My main problems

[bjsaust]

I feel like my pokers improving, but I'm still down. Things I need to learn.


1. No, he is not bluffing you.

2. No, he isnt an idiot either.

3. Stop making stupid mistakes.

3a. This means paying attention to every street. A winning hand on the flop isnt neccessarily still winning on the river.

4. When I'm tired and start making mistakes, that means bed time, not multi-table to win it back faster.



I'll be at a point where I'm making 25% profit per hour (obviously over short term, but playing well for me), then make stupid decisions. The moment the hands over I know they were stupid decisions. They were stupid the last dozen times I did them too, and I do them less, but still do. Things like I have TPTK and I put my opp on TPNK so bet them all the way to showdown and as soon as he shows me his flush I glance at the board and realise theres 4 hearts there. Or the flop is A,J,T and I have an ace and nothing (maybe checked in from blind) so I bet all the way to the line and he shows K,Q.

Now I'm down 25% and spend the next hour playing good poker to break even, only to do it again. The other thing is the 'he's bluffing syndrome', I'm getting better at this, but still fall for it too often. I get bluffed maybe 10% of the time I think I am (made up nbr, but usually if we showdown, they have the goods).


Obviously I need to work on things like my post flop betting, and all the mathematics related items beyond simple pot odds and basic implied odds, but first I need to block the major leaks.


On a positive notes, some things I feel I have improved on.

Hand selection.

Pre-Flop betting.

Post-Flop betting is better than it was. Making progress on this.


Going foward, I think I need to step away from S&Gs for a while. I like them, and feel I'm improving, but its eating into my bankroll trying to learn. Back to the ring to work on basic poker skills and hopefully rebuild the BR or at least break even till my next deposit (I'm giving myself $50 p/m for 12 months to learn, if I cant make money or break even by then the games not for me).

I also think I need to spend some time studying. I have gone through some articles on here, but need to spend more time on them. Need to go back through the hand/tourney histories people have helped me with. Got the Theory of Poker a couple of days ago and only read a bit of it so far. Experience helps, but so does the theory and I'm probably spending too much time on the experience bit atm. Should also help stop the drain on the BR a bit.

[TLR]

knowing is half the battle.

If you can identify your leaks now its time to start working on them.

On the lower levels you win by playing ABC poker and staying away from marginal situations, as you move up you have to be a bit more creative

[mrhappy333]

Poker Tracker helped my game considerably! Also use a 4 colored deck if you currently don't.
post HH's one or two at a time and use the convertor, it makes it easier to read.

[bjsaust]

Yeah, I've been posting a few hands, and the feedback has been really useful. Especially a full S&G tourney I posted in that forum, really openned my eyes to some big issues. I use a 4 color deck, the problem is that when I start to switch off, I just stop looking for the flush draws. Its especially bad when I have a good (or great) hand on the flop. I just turn off my brain sometimes and dont watch for changes in the game.

[GatorJH]

Yeah, I've been posting a few hands, and the feedback has been really useful. Especially a full S&G tourney I posted in that forum, really openned my eyes to some big issues. I use a 4 color deck, the problem is that when I start to switch off, I just stop looking for the flush draws. Its especially bad when I have a good (or great) hand on the flop. I just turn off my brain sometimes and dont watch for changes in the game.

Keep posting HH's and you will keep getting better. As TLR mentioned, just knowing you are making a misake (even if it is right afterward) is a great first step in plugging the leaks in your game.

[aokrongly]

...

[bjsaust]

Thanks for the great reply aok. A few more 'ahah!' moments right there.

I really like the suggestion of writing out my lessons, especially the idea that it helps me get to sleep. My normal pattern is bust out with a silly move (or because I left myself vulnerable with silly moves earlier), perhaps try to go to bed, but either way end up playing S&Gs or ring in some kind of 'keep playing till I get it right' thinking that generally ends in trouble. I blew $8 off a $50 BR my first night away (travelling for work atm) because of that and had a poor nights sleep.

[dsmrolla06]

2. No, he isnt an idiot either.

Most of the players your going to be playing are idiots. Until someone proves otherwise, theyre an idiot.

[Ghandii]

2. No, he isnt an idiot either.

Most of the players your going to be playing are idiots. Until someone proves otherwise, theyre an idiot.

Thankfully this is true.

1. No, he is not bluffing you.

Lol, this crushed me when I started playing too. Dont worry about it. Hang around FTR, keep at it, youll get better. GL!

[bjsaust]

2. No, he isnt an idiot either.

Most of the players your going to be playing are idiots. Until someone proves otherwise, theyre an idiot.

By this I mean I play AK, and get called to the flop which comes A, 10, 6 rainbow and he bets into me. Too often I pick him with TPWK and bet him to the showdown with my TPTK, even if I reraise and he calls. At showdown he shows pocket 10's.

I assume he's a moron who doesnt know he's beat, when in fact I should be questioning why he's still coming at me when I'm representing such a strong hand. After all, its altogether likely I have A and a high card (almost certain) but he's still not folding.

Yes, sometimes he is an idiot who doesnt realise he's beaten, but rather than assuming that, I need to think it through more. Learning they're not can cost me a lot of my stack.

[MuddyWicket]

read harrington on holdem 1 and 2. You'll end up reading them several times.

$50 per month? maybe wrong but do you need to play a lower stake? makes the learning cheaper.

[bjsaust]

I play lowest stakes I can. Ring this is 5NL and I generally break about even. However if I play 3 $1.2 S&Gs and a $1.1 MTT and dont get a single ITM in a night, then it eats into it pretty quickly.

[dsmrolla06]

By this I mean I play AK, and get called to the flop which comes A, 10, 6 rainbow and he bets into me. Too often I pick him with TPWK and bet him to the showdown with my TPTK, even if I reraise and he calls. At showdown he shows pocket 10's.

Um most of the time you should be going broke on this flop. Too often your against and opponent, especially at micro stakes, that has AQ/AJ or just cant lay down any ace.

[bjsaust]

Yeah, that might not be the best example, but generally speaking I think I have a tendency to "read" him as having what I hope he has, rather than thinking clearly.

[dsmrolla06]

Just keep posting hands and dont get discouraged. Most of us lost money before we won any (like >90%). From what it sounds like, you have played a whole lot yet, so just keep at it. We all made mistakes.

[bjsaust]

Embarrasingly enough, heres an example of two of my problems popping up in one go. What we just discussed, combined when playing when I'm too tired to think straight. This is the kind of play that takes me (as it did here) from a good night to a bad night. I played badly at first and got down $2, played well for a couple of hours and got up $2 (playing 2 tables) and right around when I'm thinking I really should go to bed I do this.



PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP2 ($2)
Hero ($3.76)
CO ($5.11)
Button ($4.86)
SB ($2.83)
BB ($7.52)
UTG ($2.65)
UTG+1 ($5.07)
MP1 ($1.86)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A, A. MP2 posts a blind of $0.02.
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.02, MP2 (poster) checks, Hero raises to $0.1, 3 folds, BB calls $0.08, MP1 calls $0.08, MP2 folds.

Flop: ($0.33) 2, 7, 8 (3 players)
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: ($0.33) 8 (3 players)
BB bets $0.3, MP1 folds, Hero raises to $0.6, BB calls $0.30.

River: ($1.53) 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3.06 (All-In), BB calls $3.06.

Final Pot: $7.65

Results in white below:
BB has As 8s (three of a kind, eights).
Hero has Ah Ac (two pair, aces and eights).
Outcome: BB wins $7.65.

If I had pen and paper in my hotel room I'd follow Aok's advice. As it is I'll learn one lesson and go to bed now.


I also think I try to fill the pot too much on hands like that. The check is an effort to slowplay the hand, but the more I let people see free cards with what should be top hand at the time, the more I risk letting them catch something lucky.


Not getting discouraged, the reason behind allotting myself $50 p/m is that I'm prepared to lose for a while, as I'm learning. Hopefully I'll get to a point where I break even and my BR builds just from deposits, then eventually it starts building nicely from winning.

As mentioned I have The Theory of Poker. I have one more poker book which has probably arrived at home by now ( ). I didnt get the HoH books as they have advanced in the title. I'll grab them one month when my BR doesnt need refilling probably.

[dsmrolla06]

Theres not really any reason to slowplay aces at this buyin. Your main goal should just be to build a pot, especially with two other opponents in the hand. On the river theres not really any reason to push, hes probly only calling you if your beat anyways.