First Time Poster

[hitnbombs]

I feel like I am starting this post out like a comedy skit on the radio. I am a long time reader, first time poster.

I just wanted to take a second to say hello and thank you. I am not new online poker, but it has taken me a couple years to find my comfort level. Before I became more educated, I would play SNG, MTT, Cash Games with no rhyme or reason why, just whatever I felt like. I settled into the cash games and made the mistake a lot of people do with Bankroll in that I grew it from $100 to about $2000 in 6 months. I continued going up in stakes and lost all but about $80 in 4 hands over 2 weeks. I wish I had read more on BRM back then.

Anyway I have found a comfort level and a home with SNG. I still am not sure if I prefer 1 table or 2. I think I cash more on the 1 table, but I feel I can miss more on the 2 table and still end up making more money due to the prize pool. Regardless, I am settling in. I would not consider myself a winning player yet, becasue of my sample size being so small, but I do feel that my game fits this structure the best.

My day starts off with a cup of coffee, a bowl of oatmeal, and logging on to FTR to see what is new from the morning before. I have learned a great deal so far just from reading the posts. I have not posted any hands yet, but I almost dont feel like I need to yet. I see different scenarios every day that some I have come across, some I have not. I just put the thread into my memory and move on. As I continue playing and building much larger database of games played, I am sure I will start using this forum for my specific hands, rather than just relying on the normal few to post theirs.

I have done plenty of reading about different software to buy that will help out. I have not settled into which way to go. Seems like there is not really a unanimous opinion as to which ones to get and how to use them. I am assuming some of that must be secrets of the trade, but I think that eventually for me to increase my ROI, that will be a necessity. Any suggestions out there? I actually thumbed through a book "EARN $30,000 PER MONTH PLAYING ONLINE POKER: A Step-by-step Guide to Single-table Tournaments" and it was like a How To book. Anybody else read this? Are these suggestions on the software a good place to start?

Anyway, thanks again and I hope to see you on the felt.

[gingerwizard]

Thanks for delurking and welcome!

Man I was reading that thinking "whoa he reads us everyday, what's he gonna say about us!" Think we got away with it

Software: Step 1 SNGWIZ definitely.
Step 2, some form of tracking device that allows HUD display. It sounds to me like Holdem Manager is best. I have PT and pokerace HUD, but my laptop is not good enough to run them anymore. I'll be buying HEM as soon as I have the hardware.
Step 3. If you plan on playing MANY tables, download AHK and get some scripts. Only do this if like 12-24 tabling though, and only do THAT if you're really good with ICM (see step 1).

Keep reading, start posting, and when your roll supports it get the software you need.

Once again, welcome!

[BennyLaRue]

Welcome.

I actually thumbed through a book "EARN $30,000 PER MONTH PLAYING ONLINE POKER: A Step-by-step Guide to Single-table Tournaments" and it was like a How To book. Anybody else read this?

It's a terrrrrrible book, full of trite and simplistic information. "Beat the $104s by taking advantage of how tight everyone is and Steal, Steal, Steal. Now that you can beat the $104s using that simple advice..." Whatever, Ryan Wiseman dude, if only it were that easy.

You're better off reading other things, mainly this forum and Harrington on Hold'em, which I think is the best resource for learning the basics of stack management and a push game. It's geared more towards MTTs but you can use the same principles in SNGs. Good luck.

[Sir Pawnalot]

"Beat the $104s by taking advantage of how tight everyone is and Steal, Steal, Steal. Now that you can beat the $104s using that simple advice..."

People actually publish crap like that?

[gingerwizard]

EARN $30,000 PER MONTH PLAYING ONLINE POKER (whilst supplimenting your income with book royalties to the tune of $29,950 per month). Warning: when the royalties dry up the advertised $30000 per month earnings may decrease somewhat.

[hitnbombs]

Ginger: Too Funny. I do have to admit, sometimes your twisted, dry, humor is better than any given day's advice.

The reason I mentioned EARN $30,000 PER MONTH PLAYING ONLINE POKER was merely to ask about the software mentioned and the way they use it as far as the key stats and such. I literally thumbed through it as the book store while I waited for my wife to get her starbucks. I just noticed that they went into detail as to software to buy and how to use it for the SNG.

Thanks for the other info. I will look into the programs suggested and see where I can get some free trials to play with.

[gingerwizard]

WIZ has 30 days free. (Currently got 7 days of mine left but cashing out $99 to pay for it).

Don't know about HEM, but mainly cos if I download anything else onto my laptop it will assplode

[Kijjo]

If you do the Wiz trial, devote yourself to using it hardcore for 30 days. That will help your game tremendously, and if you get the math behind it, you'll learn great habits and concepts. Then you don't have to necessarily buy it (at least for a while, 'til the games get tougher and maybe you need to brush up on it).
For SnGs, I'm not really crazy about the Tracker stuff as far as exploiting your opposition. How does it help me to know that this guy plays 75% of his hands, when we've played 8 hands so far and the blinds are tiny. I can watch that and write notes! The dynamics are always changing in a SnG, so the stats won't really give you a very good picture of the person.
I think the main benefit they offer is reflecting and analyzing your game. If you're devoted enough to spend the time it takes to use this away from the table, I'm sure it can help your game.

[gingerwizard]

The HUD stats will be of real benefit if multitabling. You can set filters so that only his stats in a given level will come up. This is useful when you have good samples of the player pool, as you will if multitabling. You'll be able to see over samples of 100-200 at level 1 how many hands are played, how many raises. Late game you may also get a read on calling ranges.

[BennyLaRue]

"Beat the $104s by taking advantage of how tight everyone is and Steal, Steal, Steal. Now that you can beat the $104s using that simple advice..."

People actually publish crap like that?

Yessah. Luckily, I didn't pay for it. I got it at the library, which I guess my taxes pay for.

DAMMIT! Stupid Library wasting my money.