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bef99hwk,
I share your frustration. I started playing NL hold em six months ago and play most every day for several hours. I have read about seven books on no limits plus countless posts. I am just now at a level where I consistently beat these micor limit players.
What you said is true about these players' logic being essentially "what the heck, its only a quarter." The problem is that you will face players at bigger games that will say "What the heck, it's only $100."
The key to beating these loose gambling types is to tighten up and play much fewer hands in later position.
I did the following and suggest that you do the same. Pull all your money out offline and invest it in Poker Academy Pro. It is very expensive ($120.00) but it is not a game per se. It is an analysis tool. It keeps track of every hand you play and helps you identify your weaknesses. Play for ninety days. Then play the online version against other players. You will be playing for play money but it is structured in such a way that the players do not bluff off the play money as they do on Party or Stars. Play this for ninety more days and save up $500.00. Deposit it into Pokerstars or wherever you play and hit the $25 games. BTW, i have no affiliation with PokerPro or any site. I just use the product and I have improved immensely.
Remember, you are playing poker. Oftentimes, the bad beats you suffer come from playing your ego, when you do not have the cards or the position.
The best story I can give you was that I was playing a six way $25 NL on Stars. I was winning a dollar or so per round. Then a total jerk came in and started going all in almost every hand preflop trying to steal the blinds. In times past, I would have jumped in to "teach him a lesson" but with crappy cards. He would have drawn out on me and I would have suffered a "bad beat" (Really my fault for letting him get to me.) So I waited, and had to lay down some starting hands that, had he not been there, I would have gotten to play. Lay down after lay down, etc. I kept trying to out maneuver him, but had to back off because I did not have the cards or position or either. Finally, I drew a KQs on the button. He raised, but did not go all in. I reraised a small amount and he called. The flop came A-J-T rainbow and he went all in. I called. turn and river were rags and I had his stack, all of it. He left. It left such an impression with the other players, that I stole pots for the next hour and left with a profit of $33.67 for the session.
You have to play each hand as if it is the only one that you will ever play. It does not matter what happened two hands ago. All that matters is making the very best decision you can with these cards, these opponents and in this position. period. Play your cards, not your ego.
I have played enough at this level to "know" that I can sit and play and over e period of time show a profit.
As to buying in for a larger amount and playing higher stakes, I've been there done that and got the T-Shirt. The better method is building your bankroll by playing your way up. It is kind of like paying your dues and it is for your own protection. You start with a minimum bankroll and earn your way to the next level. If your bankroll grows than you are probably good enough to advance. If it does not grow, then you need to keep practicing and reading and learning until it does. Your bankroll will tell you when to move up.
Incidentally, I know it gets frustrating to sit there and suffer all that grief for a few dollars. But you need to realize that poker is a grind and you can actually make decent money for a college student, even at this level. If you buy in for $25 and try for a 20% profit per session and play three sessions per night, that is a win of $15 per might tiimes 20 nights per month is theoretically$300.00. It will pay for food. Even if this overeggagerates th profit potential, remember that you are letting the bankroll grow and pretty soon you'll be making even better money. Nevertheless, you will be suprised at what a consistent 5% win will do to your bankroll over six months. Six months is a very short time in the big scheme of things.
One other piece of advice, Doyle Brunsen Supersystem 2. Read it and read it and read it. It changed my life.
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