losing to break even???

[oddjob]

allrights, i think i'm an allright player (which in my mind means i don't suck horribly bad, but maybe just a bit... heh). i just can't seem to win consistently, so it leads me to believe that i'm not that good. which is fine. but what can i do to improve?

i'm already playing colorado's lowest limit. $2-5, and i can't play online due to a lack of computer at home, so i can't go down in limits.

i constantly read and reread poker books and this forum. i know i'm playing better because of all this, but i can't seem to come out ahead or break even consistently. usually i'll book a small win, and come back and lose big the next session. i don't think my playing really changes from one day to the next.

even when i feel i'm playing good, i'll walk away a loser. but i realize those times when i lost because i played bad.

there are a lot of rocks at the casino, and there are a lot of players that will play just about anything.

playing at a table full of rocks, well just plain sucks. can't win much when i have the best of it. too much respect? a tell maybe? but i don't really think these low limit players are very aware of tells.

playing at a table full of the calling stations can suck because with so many people playing all their hands, it's more likely that someone will draw out on you.

it's hard to find that good mix of these players.

any suggestions? i love this game and i want to win, just so i can keep playing.

early this year i'd book 2-4 bb/hr sessions all the time, but the last 3 months have been bad.

the first month i had maybe two winning session out of 12. the next month i think i had 1. this month's been better but my losing sessions have been worse than my winning sessions.

i thought i was running bad, but now i know it must not be the case. i know i have leaks, but how do i discover my own leaks.

any help is much appreciated.

thanks in advance.

oddjob

[John Gaspar]

Hi,

My suggestion would be to post some hands in the small stakes forum. How you played them and what you were thinking when you played them. Be prepared for straight forward responses on how well or poorly you played. This type of constructive criticism can greatly improve your game.

I agree with J.Gaspar. post some hands and learn from the comments.

aside from that, let me say this:

many players complain that they have to play against a bunch of rocks, and don't get any action on their good hands. they complain about the tables of calling stations, and how they have to show down a strong hand to win.

while those two situations can be frustrating, the key to overcoming that frustration is knowing that you are still playing against players who are making mistakes. they are different kinds of mistakes, and the key to beating thes different games is knowing what mistakes your opponents make, and capitalizing on them. if you are against a bunch of rocks, steal more often. more liberally. move your agression up a notch. the times these guys fold to you when they have a better hand is going to increase your stack, albeit very slowly.

when you're up against calling stations, realize that you can see cheaper flops with better odds. don't start playing T4o, of course, but realize that your drawing hands will now be paid off a bit more than with those rocks. start betting more for value. check-raising bettors on your right to rope people in for 2 bets, hammering your good hands, and dropping junk that isn't likely to hold up. dropping draws to hands which may not hold up, etc.

in either case, the key is to play your opponents. capitalize on their weaknesses. whatever the situation warrants is the play to make. this can be hard, and it takes discipline. but it can be done.

after all, if everyone made the plays they were 'supposed to make' all the time, there would be no profit in the game.

[Jeffage]

This is a good post, and I agree with all of your points. It is also very well presented...why not register and join the 2plus2 community?

Jeff

[Mark W]

I agree with the post your hands comments. Also if you are losing 90% of your sessions you have a major hole and the readers here can help. In addition, be patient. I have been playing poker for 25 years in the Casinos and not only did it take many years to be able to play Pot Limit with success; I have also had to relearn the game a couple of times over. Hold-em especially has changed over the years. If you played the game today that took down the money 25 years ago the aggressive players would eat you alive. Jim Albright and i were sharing a few words at the WPO last year and we were laughing about how one of the 1st hold-em books said the number 1 rated hand was J 10 Suited. This was before David's original small Hold-em poker book which contained a hand rating guide. In addition, David has revised them also since then.
Be patient, stick with the low blind game, post your hands and not just the ones you are proud of. Show us what you do in each position.

GL

[oddjob]

thanks everyone for the advice.

now i got to brush up on my hand memorizing skills. heh.

[Paul Talbot]

You are playing in a game where the max rake is a full big bet. Add tokes to the dealer on top of this and you not only have to be good, you have to be MUCH BETTER than your competition to win in the long run at this game.

Instead of playing in a crappy 2-5 game, invest your next $250 in rake and tokes into a used computer and start playign on line where you can play 1-2 or 2-4 with a 5% rake and no tokes. You might find that you are not quite the losing player you think you are.

Regards,

Paul Talbot

[Clarkmeister]

Great points. It is also important to note that with that structure, drawing hands go way down in value because of reduced implied odds. There are some strategy adjustments that need to be made in a structure where the max bet on every round is the same.

[oddjob]

very good points.

the rake is $3 plus $1 for the bad beat jackpot, plus $1 dealer toke.

but i really like playing at the casino. is a modem connection good enough for online connection or do i need dsl?

thanks

The game you're in is too tough. Play in home games. No rake and the guys are there for the recreation. I play against old guys and farmers who are just out for the recreation. You can find them in church groups , at the golf course, etc. Just look and you will be awinner

[Fitz]

I have a cable modem now, but I played on a dial up modem for the first year or so that I played poker online. Keep your expenses down, and start with a modem.

Also, how accurately do you track you play and results? This is much easier to do online, and I know it has helped my play a ton since I started doing it. There are software packages out there such as Pokerstat, but I just use a spreadsheet I created to track hours and hands played amount of win or lose per session, and my average win per hour. I've also made a chart tracking my bankroll; it makes it easier to track when you can just see it going up or down as the case may be. You can also get detailed hand histories online which make it easier to analyze your play, and they make it much much easier to post hands here for analysis.

Good luck,

Fitz