Beginner problems !

Hi - 1st post so go easy on me!

Im just starting out playing online and having read plenty articles and strategies (particularly some very good ones here) i am trying hard to learn how to play properly rather than just messing about.

The main problems i am finding are:

- nearly all tables seem to have 1 or more aggressive player who tend to make raises where my pot odds dont justify calling. As they are aggressive sometimes i have called them when i have had position and thought they were bluffing, but have always got stung.

- When i have had premium hands 1/2 the table will fold pre flop, and everyone else tends to fold before much money is in the pot. I am trying not to bet too high so as not to scare people off, and dont think i am so tight people fold to every bet i make.

- 6 or 7 times tonight in an hours play i folded hands like J4os or 83os preflop without having to call more than the BB, not wanting to waste money and then the flop came and would have given me trips, or full houses or 2pair. Needless to say if i did go in with these type of hands nothing ever came.

Sorry for the long post, i really want to improve my game and play well so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

- nearly all tables seem to have 1 or more aggressive player who tend to make raises where my pot odds dont justify calling. As they are aggressive sometimes i have called them when i have had position and thought they were bluffing, but have always got stung.

Then dont call them... really, dont just ignore the odds because someone is aggressive. You do have better implied odds against them though, so you can call a bit more, but dont call to much.

Also, reraising them is one way to find out what they have. =)

- When i have had premium hands 1/2 the table will fold pre flop, and everyone else tends to fold before much money is in the pot. I am trying not to bet too high so as not to scare people off, and dont think i am so tight people fold to every bet i make.

I'd have a standard preflop raise, and raise the same ammount for every hand. (5xBB for low limit would be what I recomend)

- 6 or 7 times tonight in an hours play i folded hands like J4os or 83os preflop without having to call more than the BB, not wanting to waste money and then the flop came and would have given me trips, or full houses or 2pair. Needless to say if i did go in with these type of hands nothing ever came.

even 72o can be a good hand sometimes, but it's not worth calling.

I dont even like to call the BB with AJ.. it's just not a winning hand.

In the last 81,000 hands of poker i've played, i've made .03 BB/hand with AJ.. at the .15/.25 level thats just about 1c each hand...


PS: if you have the money, get poker tracker .. that will let you see things like this.

Nothing you describe is unusual, there will be agressive players, people who does not anything will fold, and crap can turn to gold once in a while.

Despite all this you should
1. Play according to odds
2. Keep betting your good hands and dont let people draw for cheap on your strong hand, it is better to win a small pot then lose a big one when you let somebody chase and catch
3. Dont play crap, the once in a while they are a winning hand does not compensate for the tons of time they dont.

Post hand histories, any hand you hada tough decision with post in this forum, you will get some good advice

Thanks guys. From having a read about the forum some more it seems this kind of stuff has already been discussed about a million times already! Appreciated your advice though, always nice to have a bit of encouragement. Have to work out how to post specific hand examples next.

Cheers!