I think that my game at 5NL is pretty solid. I can take down small pots and I can fold in the right spot for the most part. I play most hands in position and I've learned to get rid of the "tempting hands" AJo KQo QJo QJs ATo etc unless I'm CO or button. I can outplay those who multi-table and play ABC poker because they are predictable.

Here's the problem - I can't grow my bankroll. What happens is, I'll play for two hours and be up two or so buy ins. Then something will happen and I'll lose it all and go back to where I started. It mainly happens at the loose tables which are supposed to be where the profit is made. At the loose tables, people will call raises with anything and then hit miracle flops...

So bad beats are devastating. It's not a loss of a little bit of money, all bad beats are all ins for entire buyins at more (and at poker stars the buy in for 5NL can be as high as $10) For example - if I'm in a pot with AKs and the flop is Axx rainbow and I lead in, it always ends up with me being all in against another all in to have a showdown of T5o where he hit 2 pair. THIS HAPPENS SO MANY TIMES IN A SESSION IT'S UNREAL. Bad beats are bad beats and I get my money in where I'm supposed to but when I'm playing full rings and I raise 8x the bb and get a million callers, someone will hit something. And I'll lose a buyin like that.

I'm wondering if I should tighten it up at 5NL to reduce this happening. If I get pot committed with a loose donk, I lose too much money because very rarely do they have TP weak kicker, it's always two pair or better.

Maybe I should only pot commit or go all in when I have the absolute nuts? It's just an observation that with TPTK and I bet 80% of the flop to take it down and the guy reraises x 20 with an all in, I should probably get away because even though getting my money in might be smart, the showdown always ends up me losing to junk.

Plus c-betting doesn't work at 5NL unless it's in the morning with the multi table grinders which are easy to outplay