Pro Players: What were the holes in your game during your first year?

[CaptSensible]

I would love to know what your biggest gaps in your game was during your first year of playing. I've been losing consistantly for a year even though I read the books, play tight, get a read on my opponants, etc etc etc...I'm having a very difficult time identifying the holes in my game. What it seems like is i'm getting slaughtered by bad beats and rivered to death. Thanks for your thoughts and experience in advance.

[CUonCRUISE]

When I was new playing limit holdem after reading all the books and playing tight my biggest mistake was not making enough calls on the river. Especially against 1 player. Only after I started playing NL and went back to limit and became fearless did I start winning by calling down a lot. Works in limit tourneys as well.

[CaptSensible]

Wow! that's a great tip! I just read that same thing in Helmuth's book. If you could elaborate on what kind of hands you were folding, what the board looked like, etc...that would be great. Thanks again for the advice.

[dogmeat]

Cold calling

Poor hand selection

Lack of aggression

Not necessarily in that order.

Dogmeat [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[Kevin K.]

Do you have PokerTracker? If not, you really should get it. Some of the stats in PT can show if you do actually have any big holes in your game.

You should also post any hands that you have questions about in the appropriate forum(s).

Both of these will help to quickly get to the root of your problem, if there is one.

[Dov]

Make sure that you also read Winning Small Stakes Holdem by 2+2.

It blows Hellmuth's book out of the water.

Good Luck

[Ray Zee]

dogmeat covers it pretty well. but i would like to add that playing too many hands usually is the problem. even if you think you are tight i doubt it. especially as a new player you dont know how to play the hands correctly that arent really very good. and that costs alot of money, as playing too loose puts you in those spots all day long.

[Aytumious]

[ QUOTE ]
dogmeat covers it pretty well. but i would like to add that playing too many hands usually is the problem. even if you think you are tight i doubt it. especially as a new player you dont know how to play the hands correctly that arent really very good. and that costs alot of money, as playing too loose puts you in those spots all day long.

[/ QUOTE ]

And an extension of this is playing hands in the wrong situation, i.e. wrong position, versus the wrong type of opponent, etc.