Building a bankroll from $10

[novak79]

Ok, well after reading a few stories and thinking about it for a while I've decided that I want to try building a bankroll out of $10. With the help of someone I transfered some money into pokerstars since they have .02/.04 limit.

I had some more money in my account but I'm not very good and would probably loose it eventually so I've decided to try this.

So here's the plan I'm going to play for about an hour a day until I have enough to move up limits ($35 is the target goal for now to play .05/.10) For about another hour or so a day I'm going to go over my hand histories and post a hand or two on here that gave me troubles (I'm sure there will be a hand or two at least a day that I had some problems with) I'll also try to reply to 2 or 3 hands for every 1 that I post. Along with posting on forums I will try to read a chapter or two out of my some of my poker books. (The books I plan on reading at the moment in order are: Hold em Poker for Advanced Players, Texas Hold em Odds and Probabilities, and Killer Poker By the Numbers) I will follow the ITH starting hands chart religiously as well seeing as the nano stakes are very loose the few hands I play the better

So,
Current Bankroll: $10
Current Goal: $35

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions feel free to post away. Or if anyone wants to swap some 100 hand histories or anything with me sometime LMK (granted unless you're pretty new also it would probably be more to my benefit but I would appreciate it. you would also have to tell me how to do that but I think I can figure it out)

[novak79]

well, the first session didnt go so well. Went down 96 cents. I'll go through PT and see if I was doing anything I dont normally do




Current Bankroll: $9.04
Current Goal: $35

[novak79]

been a little up and down today but mostly up

Current Bankroll: $9.17
Current Goal: $35

I'm also playing in a .25 tourney so this figure could go up if I cash, although a cash isnt likely to make a big impact but up is up

[novak79]

Well, I did place in the tourney last night and I'm up from where I was yesterday but I played about 6 or 7 hands VERY BADLY. I now have a much better Idea of costly simple mistakes can be. All in all these mistakes weren't very expensive b themselves but they add up to a grand total of almost 1 dollar ( a lot of my BR)


Heres the current stats

Current Bankroll: $9.40
Current Goal: $35

[novak79]

played in 2 $1.20 SNGs and getting ready to play in the .25 tonight. Took 1st in 1 SNG, didnt cash in the other


Current Bankroll: $11.94 (before tourney entry)
Current Goal: $35

I'm getting closer but I'm not sure if those SNGs were a good idea. A bad swing could have a BIG impact on my little bankroll

[bpgui]

[novak79]

yea, despite making a profit it was a decision I definetly regretted

[toronexti]

yeah what BP said about the SNG's. Are you posting the hands you're making mistakes on?

[Willem]

$10 is plenty to start from. Playing 0.02/0.04 is a great learning experience and if you are better than your opponents (which you probably are because you are posting on ITH ), then you will definitely work your way up. However, working your way up will be a lengthy process, longer than you probably think. So, don't be disappointed if things don't go as fast at you planned.

Just keep posting hands, try to improve, be patient and enjoy yourself while playing. The money will then take care of itself. Good luck...

[novak79]

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys. I try to go through my PT every couple days. On these days I will post a few hands. (Like today I'm going to try to post 3 or 4 hands that really gave me some trouble and I'm going to try to avoid posting hands that I know I played good on and just got sucked out and hands that I just played terrible on and I know what I did wrong.) Also, as far as the time thing goes, I have plenty. I'm just starting my senior year in High School and all I'm really hoping for is to be able to have a manageable BR by my fourth year in college so I have plenty of time to build it up and turn this $10 into something. Right now I'm shooting for $500 before summer vacation but we'll see how it goes.

[novak79]

Well had a pretty good day. Just got busted out of stars .25 tourney. The whole tournament was pretty aggrevating and compounded by several bad beats but I managed to maintain a stack after each beat and nursed it back up several times. Would up getting 93rd out of 3239. Was really hoping for a top 5 finish so I could move past the .02/.04 limit tables but I guess I'll be grinding it out for a while longer

Current Bankroll: $13.51
Current Goal: $35.00

[novak79]

Well, I've had a pretty up and down day. Lost .70 this morning in a ring game, then I played the .10 tourney and got 71st outta like 2800. Didnt recoup all my losses from the ring game but they were substantially less. Then sat down at another ring game and won .75 then lost .40 of it when I flopped a set with TT and a person with QQ caught a runner runner flush. After that I played a few more hands and then left. Posted this, and now I'm going to take a break from playing today to evaluate my play and do some reading

Current Bankroll: $14.17
Current Goal: $35

[novak79]

Ok, when I said no more poker for the day I lied a little. I wanted to play an MTT before bed and I played in the stars daily .50. I've been running pretty good in these micro events. I've played 3 .25 events and cashed for .53, no cash, and 1.17, Played two .10 events for 1 cash of .51, and now this .50 event and cashed for 1.50. Thats a total of 3.71 in winnings and 1.45 spent in entry. I'd really like to make it deep into one. Anyone got any tips for going further once your in the money?

Anyways heres the final figures for the day

Current Bankroll: $15.46
Current Goal: $35

Getting closer to my goal. Hoping to hit it before October.

[Fenris78]

I don't have tips for going deeper once you are in the money, but another hint: Try to take more risks on the bubble and don't be afraid to bust out before you are in the money! The big money is in the top 9 spots so you don't want to squeeze in the money but rather arrive ITM with a nice stack that will allow you to go deep! Many of your opponents will be afraid to bust on the bubble so try and use this to steals pots everywhere. Steal blinds, reraise blind stealers and don't be afraid to take a coin flip. Squeezing in the money won't help you in the long run. Better to bust before the bubble while trying to build a nice stack!

Anyway, I wish you good luck with your quest! Keep us updated, work on your game and post hand examples! Many of us have built a bankroll from a small (or even no) initial investment. All it takes is the will to study and improve your game. The money will take care of itself.

[novak79]

Thanks. One tournament I found my self in a situation where if I pushed and everyone folded I would be in the top 5 chip leaders, if I pushed and was called I would either A bust out deep in the money but not so deep that it was a huge difference (like the 300 spots before it) or B win and become the chip leader by over 150K. Chip leader had 100k at the time. I pushed on an open ended straight draw. I pushed here. Good or not so good move?