I started playing poker a few months ago, I quickly lost my first $100 deposit playing 6max 10NL. At the time I thought it was just some bad luck, but looking back I was terrible.
I reloaded another $100 and lost $50 in a few days playing 10NL 6max again. Fortunatley at this time I started reading everything I could about poker strategy, bought several books, memberships to sites etc.
I started playing $2 + .2 HUSNG shootouts on FT (4 mans). The play in these is really bad. Villans are limping everyhand and will call almost any raise pre-flop. Very easy to exploit these players, i just focus on getting value when I feel I have the best hand - and thats about it. No bluffs, no fancy plays, just the most basic poker you have ever seen.
I think that the shootout format is much better for a really low stakes player as the rake is much less in the end. Instead of playing 2 2+.2 games and paying 40 cents rake, its just one game 2 + .25 and paying 25 cents rake.
* started playing exclusivly 4mans HU at 325 games mark, right before upswing.
I think that I am a winning player at these stakes, even if my sample size etc is small.
my questions are this:
- When should I move up? I have $200 in my account, go you think this is enough for $5 games?
- Should I stick to shootouts or move to regular games? The rake is still less at the $5 game level on the shootouts. I suppose it comes down to if I can stand the greater variance?
- Would you expect much harder opponents from $2 - $5 I would imagine the play is still going to be bad at $5 level.
Move up to the $5s, 35-40 buyins is plenty to take a good sized shot, the rake is less than the $2 so you'll be in good shape.
Play the 2 mans, the 4 mans may give you a slightly better return but I'd pass on that possible extra small return just for the lower variance of playing 2 man games.
Competition should be just about as bad as at the $2s, so just try to focus purely on playing well and not worry about any variance.
Good luck.