Am I getting cold cards or just playing bad?

[Me and You]

Hi all

I've played just under 10K $1-$2 on pokerroom and have a BB/100 of -.8. I have since moved down limits. To work on my game. However I have discoevered the crypto bonuses thanks to this site and have started to clear the 300 hand ones. In order to make money from clearing these bonuses you need to be better than -8.333 bb/100. Now considering my past record I thought Piece of cake. Well this is my second month of doing it and currently after 800 or so hands I am sitting at -8.92 bb/100 so clearing these bonuses is costing me money. Should I just give up as these tables are obviously beyond my skill or continue to persevere?

[DRKEVDC]

Why don't you give us more information so that we can help you. Get the relevant Pokertracker stats and publish them here.

[Me and You]

Okay here is for poker room

Hands Vput $ in pot WTSD won @ SD PF Raise BB/100
9,451 19.1 35.86 48.45 6.62 (.93)

Here is for Crypto Skin
Hands Vput $ in pot WTSD won @ SD PF Raise BB/100
909 15.29 43.98 53.49 6.37 (8.33)

I am currently playing now so I have had a bit of an improvement

Cheers

Sorry about the formatting I can't get the columns to line up

[Dave G.]

The Crypto sites are not very friendly to new players. When I first started playing Poker about 5 months ago, I tried hitting up the Crypto 1/2 for the bonus. I got my ass handed to me, and then some.

It's not that the players are that great; most of them are weak-tight as piss. It's just that when you're starting out, their very tight play means you don't get paid off on your big hands, which means all your leaks as a new player just let you bleed money everywhere without much compensation from your occasional monsters.

I suggest holding off a few months until you have some experience under your belt before playing there. Play on Party, you'll be glad you did.

[Duerig]

Reply to hand postings. Read what other people say. Look for leaks.

[POKhER]

DROP DOWN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE BANKROLL TO CONTINUE - 300BB RULE.

Do you own PT? If so please give:

VPIP/PFR/AF @ How many hands you played (at specific stats as these may change i.e. playing scared higher stakes).

If your losing lots to clear a bonus and its -EV then stop, clear it later meanwhile improve your game and look for leaks.

MicroForum is perfect for this - If you have PT review bad sessions, see what hands you lost lots on.. Bad play or bad cards? etc.

Good luck,
Stay positive. Drop limits IMO.

[deception5]

You're not raising enough preflop. Especially if you're opening from late position you should be raising most hands you'd play.

You may be calling down too much also. Make sure you aren't calling down when you're clearly beaten.

[Me and You]

Thanks Guys

I think I'll leave the bonuses for now and work on building my bankroll in the lower limits and fixing leaks. After 6 months I'll give it another crack.

Cheers

[DerFleischmeister]

Bonuses are nice and all, but if your game is broke, all the bonuses in the world won't help.

I would move to either PP .50/1 or one of the nano-limits on PS, until you get your game under you.

Just by your stats, you need to find more places to raise preflop (late position, blind steals from button, CO, and occasionally MP3 position.) It's amazing how much easier many hands play, by just doing that one thing.