Who doesn't want to be in this guy's position? Who doesn't want to win million dollars playing poker? That is Chris Moneymaker - an amateur who won a seat into the main event of the 2003 World Series of Poker through a $39 satellite tournament, where he went to win the first prize of $2,5 million and the most coveted bracelet in the world.
But don't let these figures fool you - there's no easy money! If you want to maintain a long term profit you need to work hard and improve your game. In this blog I will give you some tips and advices from my personal experience that I hope will help you become a better poker player. I will also keep you in track of my personal progress.
Let's assume that you are familiar with the game - you've been playing it with friends from time to time and now you want to start playing online. Why online and not live in a casino? The answer is very simple - it is much easier and it is also way more comfortable to play from your room. The next step is to choose a poker site - unfortunately the US government shut down the biggest poker sites but there are still several smaller(but legal!) ones with very weak players to play against.
It is your choice how much money you want to invest initially - I suggest not more than a hundred dollars for a beginner player. Then you start playing from the lowest possible stakes so that you can gain experience and sense of the players without having to risk a big portion of your investment. You can also find a lot of strategic materials online that can help you with a basic strategy that you can use until you develop your own style - would it be loose or tight? Would it be aggressive or passive? It's up to you and no matter what you choose if you work hard and analyze your game you will certainly encounter a profit. Once you increase your bankroll so that you have more than 25-30 buy-ins for the upper limit you can try it, but don't forget to go back on the lower stakes if you lose several buy-ins and you feel you do not have good reads on the players on that limit. That will protect you from going broke and will keep your investment alive.
Even the best players have started from playing small stakes so don't be embarrassed to start playing for cents! Remember that the hard work and a good bankroll management are the keys to success in the poker world! I wish you good luck and I'll see you at the tables!
