Having some trouble, need some advice

Ok, so Ive been playing poker for about 3 months now. I started a $50 account on Paradise Poker about a month ago just to see how I would fare, and I felt I could get some more practice. I started playing at the $2 tables and quickly found it was annoying and unrealistic to what I usually play with friends. I then went to the $10 tables (5max) and found that was more of my enviroment. The first couple of weeks I played pretty good, staying around even. I got to up to about $75 in my BR about a week ago but I now find myself around $10 .

At this point I dont know what to do, I feel like I play pretty decent but I run into some bad hands and I guess I get too committed to some of my hands and chase things when I really shouldnt.

If anyone plays Paradise or wants to give some suggestions for a new player and how to play on these $5 tables it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

If you are losing, stick to the lowest tables with a proper bankroll and get experience. Just don't get caught up in the wild play and you will be just fine. Move up, one step at a time when you have the bankroll and confidence. One more tip could be to play at the full tables, and just camp on good hands and play them hard (not like a maniac, that is). I think it's easier to start at the full tables and play tight, on short tables you have to be more loose and aggressive.

Read this if you haven't: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...pic.php?t=4971

You pointed out the problems yourself - too committed to hands and chasing when you shoudln't. Cut that out and you will see profits.

Pough, I play Paradise, and I play the $2 NL tables.

I have played all sorts of other tables there as well, but a couple of months ago I started playing disciplined, winning poker. I won about 50 bucks at those tables in about 5000 hands, and thought that I would move up to $10.

Played about 400 hands there, had absolutlely shit luck, and lost all my winnings. Not only that, but because I was under-bankrolled for that limit ($150) I was not playing the same, disciplined game that I was playing at the $2 tables. I would feel, "Oh, man, I got to win, this one. Surely it's time for my top pair to come in!" and then I'd push all-in only to get, inevitably, beaten.

You are playing outside of your 'roll, I think.

I've gone back to the $2 tables and will not move up again until I'm at $250. Maybe it's not the style of game that you play at home, HOWEVER, it is an easily beatable style of game. Besides, with 50 bucks at that limit, you are going to be well within your comfort zone, financially, so you should be able to play a better game.

That's my opinion, anyhow. See you there, mate.

Jigs

Im the same as Jiggus. I started my poker jaunt with a $10 deposit at Paradise, and stuck to the $2 tables until i had made $50 (so $60 in total). The fact that they play total cack just means you can take advantage of them when you get the nuts. It is hard work, and takes patience to wait for the top notch hands, but when you do you can easily clean several people out at once as they play wild and loose and just don't see it coming.

Stick to the $2 tables until you make some decent cash ($200+) then try moving up. I actually cashed out at $200 and used it to on some other sites offering 100% deposit bonus's, and after 3 months i've turned a total investement of £40 into £200 ($400) pure profit, and i only play 2-3 hours a week.

Just keep patient, keep disciplined, and keep reading everything you can on this site, as its the best site i've found with the best group of people (mostly!) to help you out.

hope that helps.

I once dropped 12 buyins at 25NL 6max...it was annoying to say the least

Get a more proper bankroll ($150-200ish..I'd lean more towards 200 sincce you're playing VERY shorthanded) and start over, learn to accept these swings

BTW, the 01/02 tables are easily beaten

consistently winning at increasing stakes is about a number of things:
1. do you know how to play poker. winning money doesn't mean you know how to play - especially at microstakes. How did you learn to play poker, what do you know? If I asked you what hands you play preflop from what positions in what situations, could you make a list from memory. If you "play it by ear" and don't have principles and rules and guidelines for what you do, then you can't consistently win. Even if your style is wild as a rabit burnt ass boar. You need a plan. Most players THINK they know how to play because they ONCE OR TWICE won money in some rememberable way playing poker (or won for a while before it turned around). You have to know first if the downturn is your game or something else.

2. Do you have the mental experience, compartmentalization and toughness to play poker without tilting out. The answer in 3 months is probably no. If you do you know it, if you don't you probably haven't given it much thought. Poker is a discipline game, but for most players EMOTIONS rule the roost. They don't think so, but if you win and it excites you and you lose and it kicks you in the gut then emotion is involved. If you win or lose and you don't give it much thought because you "MADE THE RIGHT PLAY, WIN OR LOSE" then you're playing disciplined poker. Most people have LITERALLY NEVER PLAYED DISCIPLINED POKER. They never learn or they push the stakes until they "matter" i.e. you FEEL it in your gut. And many disciplined players go on Tilt. The emotional aspect of poker is the true secret. Anyone can learn poker, but emotion mastery is required for poker mastery, GRASSHOPPER. That means laying down hands that you want to play, that means betting hands postflop with nothing because it's the right thing to do, etc.

3. Bankroll management. Although I have one caveat that most people don't include - if you can refill your poker account from your pocket with little issue - then you don't have a Bankroll yet. A bankroll, by my definition, is a CAPITAL amount of money that you use in poker. A bankroll is holy, it is sacrosanct, it is EVERYTHING. It is your protector and friend.

So you ask what's going on and I ask, what do you KNOW? What do you FEEL?

But on a positive note, why do you play poker? Wanna get rich quick. Don't bother. You'll never do it. Big time players have big time bankrolls. It takes years of pro level play to put together truly big money.

Wanna pay for next year's vacation with poker money? No problem. Devote yourself to continue along the track you're on. But, there are no shortcuts. The are short-term results, but there are no shortcuts and you give your short-term results back when you don't realize they are based on very little. Matering the game will give you a lifetime of free pocket money (or better) and enjoyment.

Good luck.

Thanks guys for all the advice, it is greatly appreciated.

I am currently playing at the $2 tables at Paradise, and in a week of some games I have gotten to $25 in my BR, (so I've gained 15 in a week). Ive been playing pretty tight, folding hands that I would consider promising, and folding a good hand when my instinct tells me Im beaten. I also found playing at this level is much more relaxing and easy-going than the $10 tables.

In response to what AoK and others said (great posts by the way) I feel like I play poker lately to get some enjoyment. I guess I really dont have a very active hobby as of recently, so I felt playing poker may give me some fun and enjoyment. Im not playing to get some quick cash, I want to learn and absorb as much information and try to apply it to my game in order to become a better player.

Anyways, I feel like the lower stakes tables are a better enviroment for a less experienced player as my self. Thanks again guys for the advice.

I do think that an inexperienced player should stick to full ring for the first few months. 6max requires different skills; there's more post-flop play, marginal hands become more valuable, and there's more room to make m0oves, all of which are abilities that really do need time to develop. You really need say 15-20,000 hands before you'll get a basic, instinctive feel for play - it's safest to get this camping and watching at the 10-handed, low-buyin tables.