A few words from a progressing newb

[Miffed22001]

Well, ive now been away from poker for 3 weeks and while im not missing it, i can still think of all the time i could be making money.
I wanted to post for the recent posters who have been asking about bankroll and winning problems.
The best people i have learnt from on this site are Rondavu and aokrongly so ill try to imitate their style.
Early on in poker when you have only played for even a few months, but most likely a few weeks confidence and 'am i making the right move?' are real problems that are difficult to overcome.
Think of it this way. You now know the best starting hands, you also know about position and playing marginal hands in position or raising in position to give yourself an advantage. You also have learnt about post flop play-check raising dumping tpgk when you get reraised on the turn when scare cards appear.
So whats the problem?
The problem is you keep getting beat every so often isnt it? I had it too.
Why is it that when i raise AK hit an ace bet and then jam the turn i still get beat?
My advice is this.
Keep playing those starting hands in position,
keep betting the best hand,
keep pushing in to defend a good hand against drawers
and just keep playing the way you should have learnt from reading at this site.
Dont play outside your bankroll,
dont try fancy bluff or reraise plays at low limits, just play it straight
And after all this you will let me repeat that YOU WILL become a winning poker player because you play the odds.
Yes fancy plays and playing different from recommended will win you money but in the longer term you will get thrashed for cash if money is the reason you play poker (and it should be the sole reason, to make cash)

SO for all those guys out there who want to play outside your 'roll becasue of the fish giving you beats, DONT. You will progress slowly but YOU WILL PROGRESS but you have to graft at lower limits to progress higher, it doesnt come easy you know! You have to learn whats bad poker before you can play good poker.
And as for the fancy bluff plays and pushing others off hands when you have jack DONT DO IT. Playing and betting the best hand will win you money a high percentage of the time (i know this ive done it!) whereas bluffing and farting about will either
lose you money
lose you money you have made in profit from good play
or LOSE YOU MONEY
So guys, while i am no expert i made myself into a winning poker player through
learning about the game and how to play it
rigourously applying the concepts i had learned through discipling myself
playing within my bankroll
and telling myself that i shouldnt have called that and i wont do it again (and making myself do it!)
Wow
I wrote a post telling others what to do.
I only hope you can see what im trying to say.
GRAFT you will progress but it takes time, dont expect it over night.
But most of all keep at it!

[Irisheyes]

Nice post professor miffed. Congratz.

[Berksmickey]

Totally agree with everything written there.

I recently lost $40 of my $55 winnings doing exactly what it says here, playing hands i didn't play when i started, trying to bluff a pot when i should have just dumped the hand instead of trying to represent top pair or better etc, so I have recently kicked myself in the ass (pretty hard to do!) and promised myself to get back to solid, disciplined poker, and hope to regain my lost winnings

[biondino]

Great post - I agree with almost everything (though you know my views on bluffing at low limits ), apart from this:

"and it should be the sole reason, to make cash"

Heavens no! If there's only one reason, it should be because you enjoy it. The cash is a bonus which will invariably come if you have the correct (and most enjoyable) approach to learning and playing the game. But if you're ONLY palying to make money - what a soulless and often unsatisfactory time you're going to have!

[DBL0SVN]

Nice job on summarising what you've learnt and giving back to the other newbs here - that's what makes this place the great site it is.

[Berksmickey]

and, cos im sure you were all desperate to know (!) i have now won back my previously lost $40 in a 1 hour session by playing the way i should, solid, disciplined and pushing my advantage when i'm "positive" i have the edge.

Cheers guys.

(group hug)