Win great for a while then BLAH

This has happened to me before, particularly at Bodog.com

I honestly think the reason might be that my name is too easy to remember and people get to know my style.

I had been up there for a few months, then BLAH. Lost my winnings.

I left for 2-3 months then went back. It was great for a few months again, and now BLAH again. But at least this time I'm still up.

Should I just play somewhere else for a few months then go back and see how it goes?

I really like Bodog the best because I really prefer to play conservatively and it generally works at Bodog $1 blind ring games, in which so many people play quite loose.

Does anybody else just fudge identification so they can play the same site under two different names? I know I once did that to get some free software, but haven't generally done this for improving my play.

Also, do names like

dfs435

help at all? They don't seem very memorable. Or is it note-taking that's doing me in?

Thanks for your advice.

Nancy

what stakes what game?

Originally Posted by Nancy Sexton

I really prefer to play conservatively ... Or is it note-taking that's doing me in?

Thanks for your advice.

Nancy

Well, if I played against you (and I haven't), I would probably have notes on you. If you play conservatively, then my notes might say ... "8 / 0 / 1 easily bluffed out of a pot, only plays monsters, very passive" and I would put a special symbol next to your name (Hollywood Poker adds these in addition to notes) that indicates "Very Passive".

And of course, anytime I was playing against you, I would try to sit on your right and steal all of your blinds.

Maybe it's time to mix it up. You can read FTR for ideas. Good luck.

I'm playing:

One Dollar Blinds
Ring Games
9 people max (or at other sites 10 people max). I occasionally play 6 people but very rarely.

According to my stats, I see about 1/3 of the flops. I'm not only playing monsters at all. I play according to positon for sure as wel.

Also, on days when I just got crap after crap pre-flop, I just don't play poker. So that doesn't figure into my odds much.

i guess I'm admitting I'm not mixing up my game a ton at Bodog. But the players themselves are mixing up like MAD - It's rare to find anyone I took notes on or remember playing at Bodog. It really might be player turnover, or I may be the stupid person who keeps the same persona, while others are changing over.

I know you have to be unpredictable in poker, but I wonder how much that figures when you don't seem to be playing the same people much at all.

I really do play differently at other sites. Bodog just seems to be the hardest place to bluff. And slow-playing is SO rampant. You can just about count on a check-raise.

Why play at Bodog at all? Well, overall, I can make money there. More than anywhere else I've played.

Is that just a sad note on my playing skills?

And if it is, please recommend a site where I can apply what I read in Dan Harrington's book (and other seemingly good books)? After reading this stuff, I've played at:

1) PartyPoker - honestly maybe I was just in a slump. If I semi-bluffed a four-flush and got called, I'd NEVER get it. With all those people, tables seemed highly variable. Seemed to be way more many sharks than fish. I could find fish too - but I never could seem to get in a hand with them. But I was playing too tight in late position back then.

2) Bodog. It's good to me. It's bad to me. Repeat. I'm trying to learn to just leave on part 2. But when can I try to find part 1 again? By the way, I found them through this site, reading about odds, and trying Texas Calulatem. Sometimes a great place to play the odds, but sometimes odds just don't seem to get the odds. And it's a terrible place to bluff - people will call with bottom pair all the time.

3) Full Tilt. Yeah, if I was the first to act and I raised big, generally everyone would fold. Rarely called. But someone seemed to be doing that on EVERY hand. But easily the best site for bluffing. But I went down there, not up (but not a lot down). How much do I have to pay to learn?

4) Ultimatebet. Pretty good. Maybe it can work, but it's still a bit loose. Not as crazy at Bodog but about 70% as crazy. I'm a little down there. Lots of fish, but way more sharks than Bodog.

Last time I went back to Bodog I was playing at Ultimatebet and was thinking:

"I guess I'm the sucker as I can't figure out who the sucker at this table is".

I really missed the suckers so I went back to Bodog. And it was so good for a while, and now my luck is either dismal, or something else is going on.

Any advice as to how to be able to play a skillful game of poker and not lose money? Different site, different structure? Or do I need to be willing to lose my initial investment in the process of learning?

Also, I'm not so crazy about tournaments. I think I need to be a winning player at ring games before I take on the extra challenge.

Nancy

welcome to the wonderful world of variance!

If you are seeing 1/3 of the flops, you might want to try tightening up a bit. I'm seeing 16% at 100NL on FullTilt.

Also, how's your aggression? Are you limping in a lot, or do you usually raise pre-flop? You in multi-way pots, or usually just 1-2 opponents?

As far as software, I highly recommend Poker Tracker. Well worth the 56 bucks or whatever to buy it. They'll let you download the software and import 1000 hands for free to check it out.

I see so many flops at Bodog because I always check out several hands before I post a blind, and if there are aggressive people (raising with KTo or so) I don't play that table.

And yeah, I'll play KTo but for a limp. Is this really truly bad? Especially when I believe my position means I probably won't get raised behind me (and given what I've observed about the behavior).

As for you seeing many less flops at Full Tilt, that makes sense. People are crazy aggressive there. That's why I left Full Tilt. Why should someone choose to play with aggressive people?

By aggressive people I mean people who raise 3-4 times the blind with hands from groups 3-4 as well as better hands. Sometimes they'll raise better than 40% of the hands that are dealt.

Yeah, maybe it is the wonderful world of variance.... But for whatever reason, Ultimatebet was kinder to me yesterday than Bodog was.

Nancy

No poker room is going to be nicer to you than another and the playstyles between all the rooms wont have a HUGE difference. Though there will be some, I dont think it is as pronounced as you are making it sound. I think the problem may be you are playing stakes that are too high for you. What is your bankroll? I think a lot of it may have to do with what you said, when you first started out at the tables people probably gave you too much credit and then after having played with you longer then they started to adjust to you play and made better calls. Seeing 1/3 of the flps and limping KTo is playing way too lose, especially at fullring and the regulars at Bodog probably realized how loose you were playing.

bodog 100nl is one of the easiest games you'll ever play. just play ABC poker. I'll send you my starting hands strategy if you're nice

Yeah it's a loose fish site. Doesn't mean semi bluffs don't work - raising takes down plenty of pots. And cont bet only 50% or so of your missed hands. With AK, a Q73 flop is good, and a 662 flop is OK, but I'd check behind on a J107 flop.

I don't think anyone in your game is taking lots of notes on you. But if you're too lazy to take notes, just put a number next to someone's name if whenever you see them and add one if you see them again. Start taking notes on him cos he's a regular. And mix your play up against him.

And fold that KT. It's garbage. if you have to play it, raise it in position

Originally Posted by Nancy Sexton

Why should someone choose to play with aggressive people?

By aggressive people I mean people who raise 3-4 times the blind with hands from groups 3-4 as well as better hands. Sometimes they'll raise better than 40% of the hands that are dealt.

Nancy

Here's where your note taking can help. Mark those uber aggressive players and the next time you pick a table, sit on their left. Play tight and when the right hand comes along ... and they bet their 4XBB, you reraise. Of course they will call, maybe even push but you know what crap they play and you now have a killer hand. Take their stack.

Posted: Sat, 03 Jun 2006, 10:15am

Here's where your note taking can help. Mark those uber aggressive players and the next time you pick a table, sit on their left. Play tight and when the right hand comes along ... and they bet their 4XBB, you reraise. Of course they will call, maybe even push but you know what crap they play and you now have a killer hand. Take their stack.

That's nice if you can ever get a hand. I don't know how many times I've tried this and just never get a hand, except for when they fold. And how many times did I just get blinded out...

I'm starting to think one of my strategies might be to vary where I play more - what poker site. Just changed, and it's golden right now. And it's the place that had been so blah last time I went back to Bodog....

Now, I should also try varying my actual game play so maybe I don't have to burn out a poker site.

Nancy

it's a good idea.

I like to be changing sites when I'm in a rut. I have in fact found the same phenomenon at bodog, but I think it's more a coincidence than anything. So I like to have about 3 home sites.

Learn one (or more) of limit, STT, MTTs as well as NL - then it's a lot harder to burn out

[quote="Nancy Sexton"]

Posted: Sat, 03 Jun 2006, 10:15am

And how many times did I just get blinded out...

being blinded out in full ring? are you buying with the full buy in and playing in your BR?

Maybe I exaggerated.

I came in with the full amount at a full ring game. But if I lose 25% of that without ever even seeing a turn, and hardly any flops, I consider that blinded out enough to leave. OK, maybe sometimes it gets me aggravated enough to leave after a good amount of time and losing 10 blinds.

I just seem to have lost more over the long run rather than winning sitting to the left of an aggressive person.

Perhaps I should try it on a day when I seem to be getting very lucky.

Nancy

What is your bankroll? I tihnk you may be playing too high. And if you lose any part of your stack you should rebuy so that you always have the maximum.

My bankroll is $2000, but I usually only have 500 plus winnings at a particular site (but I leave some in Neteller just in case).

If you think that's too low a bankroll, I'm not quite sure. It's lasted me a year and hasn't shrunk, I haven't had to replace it.

I do rebuy sometimes, and I do always try to play with a full stack, not less than 80% at least. But I also try to limit daily/weekly losses, I do get unlucky streaks and have to watch out for that.

Am I playing too conservatively with my money?

I don't imagine I'm too loose with my money, I'm not losing it. But I may be playing with it wrong in terms of increasing it.

So, if you think with my bankroll I should play lesser blinds, how many buy-ins should I allow myself to lose in a day or week?

Nancy

just curious
are you related to jackvance?

lol flomo..

move down to NL25 or lower

Poker has varience???????????????

reading over what you said, some things definitely raise some red flags. play 25nl for a while and post/read hands.

Ok, moved to 25 cent blinds NL, playing pretty much the same way I've been playing.

Now, how many hands do you want to look at? I could post whole sessions to my web site (so as not to flood here), and provide links to the more notable hands.

Tell me what you want.

Nancy

How about this hand - 25 cent blinds NL:

9 people - only showing stacks for those that put money in besides blinds (who folded PF):

I am called NancySexton in this text (not my actual player name).

DaWizard420 is at seat 1 with $10.20.
Jonny_Glow is at seat 3 with $30.20.
NancySexton is at seat 4 with $33.70.
kopdat is at seat 8 with $45.45.
The button is at seat 4.

Pre-flop:

kopdat calls. tbdbitl folds. Loded folds.
DaWizard420 calls. Loc Dog folds. Jonny_Glow calls.
NancySexton raises to $3. hugebenny folds.
mjm99 folds. kopdat calls. DaWizard420 folds.
Jonny_Glow folds.

Note: I raised rather large because there were so many limpers and this table was decidedly loose. I'd have been very happy if everyone folded. If only one limper, I would have raised to $1 probably.

Flop (board: 7h 5c Qh):

kopdat checks. NancySexton bets $10. kopdat goes
all-in for $42.45. NancySexton folds. kopdat is
returned $32.45 (uncalled).

My 10 dollar bet was about 1.25% the pot. I had no reason to believe he was slow playing me.

I may have over-bet, but I was getting called by a LOT of people on other hands when betting the pot onthe flop. This pot was perhaps large enough that I didn't need to overbet it. I really thought he'd fold.

I ended the hand with $20.70 (-13 on one lousy hand).

Actually, I now remember why I've been playing $1 blinds. Seems the lowest blind amount where people will respect pot sized bets on the flop.

Lost big on this hand. It did bug me.

I ended up losing quite a bit on a bluff against someone I had thought to be way conservative two hands later.

Actually, with this session, I really don't want to play 25 cent blinds unless I can find a place where they'd respect pot-sized bets of say $1.25.

Self-critique (20-20 hindsight): I should have recognized how many ways this hand bugged me (and really not just this one hand), and just quit right then. Woulda lost less.

Lost $25.25 that session. I stopped playing. Might've played past that loss if I didn't feel so damned irritated about it all - and felt I made a mistake by putting too much money into a bluff.

Frankly, this is more irritated than poker has got me in a long time. Mostly all those *!$& calls of half the pot.

Nancy

You're thinking more like a Blackjack player than a poker player.

I raised rather large because there were so many limpers and this table was decidedly loose.

You put a big raise in ahead of him and he called with position on you.

kopdat checks. NancySexton bets $10.

You come in post flop with a large uncommitted raise.

I really thought he'd fold

I put him on a large pair AA, KK, QQ, Most likely QQ, possibly even 77, or 55. And when the flop sets up for him he dropped the hammer. What did you have. What were you representing with your raise. What made you think the bluff will work, what did he do before that hand facing big raises. He''s at a 25NL table with $45, how did he almost double his buy-in. Not playing shit cards. You see conservative. Or is he just TAGG and hit his set? If he had a set, what makes you think he'd fold

I had no reason to believe he was slow playing me.

Why? You bet big enough and the pot was big enough, that's the reason to slow play. I would never slowplay a set unless someone was betting into me like that.

Actually, with this session, I really don't want to play 25 cent blinds unless I can find a place where they'd respect pot-sized bets of say $1.25.

I won't go any farther, it already sounds like you've forsaken the advice and are going to do your own thing anyway. We have no shortage of those types here. But there is alot more to this hand but lets deal with these things first.

Damn Fnord, I'm starting to understand yur comments. Maybe I'm coming into my pwn.

Ive read over your post about 5 times and honestly dont even know what your hole cards were. This hand was not played well regardless of the cards though. You raised huge preflop for no real reason [$1.75 would have been fine], and you overbet the pot for no real reason either. Ive heard "I need to play at a level where people respect my raises" plenty of times and never has it been from somebody who was skilled enough to play at those higher levels. You need to be able to beat the lower levels to play at and beat the higher ones.

How did you manage to build a $2k BR, and what is your screenname and where do you play?

If I were you I would take a few days off from poker;

1)Go over hand histories and PT (post in the hand history section here).

2)Reread ITH/SSH/etc and review the forums here.

3)Start back off at NL25.......you don't even have to do Bodog.Do PR skin reload,do Party, Empire,change it up.

4) I presume you are using PT and PokerAce......those pay for themselves the times you make a brillant call or fold.......many times I might add.

5) And always browse here for help.....

NL10

Thanks for some good comments.

Don't understand the blackjack reference (I sure don't play it).

I can appreciate that I need to learn to beat 25 cent blinds first. Frankly, I am taking a little time off playing (easy with the French Open on), and will try to find a site where I feel I can play 25 cent better.

I've already decided that tables can be TOO loose.

Mistakes I made per the above hand:

First - staying at that table. It was too loose. So I tilted a bit and over-bet. (When someone raised to 85 cents from the 25 cent blind, 60% of the players were seeing the flop, unreal).

Second - the over-betting, which was triggered by the first mistake.

Third - the later hand when I went all in on a bluff and lost - well, it was a semi-bluff but I caught neither my flush nor my straight.

For your information, I had pocket tens on the above hand.

So based on my cards, another mistake might have been even trying to play that like a strong hand. With all the limpers ahead of me, and knowing how raises get called, it might have been a good decision to just limp in.

If I was justified in playing in strong, I might have played (and still lost) a reasonable hand with a failed continuation bet. If I had not overbet, that wouldn't have been a big deal, I had a fair number of successful continuation bet hands in the session.

Nancy

Originally Posted by Nancy Sexton

First - staying at that table. It was too loose. So I tilted a bit and over-bet. (When someone raised to 85 cents from the 25 cent blind, 60% of the players were seeing the flop, unreal).

My experience at 25NL says $1 PFR in early position at a loose table (where I play) usually results in 2 maybe 3 callers. Increasing that to $1.50 (depending on the table dynamics) will yield 1 maybe 2 callers. In later positions, the size of the bet depends on the number of limpers. Fewer limpers (2 - 3 ahead), I'll do the $1 and at least one will fold. If there are more, or I want to really attempt to isolate, then it's $1.50. Of course, sometimes my table image works against me as I have been playing tighter these days and the $1.50 gets no callers. But overall this seems to work for me. Good luck.

The impression I get is that your game needs work on a lot of levels still.. too much to go into detail really.. I'd play lower stakes or atleast tighter until stuff becomes clearer.