$2NL - Have to start somewhere

I have been keeping a poker journal and a spreadsheet of my results for the last week but I was keeping it private, and then I realised that it was a stupid idea when I could make a blog on here where all the members have more experience and knowledge of the game than me, so why not try and take advantage of that. Ok so onto the blog....
“It's hard work, gambling. Playing poker. Don't let anyone tell you different. Think about what it's like sitting at a poker table with people whose only goal is to cut your throat, take your money and leave you out the back talking to yourself about what went wrong inside. That probably sounds harsh. But that's the way it is at the poker table. If you don't believe me, then you're the lamb that's going off to the slaughter.” Stu Ungar

This is probably my favourite poker quote, and was said by one of the best no limit holdem players of all time. I think it demonstrates how hard you have to work at poker to get even a little bit ahead.

As I said in the title I am currently playing $2NL 9 Max, which is the game that I have the most experience in uptill now so I decided it would be a good start to my new poker career to continue with it. I started on the 2nd of January (still drunk on the 1st) with $6 that a friend sent me and that is going to be my starting bankroll and if I lose it I lose it, I can't afford to put any more on at the current time. Since the 2nd though, I have played 2775 hands and won $7.12 bringing my total br up to $13.12 (not including todays session's).

Bascially I am going to be 2 or 4 tabling and just playing standard abc poker and trying to win some money to start with, aswell as trying to read my way through the beginners digest.

Good Luck Sir!

Beginners Digest Checklist:
BankrollManagement 101. Important to new players by a500lbgorilla
The Newbie Circle of Death by storm75m
You Cannot Make Someone Fold by Pyroxene
Moving Up and YOU by Bigspenda73

169 hand SS-NLHE ring strategy: Preflop by Renton

the digest is good stuff. Good luck!

good luck, study lots.

Yesterday I played 1195 hands which is the most I have ever played in a day, so I am really happy at that. (I know it might not sound like a lot to everyone else.) Not only did I put the volume in I finished up just over 3 and 1/2 buyins I read the first 4 articles in the beginners digest and feel like I got the point they were trying to make, but if I didn't please correct me, here is my thoughts on them:

BankrollManagement 101. Important to new players by a500lbgorilla - Basically the article and the comments were saying that bankroll management is the single most important skill for a poker player to have, as variance is so large it doesn't matter how good you are swings will happen and your bankroll has to be big enough to be able to take the hit without it affecting you mentally.

The Newbie Circle of Death by storm75m - This one rung home most of all as I basically says word for word what happened when I started, got sent some money won a bit thought I was a genius then when I started losing started calling everyone who beat me a donkey. Then after I lost that money I stopped playing for a while until I could buy $20 off a friend then I would take my shot at greatness (would end up being me playing HU PLO) and losing it all. But then I logged on and found some rakeback around $9 so I messed around a bit at the mixed games until I had $6, then I decided that I actually wanted to take it seriously so I decided to start a blog here which hopefully will help me progress as a poker player.

You Cannot Make Someone Fold by Pyroxene - This one was an amazing post and an amazing story about a top quality teacher, it really made me think about all the times where I wanted to make someone do something not just in poker but in life in general. The quote "No one can MAKE anyone do ANYTHING. All we can ever do is make it easier or harder for people to make certain choices." Was actually amazing. I am saving this post to my computer for when I want to read it again, as I think reading it is +ve!

Moving Up and YOU by Bigspenda73 This is the one post which doesn't really mean to much to me at the minute. But I am making sure that I come back to it as I can see how it will help when I am ready to move up but at the moment I am a mile off moving up to $5NL. Basically I out of the post at this current time I have got out that I shouldn't move up until my bankroll is ready and I am ready as a player.

Originally Posted by scfc_andy15

The Newbie Circle of Death by storm75m - This one rung home most of all as I basically says word for word what happened when I started

Haha everyone who reads that post says that!

And yes the Pyroxene post is excellent.

First off all I am going to brag a little bit about how my bankroll has increased, from $6 when i started this operation 7 days to where it currently stands at $28. Playing around 4000 hands so far, am going quite well as far as volume is concerned, but volume hand wise is going to come second to quality of hands played. SO I NEED TO STUDY MORE.
On that note I have read though Renton's pre-flop strategy and found it quite interesting, my starting hands has been quite selective anyway. I found out that I need to open up more on the button and the cutoff than I have been doing, my range has been wider on the button but only so far as K10s etc. But my range should be wider because of my positional advantage of the blinds. I am going to try and implement that but gradually as I feel more confident in my play. I am going to try and go through his post-flop one next, but am going to try and get another 1000 hands with this looser range on the button and cutoff, and then to try and work on my post-flop play.

Good Luck with this.I have just started playing $2 6max as I found $12 on Devilfish which I won playing freerolls so will try and build that up.

Will follow your progress with interest.