trouble with junkies

I've been playing holdem limit for 1 1/2 years. I've read about 10 poker books on low limit, subscribe to Cardplayer magazine, and understand odds.
My play is generally: raise AA-TT, AK AQ, I do not take a raise without these cards generally. I dont play little pockets past the flop unless I have open straight draw, I dont draw with just overcards, dont play unsuited aces below 9 and then late, suited connectors down to 65 but not against a raise. I play KT QT JT and with nines suited unraised if possible. I chase only for open-straights and 4 to flush. I'll pick up the sb if suited regardless of gap if pot is unraised.
If my cards are running really well, I do fine, about 1/3 of the time. I run into trouble if my cards are just average or mediocre, having extreme difficulty getting thru the rest of the table consisting of junkies, some really bad, others so-so...
My question is, am I missing something in my game? Am I too tight? I see players whom I consider of lesser ability than myself playing many more questionable hands, i.e. Ac6s, K6s, and some at least seem to win very consistently day after day..
Any advice will certainly be appreciated. Im just trying to build a bankroll to get up to higher tables, and seem to have a lot of trouble doing so.

[Chuckles1248]

From what you describe, you are playing really really weak-tight, and missing out on a lot of profitable opportunities. Your preflop raising standards are ridiculously tight, especially in later position, where you should be raising a lot of hands. After the flop, don't just blindly stick to some credo of not chasing any draw except an OESD or a FD, look at the size of the pot and the odds you are getting. Buy/Read Theory of Poker and Small Stakes Hold'em, post a lot on these boards, and play more, and you'll learn to become a truly winning player.

[DeathDonkey]

Hi, welcome to the forums.

I would suggest you read the sticky at the top of this forum as it is pretty helpful. What books have you read? I would recommend Small Stakes Holdem by Ed Miller if that is not one of them.

You mention you have played for quite a long time, and read several books, however I notice that you still take a very rigid approach to describing your play. What I mean is you say exactly which cards you will play, won't play, etc., given very general situations. The problem I have with this is that most poker situations depend on many variables that take some experience to determine what is the proper play. Hopefully the books you read or will read emphasize this point instead of just the basic starting hands charts which don't tell you WHY you do the things you do.

Are you missing something in your game? Absolutely, everyone is, and we are here to work on it and improve together. Are you too tight? Probably not, but learning to judge situations preflop and the theory behind the decisions you make will help you determine this, not just memorization of charts.

The best advice I can give you is stick around here, read and respond to threads, ask questions when you don't understand why someone recommends a play you would play differently, give your point of view, and take criticism to heart as anyone here can tell you I'm usually not this nice [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-DeathDonkey

[bozlax]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm usually not this nice [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-DeathDonkey

[/ QUOTE ]

word

[nomadtla]

[ QUOTE ]
as anyone here can tell you I'm usually not this nice [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Usually not that nice you're a big stuffed donkey for pete's sake.

As far as your question. I started here like you and was a pretty break even player over about 6 months. But I came here to delve deeper and I've begun (I still suck eggs) to see the same things donkey said to you. That a particular cut and dry aproach (allways do this or that, follow the chart preflop, fit or fold postflop) is not what poker is about. It's a good start but the beauty of the game is that every situation has variables and the same hands can't allways be played the same way. You seem to have a good foundation and I imagine you're at least break even. Stick around here listen and respond and you will improve.

Welcome to the forums man

[fflyer]

You are a rock. You won't suffer too many huge losses in a session, but you won't win much either. You need to raise weaker hands, especially if you are first in from middle position onwards. You have to vary your play according to your position at the table.

[GrunchCan]

Wow, DD. Great response.

smpeyton, I saw your post in SS, and I was waiting for you to post here. This is the forum where you belong.

I have a lot of concern about statements like this:

[ QUOTE ]
I see players whom I consider of lesser ability than myself playing many more questionable hands

[/ QUOTE ]

Keep an open mind. Why do you think you are so much better than your opponents? Is it becasue you have 'better' preflop hand selection? If that's so, I have news for you.

Relatively speaking, the cards you choose to play preflop matter very little. That's right, I just said it doesn't matter as much what cards you choose to enter a pot with. What really matters the most is what you do after the flop. That's where all the money is. That's where the important decisions are made. That's where the real skill is in LHE. Not PF. Postflop.

Just becasue your opponents are entering many more pots than you doesn't mean they aren't as good as you. If you hang around this forum, you'll find that many posters here (and in SS) enter as many as 25% of all flops when they aren't on the blinds. That's a ton of flops, and I would be willing to bet that you enter half as many, or even fewer.

From the very little I've read, you need to work most of all on your postflop game. Don't be surprised, and don't be offended that I'm saying this. We all need to work on our postflop game. If the most important and most difficult decisions were the preflop ones, this forum probably wouldn't exist. We'd all have starting hands charts & play perfect poker. There would be nothing to discuss.

I'll reiterate what donkey said. Start contributing to this forum. The best way to learn is to post your hand advice to existing threads. Don't be afraid of being wrong. In fact, embrace being wrong. The best way to learn for most people is to post bad advice and be corrected on it. You'll remember that much better than just passively reading some strategy post. Trust me. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Welcome to the forums.