Can I win at Holdem?

[Jorge10]

I rarely if ever play holdem, I have played 400 hours of play chip nl holdem, but that was when I was learning poker and I didn’t want to play for cash. As far as real holdem cash games, I have only played a few times, but not anything you can even consider consistent. People keep telling me, "man holdem is easy money!”; “Every donkey is playing it right now anyone can make money".

I didn’t play holdem for cash consistently because the few times I played for pennies I lost, I don’t know why, I had read a few books and understood the basic concepts, but I seemed to always lose, lets just say I didn’t start off with a bang. This made it annoying and since I was starting off in poker it really made me dislike the game. Well I played PL High Low and I still do, that’s where I win my money, I have been playing profitably for about 6 months and am changing my game consistently I just get the game for some reason it just makes sense, some of my old poker buddies kept telling me I was very aggressive when they saw me play. Then for a week I decided to play nothing, but PL Omaha High because I figured that’s played live maybe a small game can get going when I visit Las Vegas in August(family vacation), just wanted to have something to play. When I started playing Pot Limit Omaha High and at first I broke even, but at about the 4k mark something clicked, don’t know if I can describe it, but I became ultra aggressive and my game changed even more than before. I also started winning more than ever not just in PL Omaha High, but also PL High Low.

Well I decided to go back to holdem because I am going to Las Vegas in December (College friends are going) and because I want to be able to play live, but I don’t know if I can win. Can I win? I played 25 NL the other day and it was different I just kept stealing pots and pushing people off hands. It was not like before when I would be just tight and never bet unless I had the stone cold nuts. But still somehow I don’t buy it, I don’t know I just doubt I can win at holdem, I don’t know why.

That’s the problem, I just can’t get over the fact that the few times I played when I was starting out I lost, about 50 bucks at holdem online and about 100 offline. It just some sort of psychological thing or something, it’s in my head I know, but I can’t get over it somehow, I don’t know where to go from here. This psychological thing just annoys me, it’s like I am afraid to play holdem, I don’t know how to get over it. Any comments would be of great help.

[gavrilo]

Poker should be fun if it's just a hobby or your job. If you enjoy playing Omaha, play Omaha. If you feel the need/want to get better at HE, then do that. It's like anything in life, you aren't just going to try it once and be great at it.

If $50 means a lot to you, there are smaller limits available online.

I think people get a little discouraged because they aren't crushing a limit and fail to realize that breaking even is much better than a lot of other players out there.

I say play small where the money doesn't mean anything to you until you get the hang of it.

Making money at poker is not easy. That's a myth perpetuated by people who got lucky in their first poker experiences. (And when the inevitable downswing hits, they usually don't mention that so much.) My guess is that none of the people who tell you that have played for very long.

My advice: play poker ONLY for love (meaning, for amounts of money that you have no problem losing) until such time that you find yourself at a higher skill and bankroll level.

Tape this to your bathroom mirror:
Absolutely do NOT play even one game of poker with money you're afraid to lose.

[solucky]

Never forget the most one lose. For the start read Homers post building a bankroll and start with playing "under a sign-up-bonus". You should start with the goal breakeven, your winnings are the bonus and perhaps the rakebackmoney, after that you can develope you game with "won money".

Wolfgnag

[Jorge10]

[ QUOTE ]
If $50 means a lot to you, there are smaller limits available online.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not the money really, I mean if I lost 200 at Omaha I think, "so what ill get it back in a few hours", and I do, but in holdem its like im afraid to play it and when I lose like 20 bucks at it I think, "Damnit I suck im just wasting money and time here!" Ill keep taking shots at the 25 NL tables, but maybe I should start with pennies?

[cadillac1234]

I'm begining to think I can't beat the low-limit hold'em games. I've beat stud and Omaha 8 and tourney NL Hold'Em consistently for years in the same limit ranges but for some reason I'm snake bit in Low-Limit Hold'em.

I've read and re-read Miller's book and Jones before him. Neither style seems to help me. I'm sure I'm making +EV plays but I consistently lose to 12:1 shots and never seem to make my 15 out draws.

I'm still under the 5000 hand-mark in LLHE but I've never really lost at poker at the rate I seem to be now. When I return to playing Omaha or Stud I'm fine and book a win but then I just lose it back plus interest to the monkeys at the B&M $3-6 table or .5-$1 online.

I think it may be a combination of bad luck and having a lot harder time putting others on hands in low-limit. I'm figuring top two pair is a winner then get blind-sided with a two-gap straight.

[Jorge10]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm begining to think I can't beat the low-limit hold'em games. I've beat stud and Omaha 8 and tourney NL Hold'Em consistently for years in the same limit ranges but for some reason I'm snake bit in Low-Limit Hold'em.

I've read and re-read Miller's book and Jones before him. Neither style seems to help me. I'm sure I'm making +EV plays but I consistently lose to 12:1 shots and never seem to make my 15 out draws.

I'm still under the 5000 hand-mark in LLHE but I've never really lost at poker at the rate I seem to be now. When I return to playing Omaha or Stud I'm fine and book a win but then I just lose it back plus interest to the monkeys at the B&M $3-6 table or .5-$1 online.

I think it may be a combination of bad luck and having a lot harder time putting others on hands in low-limit. I'm figuring top two pair is a winner then get blind-sided with a two-gap straight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much how I feel.

[dibbs]

I say yes, if you have the discipline to be a winning PLO player holdem shouldnt be much of a problem.

[gavrilo]

[ QUOTE ]
maybe I should start with pennies?

[/ QUOTE ]

what's the worst that could happen?

[gavrilo]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm begining to think I can't beat the low-limit hold'em games. I've beat stud and Omaha 8 and tourney NL Hold'Em consistently for years in the same limit ranges but for some reason I'm snake bit in Low-Limit Hold'em.

I've read and re-read Miller's book and Jones before him. Neither style seems to help me. I'm sure I'm making +EV plays but I consistently lose to 12:1 shots and never seem to make my 15 out draws.

I'm still under the 5000 hand-mark in LLHE but I've never really lost at poker at the rate I seem to be now. When I return to playing Omaha or Stud I'm fine and book a win but then I just lose it back plus interest to the monkeys at the B&M $3-6 table or .5-$1 online.

I think it may be a combination of bad luck and having a lot harder time putting others on hands in low-limit. I'm figuring top two pair is a winner then get blind-sided with a two-gap straight.

[/ QUOTE ]

5k hands is a drop in the bucket, i wouldn't get discouraged. if you haven't already, try posting some questionable hands and/or your stats in the SS forum.