider 5% the maximum while playing even lower is probably better because of the fact, that you are also building skills and getting valuable experience. You want your funds to go as far as they can while you sharpen your skill set and learn to adjust for the wide variety of opponents you will find online.
The absolute, best way to learn and win at online poker is to use OPM or other players ‘ money right? I mean what could be better than not only getting better and learning at the game, but doing it on somebody else ‘ s deposit? With that in mind, stick to a low deposit between $50 and $100 and challenge yourself to make it last as long as you can. I am not talking a few hours here, I am talking weeks. Play at the micro levels because there is where you will find the weakest competition. If you can’t beat the micro limits and $1 and 2$ full tilt sit and go tournaments then you might want to do some more reading and studying. A poker calculator can help, as well as posting your controversial hands in a forum for analysis. You will not find a shortage of other players willing to help.
Eventually you will find that your $50 grows to $100, then $150, then $325 and so on. All taken from your opponents accounts, not yours. That is when you know you can move up to another level, start multi-tabling, and get into deeper analysis with your own play and reading opponents.