Transition to poker

Hi
I am just wondering how many of you have made a transition to poker?
I am a red chipper and on my last casino trip i played 2-4 hold em and lost 200
I have read the books that were recommended on here for low limit games by Lee Jones and Slansky

When I play BJ and lose I know that it is part of counting and will come around my way however Blackjack really is a science while poker is an art with science mixed in

Without getting my ass kicked what is the best way to know if I am a good player without losing a ton of money

Did most of you lose when you started out?

Thanks a lot

I've switched, for the most part. I still play BJ some, but I've gone over primarily to Hold 'Em. I've been consistently making deceint scratch playing it, much more consistently than I ever did at BJ. To test yourself, I'd say go play some at one of the big online poker sites like Party Poker, Paradise Poker or Poker Room. You can play at pretty much any level you want. Make sure you tailor your game for the internet, keeping in mind that there are a lot more knuckleheads that just refuse to fold (for one thing). That can get very frustrating. But even though that means your going to be the victim of frequent bad beats, in the long run it's money in your pocket if you consistently play levelheaded and well. Play very tight and somewhat aggressive. Just don't take MY money.

Poker is where the money is if your bankroll is limited and you either cant or don't like to travel. Mostly play 21 now as a diversion as opposed to a money-making machine.

I just got my poker books today, actually. I am not very good at hold 'em or poker, in general but hope to be after I read some books and get some practice. Here is my plan.
I got 5 books. Understand that I am not taking up poker because I did terrible at bj. I've done very well at blackjack. I will also continue playing bj.

Here are the books:

Winning Low Limit Hold 'em by Lee Jones
The Theory of Poker by Sklansky
Hold 'em poker for Advanced Players by sklansky and Malmuth
Internet Texas Hold 'em by Hilger
Small Stakes Hold 'em : winning with expert play by sklansky, malmuth, and Ed Miller

The first one I am going to read is Internet Texas Hold 'em then probably the Small stakes one. I heard very good things about the Internet Texas Hold 'em and a lot of pros were recommending it to me as a good book to start on.

Internet Texas Hold Em by Hilger is excellent indeed. So are all those others, for that matter, but for dipping your toes into online poker that one is the best I've read. Easy to read and understand, it also has useful charts you can copy for quick memorization or reference.

I've found casino poker much less stressful than card counting, but that's just me. I can do the KO count, but I never achieved excellence at it (never a big enough bankroll, paranoia, and a tendency to get a headache after doing it for more than a little while -- LOL).

Still, I'm drawn like a magnet to steel to the BJ tables if I've won big $$$ at poker for some icing on my cake.

I have the first 3 books you listed and ive read thru the first 2

I use the halves count for bj and have no problem using it
However even when i lose at bj i know i have the advantage

Did most of you lose a lot at first when you played poker?
It seems that it can me as porfitable as bj with less risk if Im any good

Im done well online playing .50/1 games- nothing spectacular but up a little plus bonuses so far the only time i playe din the casino was 2/4 game for about 7 hours where i lost 200

Like I said, I don't really know a damn thing about poker. I was reading this guy's blog and it is pretty interesting. It takes you into the mind of a professional poker player.

Here is his site:

http://geormiet.com/

He is doing poker as a summer job. He updates his site weekly. He gives lots of details. He even lists the times when he loses. The guy is super smart I think because he has 2 BA's but why I think he is smart is because one is in music and one is in physics. I think which means he is using both sides of his brain equally well.

I didn't lose a lot when I first started playing, but I guess that depends on your definition of "a lot." My playing has definitely gotten better over time, though. Don't let a $200 loss get you down. At a 2-4 table that is quite a bit, but it's gonna happen from time to time. If you get your skills sharp, it will come back to you and then some.

Over time, at a 2-4 table, you should expect to win about $4 per hour on average if you're a good player.

The players at .50-1.00 tables tend to be pretty reckless and sloppy. If you can play with a bigger bankroll, you'll find much better games, I'm sure you know, at the 5-10 level, and even better at the 10-20 level. You should still be able to grind it out at the lower tables, but the agression of maniacs tapers off the higher you go.

I have heard of advantage play for video poker. Has this been a profitable venture for anyone?

the good machines are rare since so many are now wise to AP VP. The most you can realistically make is $20 something per hour and that is only if you can find decent machines. You can find a high progressive but hundreds of others are looking to camp out at the machine too. You cannot realistically make any kind of living only at VP anymore. AP VP is best used as a comp tool, cover play, and time filler.

I know the actual rules on video blackjack games are horrible, but a bartender was telling my friends and I that the way the machine pays out has nothing to do with the game. Basically he said that they set up the machine so that all of the games but one will take your money, if you find the one game it will pay out a lot. I know there are a lot of holes in what he told me, but is there any truth at all to this. Do they really set up those games so that most of the time you have no chance of winning?
thanks

I know the actual rules on video blackjack games are horrible, but a bartender was telling my friends and I that the way the machine pays out has nothing to do with the game. Basically he said that they set up the machine so that all of the games but one will take your money, if you find the one game it will pay out a lot. I know there are a lot of holes in what he told me, but is there any truth at all to this. Do they really set up those games so that most of the time you have no chance of winning?

When it comes to gambling, there are many superstitions abound. One machine will have an abnormal positive variance and everyone will think that machine has been set to win.

It is the nature of humans to find pattens in otherwise random data. We have made constellations out of smattering of stars. Our imagination forms familiar images from puffs of clouds. Masses are drawn to water stains that seem to resemble religious figures.

In any case, I pretty sure Nevada law requires video machines using cards simulate actual decks. If this is true, two machines with the same rules have the same expected value.

One more thing, bartenders are rarely an authority on anything but making drinks.