Need Tips on Adjusting My Play

I've been playing Party in the .50/1.00 Limit games and doing really well. So much so that I was thinking about moving up and trying the ater at 1/2. I've pretty much been applying the stuff I pick up here and trying to study and learn everything I can about the game.

I figured I'd do a little shameless bonus-whoring to increase the bankroll a little, and I moved over to Poker Room. Talk about a change of pace. I'm getting destroyed over there. Just annihilated. Before I go any further, yes, this is totally my fault, and no, I don't think Poker Room is rigged. It seems like people stay in with just about anything, and you just can't knock them off a hand. Tons of suck-outs on the river, or they have me beat from the start, but they just check and call, so I keep betting into a hand where I'm drawing dead. I can't get a read on them, and I'm sinking.

Can someone give me some advice on what to do here to turn this slide around? I'm stubborn enough that I want to be successful here, and I don't want to bail on the bonus, hich ammounts to aound $140.00 on a $100.00 deposit (which is now at $76.00).

I know that in the grand scheme of things, the amount of money is trivial, but it's the losing and not knowing how to fix it that's steaming me.

Trout--over how many hands is this?

if you use any kind of tracking software (if you've played lots of hands) you could check to make sure you're still playing your normal "A" game, and if everything checks out okay then it could very well just be a downswing. I've had stretches of many thousands of hands where every random stupid thing that can happen happens, and that's poker. Sometimes you run crazy hot too. If the players are as bad as you say they are then I would want to keep playing there anyway, and things will turn around for you at some point! Plus the bonus is free money to help you recoup some of your losses. Good luck!

BBB

Well, it's over very few hands - only about 500 or so, so none of the tracking stats would make any sense. It could very well be just a downswing, but I attributed it to a change in the style of play, because the style of play is noticeably different at Poker Room as opposed to Party. I had downsings at Party, but I always felt like I could identify it as bad cards/beats, or at least bad play on my part where I knew what I did wrong so I could avoid that mistake. I can live with variance, and if I play bad, I can live with that, too (I avoid it, but at least I can point to a cause of the problem and fix it). Here the problem started instantly when I changed sites and I just can't figure out what to do. I hope it's just a downswing, but it's driving me nuts.

The bonus is nice - it makes the learning curve cheaper. I'm about 1/4 of the way there, and I'm down 1/4 on my deposit. I just don't want to bust out entirely. For $100.00, though, it's not like my family will go hungry. It's the losing and not being able to figure out what the heck is wrong that's eating me up.

[sean c]

Go trout fishing. You don't fish with bait do you? Seriously i or no one here know how you play but variance is a bitch. You can play really good poker and still get your a$$ handed to you during any given session or over any short period of time. If the playere here won everytime we wouldn't need this forum or our day jobs. Poker is a hard game and if not winning everytime you sit down to play bothers you or you think because you have a little losing streak going you suck your going to have a tough time dealing with the swings and probably tilt off some or a bunch of your chips.

Post hands and reply to posts in this forum. Read and study as often as you can to try and become a better poker player and learn how to evaluate your sessions by how you played not how much you won or lost.

[Black Peter]

I never make a judgment on a change in style of play without playing at least 10,000 hands with it. An n=500 is just too small and your downswing could be due to anything.

Anybody could lose 24 BB at that kind of table. I've never played there so I don't know exactly how different it is from PP. If you're 1/4th of the way there you're right on schedule to make 44 dollars. I say continue to push your edge when you know you have it. Take the hit on the suckouts and it will turn around. You're on pace to clear and still end up ahead. Worst case- redeposit and clear it off for what would probably be a pretty neutral bonus whoring session. Keep a more watchful eye on the players. Identify the calling stations and get out of small pots where they are all of a sudden reraising you on a scary board. You could tighten up and watch as many raked hands as meekly as possible- but like you said if $100 isn't breaking the bank continue with what you think is optimum play and post some hands where you think you may be going wrong.

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... variance is a bitch.

[/ QUOTE ]
Variance is what keeps them coming back for more. You don't have "anyone can win" without it. It's kinda like if getting punched in the face was good for you.

But yeah, I agree when I'm getting punched.

[ QUOTE ]
Go trout fishing. You don't fish with bait do you?

[/ QUOTE ]

Flies only, unless I'm with my 6 yr old, then worms (they're more fun for him)

Take it easy there - I said I don't mind losing or going on downswings. I can usually figure out that it's just variance or I screwed it up and I get my answers here and try to plug the leaks. I don't think I suck - I know I have a lot to learn, but I'm not a half-bad poker player. I can hold my own.

The only reason I posted this is that when I switched sites, I noticed a big difference in the style of play and I didn't think I was adjusting to it right. I'm just looking for some advice on what to do with players like that - tighen up? Loosen up? Drive to their houses and slip drugs in their coffee? That's all. If the problem persists over a statistically significant number of hands, then that's another thing, but the issue is how do you adjust quickly to take advantage of a different style of play?

Makes sense - I'll plow ahead. I still need to figure out how to post hands here, but I need to do some of that. This place has been the best poker resource I've found. I know I've gotten a heck of a lot better since I've been lurking here.

[John Bedtelyon]

Every post you write is the same post over again, we understand what you're trying to say trout. Switching sites is hard and the style of play is different. Since it's such a micro limit your same style will probably work at each site. Don't try to pass variance off as anything other than variance, and don't change your winning style of play. (I understand changing gears is a good thing, but I imagine that's part of your winning strategy)

JMB