My first post here...looking for some help with my game

I started out playing sngs on full tilt 3 months ago as a foolhardy player at the 50+5 level, losing most of the time, but winning every 5 or 6 games and keeping even. I quickly dropped down to the 22s and 11s with more success. I was making good reads and felt like I was playing very well. Lately, my game has all but dropped off. I've found that most of the players that get ahead in these games and end up ITM are those that take big chances (eg., calling an all for half their stack with AK, AQ, KQ, JJ) and I know these arent correct plays unless you have a very strong read on the player. I find myself getting nervous when I have a strong preflop hand, and even postflop if I hit top or even two pair. In many of these situations I wont even bet, pre or post-flop, as I'm scared I'll get trapped or have a big raise put on me. Does anyone have any tips I can use to improve my game and get over this? I know (or hope, rather) I have the skills to beat, or atleast be a winning player at these lower levels. Thanks in advance

[wulfheir]

Post some specific hands. There are times calling an all-in with KQ is fine, there are times when it is not.

[asherpuppy]

I would recommend reading Harrington's books, Miller's book and any of Sklansky's books. Since you seem to want general advice, those are the way to go.

[AACardPlayer]

Don't play scared. If you're afraid to bet your good hands you can't accumulate any chips, and also let people draw out on you cheaply.

Here's a decent example:

FullTiltPoker Game #193150146: $10 + $1 Sit & Go (1215841), Table 1 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:54:14 ET - 2005/08/22
Seat 1: BrandonJC (715)
Seat 2: 01BMF (1,470)
Seat 3: silvrbulet (1,530)
Seat 4: menbiller (1,455)
Seat 5: King Karl AA (1,395)
Seat 6: holdem19 (3,015)
Seat 7: SevenOfAKind (1,070)
Seat 8: BoxOfGators (1,420)
Seat 9: N2NASCAR (1,430)
N2NASCAR posts the small blind of 20
BrandonJC posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to menbiller [8c 8s]
01BMF folds
silvrbulet raises to 80
menbiller calls 80
King Karl AA folds
holdem19 raises to 380
SevenOfAKind calls 380
BoxOfGators folds
N2NASCAR folds
BrandonJC folds
silvrbulet folds
menbiller folds
*** FLOP *** [7c 7s Jc]
holdem19 bets 980
SevenOfAKind calls 690, and is all in
holdem19 shows [Ts Tc]
SevenOfAKind shows [Kh Ad]
Uncalled bet of 290 returned to holdem19
*** TURN *** [7c 7s Jc] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [7c 7s Jc 6s] [4s]
holdem19 shows two pair, Tens and Sevens
SevenOfAKind shows a pair of Sevens
holdem19 wins the pot (2,360) with two pair, Tens and Sevens

[AACardPlayer]

Looks pretty standard. 88 is good enough to call that initial raise with position on the raiser I think, but not strong enough to call the re-raise...What exactly are you concerned with about this hand?

[maryfield48]

I'm no more experienced than you at sng's, but I think that is fine. I play 11s & 22s at Stars, and almost every time I've seen a reraise like that that's not from a short stack, it's a big pair.

[ QUOTE ]
Looks pretty standard. 88 is good enough to call that initial raise with position on the raiser I think, but not strong enough to call the re-raise...What exactly are you concerned with about this hand?

[/ QUOTE ]
I wasn't concerned about my play, but rather that of the player with 1010. How could he bet almost half of his stack blind just hoping that his opponent didnt have AJ? What if I had AJ in this situation, how would I know it wasnt just a continuation bet and my opponent has AA KK QQ? This is why I get scared all the time, I worry too much /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[the_joker]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm scared I'll get trapped or have a big raise put on me.

[/ QUOTE ]

This will get better as you play more and know what to do when someone puts a big raise on you or you think you've been trapped. Try to put your opponents on a hand and bet accordingly. If something happens that looks like you were wrong, then reevaluate the situation. Don't play any limit where you are "scared", or you will lose for sure.

[maryfield48]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Looks pretty standard. 88 is good enough to call that initial raise with position on the raiser I think, but not strong enough to call the re-raise...What exactly are you concerned with about this hand?

[/ QUOTE ]
I wasn't concerned about my play, but rather that of the player with 1010. How could he bet almost half of his stack blind just hoping that his opponent didnt have AJ? What if I had AJ in this situation, how would I know it wasnt just a continuation bet and my opponent has AA KK QQ? This is why I get scared all the time, I worry too much /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

TT put his re-raise in pre-flop with a pretty good hand, probably hoping to take it down then & there, & if not he'll have to play poker. I don't call the re-raise with AJ, so I wouldn't have the problem of what to do on the flop.