Constant Bad Beats

I am somewhat new to limit poker (I have been playing probably for about 1 year, but only for a few months since studying it) and have been losing my bankroll steadily for the past 3 weeks. I have been experiencing bad beats constantly with good hands. I have read miller's small stakes hold'em and been following the suggestions I believe, but get beat consistently. I am good at single table tourney's and that is how I built my bankroll to $400, but am interested in exceling at limit hold'em. I seem to get beat alot by guys playing junk when I have good hands, and am drawn out a lot by junk flushes like 9-2, j-3 and the such. I don't play these hands in any position. Should i be playing them? I could post some hand histories to give you an idea of the beats. For example on a .50/1 table tonight I was beat by the same guy twice in a row, first I had AA and he drew a flush with 8-2s and the next hand I believe it was I had AKs and he drew me with Q-6. This consistently occurs and my bankroll has been devastated. I have been taking the suggestions in the book to be more aggressive with drawing hands and the such, but have lost about $300 in the past 3 weeks and my bankroll is pretty much toast. I want to try again with a new bankroll, but am so unsure of myself now. Am I just unlucky? I feel I am playing against the right people if they are playing too many hands and playing garbage, but that does not explain why I am getting beaten down so bad. I could post some hands to show how I play if that will help. Thanks for your help


Rick

your AA getting busted was a bad beat, AK being busted by Q6 isn't...AK is only a 5-to-3 favorite against two lower unpaired cards

Well, if you play the game correctly, the money should take care of itself. You're remembering a few beats, but I'm sure you must have mislpayed a hand here and there.

You are learning a new game. ANd, I'm sure you are playing a little NL tournament strategy in a limit ring game. The two aren't played the same way.

Post some hand histories. Not just of you AA getting beaten, but of any hand where you win or lose a large pot. Heck, maybe even some small pots.

First, thanks for the responses, i truly appreciate it. Here is example of some of my play. I know I have made critical errors in these hands, but am curious to know your opinions. Thanks:


First, a couple of examples from a bad session last week. I was seemingly beat on every hand I had. Here are two examples:

Hand 1

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is BB with J:club:, J:spade:.
UTG raises, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, MP2 calls, 3 folds, Hero 3-bets, UTG caps, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (16.50 SB) 3:spade:, 5:heart:, 3:club: (5 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 bets, MP2 calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (10.25 BB) 4:spade: (5 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 bets, MP2 calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

River: (14.25 BB) Q:heart: (5 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 bets, Hero folds, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls.

Final Pot: 16.25 BB

Hand 2

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is Button with A:spade:, A:diamond:.
3 folds, MP2 calls, 1 fold, CO calls, Hero raises, SB calls, 1 fold, MP2 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (9 SB) 5:club:, 8:heart:, 8:club: (4 players)
SB bets, MP2 folds, CO raises, Hero calls, SB calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) 4:diamond: (3 players)
SB checks, CO bets, Hero calls, SB calls.

River: (10.50 BB) 4:spade: (3 players)
SB checks, CO bets, Hero calls, SB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

And here are some examples of my normal play:

Hand 3
Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is BB with T:spade:, T:heart:. UTG+2 posts a blind of $0.50.
2 folds, UTG+2 (poster) checks, MP1 calls, MP2 raises, 1 fold, CO calls, 2 folds, Hero calls, UTG+2 folds, MP1 calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) T:diamond:, 3:club:, 5:diamond: (4 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, CO checks.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 3:heart: (4 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, CO checks.

River: (4.75 BB) T:club: (4 players)
Hero bets, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds.

Final Pot: 5.75 BB

Hand 4

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is Button with K:spade:, K:heart:.
3 folds, MP2 raises, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, MP2 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) A:club:, T:heart:, Q:spade: (2 players)
MP2 bets, Hero raises, MP2 3-bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.75 BB) A:spade: (2 players)
MP2 bets, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 7.75 BB

Hand 5

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (7 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A:diamond:, 7:diamond:.
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 3 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (3.50 SB) 9:club:, 8:diamond:, A:heart: (3 players)
BB checks, UTG bets, Hero calls, BB folds.

Turn: (2.75 BB) J:spade: (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

River: (4.75 BB) 3:heart: (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero raises, UTG calls.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB

Hand 6

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (7 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Q:spade:, K:spade:.
1 fold, Hero calls, 1 fold, CO calls, 2 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (3.50 SB) 2:heart:, K:heart:, K:diamond: (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO bets, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (2.75 BB) Q:club: (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets, Hero raises, CO 3-bets, Hero caps, CO calls.

River: (10.75 BB) A:diamond: (2 players)
Hero bets, CO calls.

Final Pot: 12.75 BB

Hand 7

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is UTG with T:spade:, A:diamond:.
Hero calls, 2 folds, MP1 calls, 1 fold, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) A:club:, 6:diamond:, 2:spade: (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, MP3 calls, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (4 BB) K:heart: (3 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, MP3 folds, Hero calls.

River: (6 BB) Q:club: (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 8 BB

Hand 8

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q:heart:, A:diamond:.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, 1 fold, Button calls, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (7 SB) 5:spade:, A:club:, J:club: (7 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, Button folds, Hero raises, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) 6:spade: (4 players)
Hero bets, BB folds, UTG+1 raises, MP3 calls, Hero calls.

River: (13.50 BB) 6:heart: (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, MP3 folds, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 15.50 BB

Hand 9

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is CO with A:heart:, A:club:.
4 folds, MP3 raises, Hero 3-bets, 3 folds, MP3 caps, Hero calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) 8:diamond:, Q:heart:, T:spade: (2 players)
MP3 checks, Hero bets, MP3 calls.

Turn: (5.75 BB) J:spade: (2 players)
MP3 checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, Hero calls.

River: (9.75 BB) 6:spade: (2 players)
MP3 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 11.75 BB

Hand 10

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A:club:, J:spade:.
3 folds, Hero raises, 1 fold, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) A:diamond:, J:club:, 8:spade: (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, SB folds, BB calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) 8:club: (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, CO calls, BB calls.

River: (8.50 BB) K:heart: (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, CO raises, BB calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 14.50 BB

Any advice would be so appreciated. Thanks


Rick

I'm definately not a limit player, but Hand 1 seems pretty weak/tight. It is possible he has AAKKQQ but you never raise and find out.

I do believe you managed to misplay every single one of these hands. You'll be best off posting hands in the limit holdem forum, but try not to post more than like 3 or 4 at a time. Some of us have ADD and tune out pretty quickly.

Have you read any other books on limit hold'em besides SSHE? SSHE if misapplied can be murder on the bankroll.

Also, read some of the sticky posts on bad beats or limit (especially the why you suck at limit by Fnord). Bad beats happen regularly in limit, but solid play will win in the long run.

Here's a hint for you. If you believe other people are sucking out on you, and then you ask if you should play junk cards, there's a serious logical flaw in your argument. Can you figure it out?

It is not enough just to read SSHE, you have to treat it like a text book and study it (again and again). I got my copy 6 weeks ago and it is already the most dog-eared book I own.