I'm getting killed in these ring games, I don't understand it. It's not because I'm getting outplayed because the players SUCK. It's not because I'm playing too many hands because I'm not. Could I be getting a bad run of luck? This is what happened tonight, and these kinds of things have been happening to me in general almost every time I play.

A little while into it I get pocket queens in the cutoff position. It's raised by someone in MP, and I 3-bet it. Donkey in the SB cold calls, and guy in EP who limped in decides he's gonna cap it. The original raiser folds, and it's 3 of us to the flop. Flop comes J-3-2 rainbow and the donkey in the SB bets. I raise, he calls. EP guy calls his bet, and then my raise. Turn comes 4s. Donkey bets out again, EP puts in his final $1, and I raise again. This guy is a Donkey for cold calling 2.5 raises, so I'm not giving him any respect. If he had a good enough hand preflop he would've/should've capped it. River is the 9h, and he bets out again. I raise him again, he calls and turns over pocket 3s. He flopped a set. Unbelieveable. So almost right off the bat I'm $7.25 in the hole.

Another hand I'm in the BB with Q-6o and everyone folds to the SB who limps in. Flop comes A-Q-x, he bets, I raise, he re-raises, I call. Turn comes a blank, and I fold to his bet. Sigh, I thought my middle pair might be good, but I'm not calling two more bets to find out if it is.

Another hand I get pocket Jacks and I raise with them. I of course get plenty of company, four calls. Flop comes all clubs with a Queen. I have the Jc so I'm not completely screwed. I bet, and everyone calls. Turn comes the ace of spades. I bet again (probably foolishly, but I figure maybe since the betting goes up I can get people to drop out of the hand). I get check-raised and I know I'm behind. I call hoping for a flush on the river or the 3rd jack. The other 3 people drop out btw. River comes 9h and the remaining player bets. I type in the chat "I'm not paying off an ace" and I fold. I don't care that the pot was laying 11-1, I was 99% sure they had an ace, so I'm not wasting money paying it off.

Another hand I had AKo in the SB, I raise and the the BB immediately calls (they checked the check/call button). 1 other person who limped in calls also. Flop comes K-J-4, 2 clubs. I have top pair and no redraws. I check with the intention of check-raising to protect my hand, but it gets checked around. Turn is the 3s, I bet this time, and of course the BB calls. The other guy folds. River comes 5c, I check, they bet, I call. Of course they have 5-4 for two pair. How bad do they play? I'm always the one paying off their crappy hands, it should be the other way around.

So these are the kinds of things that always seem to be happening to me. Another thing is I'll have a hand like QJ in EP or MP and I'll call and it'll get raised behind me, so I have to put in another bet and it's 8 SB to the flop. Flop comes A-8-4 or something, giving me 2 undercards and no real draws. Then I have to fold even though the pot is big.

Anyone have any advice for me? I've read SSHE, gone over it a few more times. I feel that I've grasped enough of the concepts so that I can at least make a decent profit, especially at these Fishy $.50/$1 games.