[Homer]

Caution: Rambling

1) Increase buy in to $160

I usually buy in for 20-25 BB's. That is $120-150 in a 3/6 game. If you only buy in for $80, you are going to feel short stacked right away, which will no doubt cause you to become even more tight-passive. If you buy in for more you might feel more free to splash your chips around because if you lose a hand you'll still have a good bit of money in front of you. Also, it would really suck to be in the middle of a dream hand and have to go all in, costing yourself many bets.

May I ask what your bankroll is for 3/6? You should have $1800 dedicated to poker or if you have less you should be able to supplement your bankroll on payday.

2) Get some balls and see more hands to the end. (and raise along the way). Trust my skills and experience and know that I won't lose every hand.

It sounds like you play tight already, so you just need to learn to be more aggressive when you have the best hand/draw. Get you money in when you have "the best of it". Trust your skills and everything else (winning money) will fall into place eventually. The long run in poker is long. Keep playing your best and know that in the end you will get the money.

3) Continue to do this even if I lose two or three big hands in a row.

Yep. Play your best regardless of if you have won or lost 100 hands in a row. The cards have no memory.

4) Pray that I an good enough to come out ahead in the long run. My swings will be much bigger, right?

If you feel the need to pray then you probably aren't playing your best game. If you are playing scared you will play weak-tight and won't win. You have to know that you will come out ahead in the long run if you play well. There will be swings (at times bigger than you can imagine...but that's why you have a 300 BB bankroll, right?), but you have to play through them. It's easy to play well when you are winning. It's not so easy to play when you are losing or breaking even. You have to play through these tough stretches and lose as little as you can. It's all about maximizing EV. In your next 100 hands you may stand no chance in hell of winning any money. But you can minimize your loss by playing these crappy hands well, which means you are maximizing your EV.

** Ironically, your fear of losing will cause you to lose unless you change your mindset. You must believe you are capable of winning. You must be confident enough to jam the pot with your best hands/draws. Believe that you are the best player at the table. Make your opponents squirm. It's a lot of fun!

-- Homer