My Game is WEAK..help me!!!

[chollowa]

This post is my cry for help. I’ve realized something after getting beat down and beat down some more; I suck. I’m not a good card player and I strive to be one. I started about 5 years ago and began by reading articles in Card Player; then I picked up HEP by Sklansky and Malmath; followed that up with WLLHE; added in some other dashes and splashes here and there but none of them seem to get me over the hump that separates winners and losers. I’m not saying that I haven’t had many a winning session, its just that I think my game is stagnant and its not really going anywhere.

Here are some examples I ticked off to further show my weakness:

1) I lack aggression; I’d love to say that I play the tight aggressive way, but I think I tend to fall more into the tight passive role. Say I pick up kings; of course I raise and keep pushing in raises pre-flop; but the first sign of trouble overcard, ugly suited or straight possibilities and I go back into my shell. I just feel I’ve been burnt one too many times and I don’t want to get burnt again.

2) I can’t calculate odds to save my life. This is mainly because I don’t take the time to count up the chips in the pot on every round. I really need to get to do this, but I don’t. I’ll look to see how much a pot looks to have in it and then guesstimate and go from there.

3) In the times I’m running real bad, I’ll loosen up and chase things like middle pair with a crappy kicker. Why? I’m not sure why, but this is more proof that my game needs help.

4) Lastly, and worst of all, I’m tilt-prone. I didn’t used to play like this, but after a few losing sessions on the internets, where I seemingly was following one bad beat after another; I just am more prone to be that a-hole at the table and just berate anybody that sucks out on me. This is not my personality and I know its bad for my game.

So these are my problems in the poker world. I am hoping that my latest purchase SSHE will help me get out these dregs and back into a confident, winning mode.

I’d also appreciate any advice you 2+2ers are willing to give (it seems that there are no losers on this forum, so I’ll take your words as gospel).

[JSHamm]

It seems to me like you already know all the correct answers to your points; it's just a matter of following through with them. Keep reading the articles and books that you have and revisit them, maybe lower the limits you play so the swings aren't as bad and when you feel comfortable again move back up. Maybe even the best thing right now is to step away for a little while and concentrate on something else besides poker then come back to it. A myriad of things can help right now but overstressing it will definitely hurt.

[Thigh]

What are you talkin about, there are pleanty of losers on this forum.

You seem to know what your problems are already. What's wrong with fixing them. No amount of reading posts here or SSH is going to help you not go on tilt, increase your aggression or get off your bum to start calculating odds.

Why don't you hang around the boards for a while, read the hands that are posted, and see how aggressive people are. Mabye you'll get the hang of it.

Also, might want to get PT and start getting some stats going.

Oh, and quit whining when someone sucks out on you. It's the best part of the game. Enjoy it, love it, and rape them of their money the next time. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[xileh]

Easiest way to calculate odds is in terms of Big Bets or Small Bets. That way it's the same regardless of the limit you play at [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[chollowa]

[ QUOTE ]
Easiest way to calculate odds is in terms of Big Bets or Small Bets. That way it's the same regardless of the limit you play at [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you possibly explain this further?

[Patriarch]

There have been some pretty good responses but there's something else you might want to think about: Quitting.
If you've spent years as a losing player and you're not getting any better maybe poker isn't the game for you. Take up a new hobby.

[rafct]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Respondendo a:</font><hr />

Quote:
Easiest way to calculate odds is in terms of Big Bets or Small Bets. That way it's the same regardless of the limit you play at



Could you possibly explain this further?

[/ QUOTE ]

This means for instance in a $2-4 limit poker game with a pot of 40 dollars, you consider it a pot 10 big bets sized.
Are you mostly playing online or live? What limit?

[chollowa]

[ QUOTE ]
There have been some pretty good responses but there's something else you might want to think about: Quitting.
If you've spent years as a losing player and you're not getting any better maybe poker isn't the game for you. Take up a new hobby.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is NOT an option. Hell, I'm a loser live, but I can get in the money in most of the small buy-in casino tourneys that I enter.

I'm going to start keeping records, but I'm pretty sure that I'm +$ in my career, so quitting is not and never will be an option. I love poker, and I don't have any quit in me, so I'll keep playing. Thanks for the tip though.

[martinimagic]

If you are playing online than couting bets is done for you... can't be any easier or at least if you have the chip value turned on. I know on some sites you can turn this off and you might want to for practice.

If you are playing live just look at the number of players putting in bets. I know SSHE gives a quick rule to number of players at the river and number of people calling. This doesn't have to be an exact science since not every hand is maringal. Some people just watch tables to practice counting bets and study habits for the practice.

I have not been playing as long (not even a year), but this game is about patience and discipline. When things are running bad for me I try to tighten up my starting hands... is this the best plan?.. probably not but loosening up only puts you on tilt quicker as the chips keep disappearing. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[chollowa]

[ QUOTE ]

This means for instance in a $2-4 limit poker game with a pot of 40 dollars, you consider it a pot 10 big bets sized.
Are you mostly playing online or live? What limit?

[/ QUOTE ]

I play mostly 3-6 live games or spread limit if in Vegas. I also play regularly in home games and small tournaments.

I do on occasion sit down to the 1-2 NL tables at the Casino.