[Student]

I'm a beginner too, and the only games I've played to date are freeplay and PokerStars 1/2 cents NL HE games. These are loose games, and everyone knows that. It's been very difficult for me, since what I read seems to direct towards tighter, more rational, games.

So here I sit, attempting to learn poker and there is little information directed towards the game I play. Everyone knows that heads-up play is also very loose, but heads-up play is viewed as an expert activity. After all, only at the tailend of a tournament or SNG will one get to heads-up, and only the best players reach that level.

Of course, I'm trying to rationize to why I can't seem to get started winning. But at least it isn't costing an arm and leg to learn, given the low stakes in games I play! I figure my PS NL HE 1/2 cents game is tough, tougher than some experienced writers will admit. They're falling for the same old flaw in reasoning, that since these are the very lowest levels of poker one can play, and since often beginners start there, then by inference they must be easy games.

What I'm looking for is a method of attacking my games that doesn't sacrifice conservative, tight play along the way. I continue to work with the GSiH method I call SSS (Short Stack Strategy), and I just keep running into new avenues to explore.

Yesterday I got PokerTracker working for the first time, and this morning I actually looked at some of my worse hands in the last session I played in (Saturday - 79 hands). I'd been introduced to BisonBison Hand Converter along the way, and this permitted me to see hands I'd played in useful format. I'd also started parsing hand histories (HH), attempting to find my best and worst hands quickly, among the many hands of a session.

So being a loser at poker is a good way to be a Beginner! This reality forces one to come to grip with many things, some of which is described above. That 1/2 cents NL HE ring games are more difficult than commonly reckoned is a good thing too; graduation from them will prepare one for future difficulties, because my understanding is many new obstacles face one as we go up the levels.

Dave