Don't Buy a Bankroll Building Ebook!

I requested a payout from Sporting Bet on Friday night, so I haven't been playing since then. I've read that it can take six or seven days for the payout; I'm in a holding pattern until they release the funds. I guess the good part about this is that my wife can't say that I spend all of my free time playing poker!

While I'm waiting, I've been finishing Small Stakes Hold 'em by Ed Miller and reading poker articles on the Internet. Although Miller's book is great for learning the best play on a given hand to maximize your expectation, it doesn't really talk about the psychology of the game.

Although no-limit hold 'em play is much different than limit poker (which is what I'm playing), Doubleas blog has some great articles on betting to push your opponent off of a hand. When I've ventured into the Dark Side (NL tournaments), I find that I'm often pushed off of a good hand by an aggressive bet, yet I never bet aggressively in return. Hopefully the next time I play one of these tournaments, I'll remember Doubleas articles.

While searching though Google, I came across a handful of e-books that teach you how to build your bankroll using bonuses at online casinos. While there may be valuable information in those books, there is plenty of relevant (and free) information available in the Internet. Here's my suggestion:

• Start at the Two Plus Two forums. Read through the links in their Beginners forum. The most important two for learning how to build your poker bankroll are Homer's post and Greg J's post. Not all of the bonuses in the initial post are valid any more, but read through the comments for updated ideas.
• Read through the guide at Bonus Whores. They have a step-by-step guide that is fairly up to date. I decided to start on Sporting Bet because I liked their bonus structure, but I'll move to the sites listed here soon enough.
  
• Do some Google searches and blog searches for Building your bankroll. You aren't the first one to go down this path. Emulate others who have been successful.
• Read some good books on hold 'em poker. I've mentioned and highly recommend Small Stakes Hold em by Ed Miller. If you're new to hold 'em poker, I'd suggest Hold 'em Poker by David Slansky. Another highly recommended book for advanced players is The Theory of Poker also written by David Slansky.
  

Keep in mind, you don't have to be a poker expert to begin building your bankroll. As long as you are tight pre-flop and play decent poker, your bankroll will grow almost by itself with the help of the bonuses. As you play more poker and begin reading the books I recommended, you'll see your win rate (and bankroll) increase.

posted by Kent @ 9:54 AM