Tight weak player needs help

[prolisa1000]

Im a tight weak player and i know i am. I need help. i only play certain hands, AA, KK, QQ,JJ,pairs 10-2 and Ax.

Now with my AA,KK, QQ..etc, will only play until the flop, unles the board looks like there are no room for straights or flushes, even then, i will only take it to maybe fourth street if i am raised by someone that i know is not a calling station.

As for pairs, if i dont hit on the flop i throw away immediatly.
and the same for Ax suited.

Here is my problem. I always end up breaking even, and unless i win 2 hands back to back, i loose what lil pot money i won on blinds and calls that i will make in later hands. Im pretty good at protecting what i start with, but i never can seem to keep my lil profits.

Should i be more aggressive with my big pairs and take them to fourth street with out flopping a set, and hope that i will make 2 pair, or my trip on the river? or is that a costly mistake.

Or, am i playing right and just need to be patient.

Another problem i have is that people in those online rooms seem to play with whatever they have in thier hands, it doesnt matter to them, they will play a 3-7 off and win. That often frustrates me becuase after a while of seeing those kinds of hands win, it often temps me to play like that.This is my first week of real money poker, and i need u guys to set me straight.

thanks,
lisa

[BigEndian]

Hi Lisa, there are wiser poker players than I by far on this board, but I'll offer my perspective.

First of all, be patient. The worm will turn.

RE: Playing big pairs. You should only expect to win with AA and KK about 1/2 the time you get them. I play virtually every one of these down to the river unless the board is obviously against me and I respect the player putting in the bets. You make money on these because you will get much better odds in the pot.

I will fearlessly play these cards into (I'm usually leading) a full table of callers and I don't care if they all call me to the river because I'm getting the best of it. If I lose the hand, no big deal. Over time, that play is a money winner for me.

RE: Weak-tight. You have to give action to get action. That doesn't mean be loosy-goosy. But it means you should call people down now and then so they know they can't run over you. I'll also frequently take the lead on a draw or a middle pair good kicker, which is a common play. And if I miss, I'll sometimes check, sometimes bet out on the river. This helps keep the table off balance as to what you are really playing. You also need to get a feel for the players at your table. Remember that you will lose the majority of the hands you play - everyone does.

RE: Starting hands. All I'll say is that when you're just getting started, the starting hands listed in the books are a little bit like training wheels. That's not meant to be condescending, I'll fall back on them myself when I feel like I'm getting out of whack with my game. And I didn't leave them behind until recently.

The hands that are listed are by and large what anyone should be playing expert-to-beginner , but it's their value that changes in different circumstances. Learning to recognize how and when these hands change values is part of learning poker that I feel comes with lots of playing. For instance, read the thread about the fella having trouble with flush draws.

That's it from me. If the resident masters feel I mentioned anything out of line I have no doubt they'll chime in. But that's things from the perspective of someone who just left the very beginning stages behind him. Most of it is simple patience and perseverance with lot's of observation.

- Groove

[anatta]

If you are only playing Pocket pairs and AXs, you really need to read a good poker book. The basics of pre-flop play can be learned relatively quickly. Lisa, there are other hands! lol.

Actually, if you are playing in wild games with all family pots capped, your preflop strategy is quite good. However, in most games, other hands become profitable and you are missing out.

[Festus22]

Read Lee Jones Winning Low Limit Holdem. The book offers good advice on starting hands including why you play some and not others. Regarding the specifics you mentioned, you are playing hyper-tight, especially with the big pairs. If you only play these hands on flops that have "no room for straights or flushes", you're giving up too much.