Spewing Chips

Hi, this is my very first post on this site thought I've been reading for about a month now. I have played poker in spurts for almost 2 years now and it was always something I wanted to spend more time doing. Now that I have the opportunity I've really been sitting down and trying to play *at least* 100 hands a session, usually 2 sessions a day. I was really doing well, and was up 50% my original buy-in (up from about 250 BB bankroll at my limit) in about 2 weeks and was soon going to move up limits. Now I'm actually down to 50% my original bankroll and even though I think I play the same, I just can't tell anymore. I feel like I might as well set up an ATM at my driveway. Any tips on how to manage bad downswings like this? I mean, I can always renew my small-ish bankroll in a few months, but it's really dashing my hopes here.

To be more specific, I guess I'm wondering how to tell if it's just me, or variance. It's so hard to be objective. My tracker says I'm playing like a rock recently (tight-passive) but I really feel it's because I'm not getting hands to play. Should I loosen up and play hands a little lower than what I normally would from late position? Or if it worked before, should I just wait for my upswing?

Passive poker is losing poker.

You can filter your poker tracker to show your biggest losing hands. Eliminating a lot of these may help. Post some hand histories here. What sort of starting hands are you looking for preflop? What is your utg range, what's your button range, etc..

Well, UTG I try to stick to pocket pairs TT or JJ and up, and suited connectors JT and up. On the button and in BB I'm less selective, playing many suited connectors with an appropriate raise or limp. In SB I tend to be as picky as UTG. I try to get in on mid to low pocket pairs as cheap as possible in any position if they let me. I think my problem may be my post-flop play. I find myself making bad plays because I don't listen to my instinct. I'll try to post an example of the kind of hand I lose money on.

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Originally Posted by ApocalypseCow

I think my problem may be my post-flop play. I find myself making bad plays because I don't listen to my instinct. I'll try to post an example of the kind of hand I lose money on.

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Most beginners have this problem I think. Once you improve your post flop play and stop making bad plays for no reason you will start to win. You are at least already half way there because you realize you don't listen to yourself. Work on that, it is a huuuuuuuuge leak. Not just not listening to your instinct, but also calling when you don't have the odds to call.

Here is a wonderful example of the kind of hand I lose my chips on. I seem to have made a couple of mistakes that I recognize: First, I feel that if I was going to play this hand in SB I should have raised, though I doubt it wouldve done any help here. Also, I really ignored the signs that my rock-solid opponent was holding a decent hand and getting a good read on mine: she was playing. I felt like she might've had me beaten but ignored that tiny voice. Also, big pot, small hand syndrome?

Full Tilt (5 handed) Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver Cards)
Button: 13fiftynine (4,740)
SB: Hero (9,325)
BB: IDW (3,060)
UTG: chinavalentine (8,710)
CO: beksta (1,165)
Preflop: Hero is SB with http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/qc.gif, http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/jh.gif. Hero posts a blind of 120.
UTG =#A500AF(Villain)/ calls, 2 folds, Hero (poster) completes, BB checks.

Flop: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/2d.gif, http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/js.gif, http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/8h.gif (3 players)
Hero bets 480, BB folds, Villain raises to 960, Hero calls.

Turn: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/4d.gif (2 players)
Hero bets 2,000, Villain calls.

River: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/.../smiles/ts.gif (2 players)
Hero bets 3,000, Villain raises 5510 (All-In), Hero calls.

Final Pot:
Main Pot: > Pot won by Villain (17,660).

Results in white below:
Villain has Ac Jd (one pair, jacks).
Hero has Qc Jh (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Villain wins .

PS - I somehow went on to win this tournament.

Whenever a solid player limps UTG you have to be suspicious... especially if it's a loose table. Completing in the sb is usually a mistake because you are out of position. The big red flag to me was the smooth call on the turn. I would of shut down at that point and not put in anymore money unless the odds made it impossible to fold.

Her limping AJ is a very weak play imo, so next time either fold that unsuited QJ or reraise to define you hand preflop.

Congratz on coming back and winning the tourney.

O

most likely variance, until you can get a bigger sample size. sounds like you play about 200 hands/day max. it takes a long time to mount a sizable number of hands at that rate.

Come on guys, if your going to help the beginners, stop with all the mumbo jumbo. It's not variance, it's not post flop, and it's not anything magical. it's hand selection, it's position and it's a fundamental understanding of micro stakes poker.

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Originally Posted by ApocalypseCow

Well, UTG I try to stick to pocket pairs TT or JJ and up, and suited connectors JT and up. On the button and in BB I'm less selective, playing many suited connectors with an appropriate raise or limp. In SB I tend to be as picky as UTG. I try to get in on mid to low pocket pairs as cheap as possible in any position if they let me. I think my problem may be my post-flop play. I find myself making bad plays because I don't listen to my instinct. I'll try to post an example of the kind of hand I lose money on.

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Everything wrong with your game is right here, this is all wrong, and basically needs to be reworked.

play all PP and AKand AQs from UTG only for raises, and play nothing else.
Open raise all PP.
Stop playing SC until you read this http://www.grinderschool.com/articles.php?article=1.1
Be more selective in the blinds, since your playing from the worst position on the table.
Go watch every video by Bigspenda on this site in the video library.

and if you ever check on the turn or river and then call a bet, you've made a huge mistake. At the micro's, if your going to call, then bet.

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Originally Posted by Trainer_jyms

and if you ever check on the turn or river and then call a bet, you've made a huge mistake.

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everything was right, until this. simply wrong. now YOU are making a blanket statement, too.

It's all in your mind set. I will write more about downswings and how to handle them shortly on my blog at brass poker . com

I don't' think you should move up just because you have a good swing. Remember on the poker chart there are lots of ups and downs. Good play will have the wave gradually move up over time. Play your limit for a while. 500 hours live or whatever the equivalent is in online hours. Then if you are winning move up in limits.

ApocalypseCow - i know how you feel. I am in by the sounds of it exactly the same boat as you.

I look through all my stats and it actually shows me that my ranges for VPIP%, PFR% and Post flop aggression are pretty much spot on but I am still having more losing sessions that winning ones.

I feel that I run into big hands a lot but i think that is because I don't let go of my hand where i should and hence go to showdown with the worse hand alot more than i should.

My showdown won %'s are around 50% which i guess is too low?

I have watched Bigspenda's videos and they are great, but as I have been informed in another post, its best to work on one new thing at a time.

I have learnt not to play Ax suited unless in postion and with the right situation etc as this was a big leak in my game. I used to limp in all day with this shite.

Im pretty sure my post flop play lets me down like you say it does for you and I also think I need to learn to read players and put them on hands and know when i am behind etc.

I'd say it will be a long road but I guess if we can improve slightly every session in knowledge, confidence and bankroll then we are heading in the right direction.