Ring Games - Where do i start?

[projectaero]

I am already registered with both ftp and poker stars and play all the time with them.
But i wanto make the transition into playing cash games.
Bonus i am not really worrying about atm.
So poker stars has the lower money levels then what full tilt does.

What is the maximum money you can put into the low level games, so i can build up a bank roll?
And what would the ball park figure be in terms of blinds per cash you have available ?

When do i know its time to move up?
Thanks.

 

[mdc]

Your bank-roll management will depend on your risk preferences, as well as the game you're playing.

For hold'em, if you haven't played ring before, I'd start with at least 15x the buy-in, and move up levels when you've built up to 25x the buy-in.

So basically, if you only have, say, $150 to start, stick to 0.05/0.10 NL. If you have $400 or so, start with 0.10/0.25 NL. If you drop below 10x the buy-in at any stage, move down a level.

This way, you'll always have a big enough buffer that you don't have to worry about going broke.

Take into account;
- If you're playing Omaha, you need a bigger buffer.
- If you're playing short-handed a lot(i.e. <5 players), you need a bigger buffer.

Once you get comfortable with ring games, and get a sense of how high your own personal variance is, then you can adjust as required.

 

[The Passenger]

regardless of your bankroll i'd also consider playing slightly lower than what your bank roll would normally allow for your first 500 to 1000 hands on a cash table just to get used to the differences.

so for instance, if you have $400 in your bankroll you have enough for 20 x $20 buy-in's, which would be approriate for a 0.10/0.20 or 0.10/0.25 NL table where you would start 80 or 100bb's which is about right.

but seeing as though you've never played cash games i would seriously consider playing the limit below for a little while to get used to the difference between them and sit n go's and MTT's.

the biggest thing to remember is people will make marginal calls if the odds are in their favour. in tournaments, particularly early on, people will fold in situations which are slightly +EV because they don't want to be taking coin flips on their tournament life or a big chunk of their stuck. but in ring games they will always make those calls.

 

[paxmaniac]

A few words of advice.

I am already registered with both ftp and poker stars and play all the time with them.

First point I would make is that FTP and Stars are reputed to be the toughest sites out there as well as the biggest. As an Aussie, you might be more profitable on sites like Pacific, iPoker or Microgaming.

But i wanto make the transition into playing cash games.
Bonus i am not really worrying about atm.

You should worry about bonuses if you want to maximise profit, because at the lower levels the bonuses can be much more significant than winning.

So poker stars has the lower money levels then what full tilt does.

It's important to know what lower level games are available so that you can always step down in stakes if you hit a losing streak.

What is the maximum money you can put into the low level games, so i can build up a bank roll?
And what would the ball park figure be in terms of blinds per cash you have available ?

By far the most important thing is to play a level that you can consistently beat. The best bankroll management on the world cannot save you from a -EV game.

My rule of thumb is to put no more than 1/20th of my bankroll on the table at a time (limit or NL). If you are playing with a full stack, this means your bankroll should be around 2000 big blinds. But it is completely appropriate to bend this rule one way or the other if you make sure you are in a winning game. If you play higher stakes for your bankroll you must have the discipline to switch back down a level or more to make sure you never risk losing your entire roll.

When do i know its time to move up?

When you are really confident that you are beating the current stakes, and your bankroll is big enough to survive a downswing at a higher stake. Tracking software such as Holdem Manager or PokerTracker is a big big help here.