Need Serious Help With My Play

[Kaufmania]

My story is like this:

Over the last 8 months I have done well for a college student. I have probably made about $4000 in the past 8 months playing sngs and placing at a few final tables. Recently, over the last 2 months or so I just cannot seem to win. I am breaking even consistently, and when not, losing. I cannot pick out any leaks in my play and everytime I pick up a big hand like AA, KK, QQ, it always seems to get cracked. I never seem to hit any of my
draws, and I am beginning to fear playing hands like AK, AQ, or AJ in fear than opponents will outflop me. I fear committing all my chips and I am not the aggressive winning
player that I used to be. I usually fold without the nuts when I am raised because I fear that my opponents already have me beat. I also feel like the unluckiest player in the world. For instance, I was in a $30 multi-table with 124 entrants. I was heads up at the final table and had a SURE WIN with two pair on the flop, Q4, with flop of Q54. My opponent had A2 and did not hit the 3, but hit runner runner to make aces and twos and win the tourney. I don't know what it is but I think I am suffering from some sort of depessive-poker syndrome. I just cannot win! And I consistently get my money in with the best hand!! About 85% of the time I would say! I just really have no idea what to do. It's as if I've forgotten how to play poker. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[Karak567]

Hahahahahahaha.

This is going to be great.

[DasLeben]

http://www.kentmusicschool.org/kmsgifs/violin.gif

[pergesu]

POST HANDS


dfscott, any chance I can you get you to write me some macro that does that? Just automatically replies "POST HANDS" for me. Cause I get sick of it.

To OP, read one of the 29038572349807523098475029384509238475092387465089 2374509823475098234750983247 existing threads on this subject.

[smcannon]

You say your play has no leaks but a game played by a fearful player is quite a significant leak in general. SnG's simply cannot be one by fear. If you're scared, you'll lose. Period.

It sounds like your negative mindset is seeping over into your game. Chill out with poker for a bit until you can get your head back on straight.

[igotBlackJak]

what limit, what hands give you problems, what position are u playing AJ, AQ, AK from, what are u betting, what site you playing at, what lvl is the tourny when you start to have problems, do you like tuna?

From what we know, I would say you need to limp more with AQs and push all AA/KK regardless of position and prior action..

after that and you double up, then sit back and steal blinds from shorties with anything above 22...

[Kaufmania]

Playing mostly on Absolute Poker and PokerStars. Playing $10-$20 Sng. Only playing AJ from late position if no raise or limpers. Same with KQ, KJ, etc.. I don't call raises unless I have AK, AKs, AQ, AQs, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, etc... in which case I usually like to see a flop. I usually try to get all in pre or post flop with KK or AA, unless the board is terribly threatening. I usually bet anywhere from 2/3, 3/4, or the entire size of the pot. If I can flop a set or two pair and an ace is showing I'll overbet to try and draw someone with an ace in. I dunno, I don't know if this is a run of bad cards or recently developed bad play. I have become much more tight than I used to be. I DON'T call raise with KJ, K10, QJ, Q10, unless they are suited AND pot odds justify calling. And I do... like tuna. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[TheNoodleMan]

Its too bad the Jesus spammers never respond other posts. This would be a great time for them to chime in.

[lorinda]

[ QUOTE ]
I was heads up at the final table and had a SURE WIN with two pair on the flop, Q4, with flop of Q54. My opponent had A2 and did not hit the 3, but hit runner runner to make aces and twos and win the tourney

[/ QUOTE ]

With your math skills, I recommend going to the mirror and saying "Would you like fries with that" until it becomes natural.

Lori

[microbet]

[ QUOTE ]
everytime I pick up a big hand like AA, KK, QQ, it always seems to get cracked

[/ QUOTE ]

That's where I stopped reading.

[Isaac Newton]

I'd say you are getting pegged as a ABC player and you don't do much to change their opinion. You should try to create a table image early, and then play off it when the blinds go up. If you are not getting cards early, then play the part of the limp folder. Let yourself get pushed around right up to the point where you catch a hand and double to a steal attempt. If you are getting great cards, play the part of the LAG maniac. Make huge raises UTG with big pairs. You probably won't get a call, but chances are you wouldn't have with a normal raise either. But now you have the image of an idiot. Next time you catch a hand and make the same move, you'll probably get a call. You can build a solid image at those levels in the first 2 rounds and have it pay off untill the endgame. You don't have to be this extreme, but you need to mix it up to win.

[CWolf]

No leaks at all.

[sahala]

Hey, post the hand history for cruddy games where your AA and KK are getting cracked or other bad stuff happen. Despite the snickering in the crowd you I'm sure people here will take a look.

If people here are snickering at you it's because you haven't given them any data to help you out, so your post is just interpreted as a pity-me-post. If you've really banked $4k already, however, and are just now taking in a bad run, you're not going to get a whole lot of sympathy just yet.

Edit: I did notice you posted a short explanation of how you play your cards, but it's still wise to post a full HH -- much more meaningful data.

[pergesu]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey, post the hand history for cruddy games where your AA and KK are getting cracked or other bad stuff happen.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, he should post actual hands that give him problems. The "I PUSHED PREFLOP WITH AA AND GOT CALLED DID I DO THE RIGHT THING?!?!?!" posts are the ones that get ignored and flamed.

Here's the best advice I can give. Go through all your past HHs and look for where you bust out. Just see what level and position you're busting most often. Then post some of the hands from the levels that give you trouble. That will allow you to find where you're weak, and provide people here with some info to actually help you. Saying you're not winning recently isn't going to do anything.

You can get your posts answered one of two ways. Either you're here for a long time, so people recognize you and are willing to read your posts (which you don't fall under), or you can make good posts with the information necessary for people to help. Ask good questions and you'll get good answers.

[Kaufmania]

PokerStars Game #1844333505: Tournament #8621441, Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2005/06/06 - 12:38:15 (ET)
Table '8621441 6' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: eaglephan2 (1470 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 2: sw23 (5110 in chips)
Seat 3: JPK01 (2590 in chips)
Seat 4: Dariominieri (8980 in chips)
Seat 5: Max1mus (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: The_gobba (2850 in chips)
Seat 7: ChivasC (1590 in chips)
Seat 8: Jakecool (1420 in chips)
Seat 9: nexwinner (2960 in chips)
sw23: posts small blind 10
JPK01: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dariominieri: calls 20
Max1mus: calls 20
The_gobba: calls 20
ChivasC: folds
Jakecool: folds
nexwinner: calls 20
eaglephan2: folds
sw23: calls 10
JPK01: raises 2570 to 2590 and is all-in
Dariominieri: folds
Max1mus: folds
The_gobba: folds
nexwinner: folds
sw23: calls 2570
*** FLOP *** [Ad 5h As]
*** TURN *** [Ad 5h As] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [Ad 5h As 3h] [9h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sw23: shows [Jh 4h] (a flush, Jack high)
JPK01: shows [Ks Ah] (three of a kind, Aces)
sw23 collected 5260 from pot
JPK01 re-buys and receives 1500 chips for $5.00
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5260 | Rake 0
Board [Ad 5h As 3h 9h]
Seat 1: eaglephan2 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: sw23 (small blind) showed [Jh 4h] and won (5260) with a flush, Jack high
Seat 3: JPK01 (big blind) showed [Ks Ah] and lost with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 4: Dariominieri folded before Flop
Seat 5: Max1mus folded before Flop
Seat 6: The_gobba folded before Flop
Seat 7: ChivasC folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Jakecool folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: nexwinner folded before Flop

It was a $5 rebuy tournament and I figured I had the best hand with 5 limpers so I would move in and make someone call me with a worse hand.

PokerStars Game #1844368021: Tournament #8621441, Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2005/06/06 - 12:47:35 (ET)
Table '8621441 6' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: eaglephan2 (1425 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 2: sw23 (8020 in chips)
Seat 3: JPK01 (2990 in chips)
Seat 4: Dariominieri (8900 in chips)
Seat 5: Max1mus (1310 in chips)
Seat 6: The_gobba (3035 in chips)
Seat 7: ChivasC (2910 in chips)
Seat 8: Jakecool (1700 in chips)
Seat 9: nexwinner (2680 in chips)
sw23: posts small blind 15
JPK01: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to JPK01 [Ac 8h]
Dariominieri: folds
Max1mus: folds
The_gobba: calls 30
ChivasC: calls 30
Jakecool: folds
nexwinner: folds
eaglephan2: folds
sw23: calls 15
JPK01: checks
*** FLOP *** [Th Ah 4s]
sw23: checks
JPK01: bets 120
The_gobba: folds
ChivasC: raises 210 to 330
sw23: folds
JPK01: calls 210
*** TURN *** [Th Ah 4s] [9c]
JPK01: checks
ChivasC: bets 500
JPK01: calls 500
*** RIVER *** [Th Ah 4s 9c] [As]
JPK01: checks
ChivasC: bets 2050 and is all-in
JPK01: calls 2050
eaglephan2 is connected
eaglephan2 has returned
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ChivasC: shows [Ad Kh] (three of a kind, Aces)
JPK01: shows [Ac 8h] (three of a kind, Aces - lower kicker)
ChivasC collected 5880 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5880 | Rake 0
Board [Th Ah 4s 9c As]
Seat 1: eaglephan2 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: sw23 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: JPK01 (big blind) showed [Ac 8h] and lost with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 4: Dariominieri folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Max1mus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: The_gobba folded on the Flop
Seat 7: ChivasC showed [Ad Kh] and won (5880) with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 8: Jakecool folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: nexwinner folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I put him on ace-small. I should not have called the raise on the flop. I should not have called the bet on the turn and I DEFINITELY should not have called the all in on the river when the aces paired. I thought he might have flopped a set, but I just could not lay it down.

[schilling38]

Hand 1) Dude. It's a $5 Rebuy tournament. Villain was trying to build his stack and he busts your hand roughly 40% of the time, I believe.

Hand 2) Don't go broke in an unraised pot.

[hummusx]

1) Raising all-in for 2600 chips when the pot contains 80 chips is a horrible, horrible play. Don't do this.

2) A8 is not a really strong hand. You got to play for free so I won't tell you that you should have folded it. Taking a shot on the flop was fine. FOLD to the raise. He's not kidding around. On the turn FOLD to the bet. He's not kidding around. On the river FOLD FOLD FOLD to the bet. As fast as you can. He's not kidding around.

You need to post a lot more hands up here to fix the gaping holes in your game. But before you do that, go read through the last 20 pages and look at the hands that other people have posted and the advice they received.

[augie00]

Poker is rigged and impossible to beat. I thought you would have figured that out by now.

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]

dfscott, any chance I can you get you to write me some macro that does that? Just automatically replies "POST HANDS" for me. Cause I get sick of it.


[/ QUOTE ]

Where's ForumBot? Sounds like a great new feature for it.

[Moonsugar]

Quit all poker for a couple of months. Then reread all the great books, TOP, SSH, TPFAP, HOH. Then play smaller stakes til you get confidence back.

[dfscott]

First, I know how you feel. Many times I've been tempted to write a post like this, because I've felt like this. Fortunately, before I do, I usually see someone that actually has posted, and realize how silly it is when looking at it objectively.

However, let's deconstruct your post and try and get something useful out of it:

[ QUOTE ]
I cannot pick out any leaks in my play

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, this looks like the beginning of a request for "leak detetection," but you follow it up with...

[ QUOTE ]
and everytime I pick up a big hand like AA, KK, QQ, it always seems to get cracked.

[/ QUOTE ]

So, are you suggesting you shouldn't play these hands strongly? Of course not, this is just frustration. However, it doesn't help us find your leaks, it just encourages the flames.

[ QUOTE ]
I never seem to hit any of my draws, and I am beginning to fear playing hands like AK, AQ, or AJ in fear than opponents will outflop me. I fear committing all my chips and I am not the aggressive winning player that I used to be. I usually fold without the nuts when I am raised because I fear that my opponents already have me beat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, here's something we can work with. You've lost confidence. Tournament play requires you to be swift and decisive with your moves. If you're tentative, you're going to lose.

Suggestion #1: Move DOWN! Play against players you know you can pwn (such as the 22s or maybe even the 11s). This will help to restore your confidence and make you able to make the plays you need to make.

[ QUOTE ]
I also feel like the unluckiest player in the world.

[/ QUOTE ]

Statistically, that's unlikely, but I understand how you feel. It's not that we don't care, it's just that we don't believe you.

[ QUOTE ]
For instance, I was in a $30 multi-table with 124 entrants. I was heads up at the final table and had a SURE WIN with two pair on the flop, Q4, with flop of Q54. My opponent had A2 and did not hit the 3, but hit runner runner to make aces and twos and win the tourney.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bad beat story -- 'nuff said.

[ QUOTE ]
And I consistently get my money in with the best hand!! About 85% of the time I would say!

[/ QUOTE ]

So, lets assume that "getting your money in with the best hand" averages to a 60-40 advantage. This means you're a 60-40 fav 85% of the time, and a 40-60 dog the other 15. That means you're only a 55% favorite. It doesn't take much variance to crush your advantage.

[ QUOTE ]
It's as if I've forgotten how to play poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Suggestion #2: Don't doubt yourself based on results. As other posters have said: POST HANDS. You'll never know what's broken until you do.

Suggestion #3: Find a buddy to swap full tournament histories with. Sometimes, you don't know what hands are the problem hands, and this can help find them.

[ QUOTE ]
Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Suggestion #4: Don't make another post like this unless you just like to be flamed. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[brimstone1]

Stop playing immediately.
You are on "infinite tilt".
If you feel that poker is literally depressing you, making you sad, etc, I would suggest that you stop playing for a couple of weeks at the least.

I suggest you don't touch any poker, but read some poker books, watch a couple of poker movies/tournaments, just relax and get back the ambition and love for the game you once had, if you ever did.

Any time the game makes me feel horrible, I just go back to the things that made me love the game in the first place, trying to remember what it was that attracted me.