Getting killed at micro limit

[JPNet]

I have scanned through the forum several times and didn't find anything related, but forgive me if I missed it somewhere.

I have been playing on UB since about May or June of last year. Started with the funny money, then .01/.02, and now since Sept., .25/.50.

When I first moved up to the .25/.50 I did pretty well. After a couple of months I was up $200. I was a fairly consistent winner, $10, $20, or even $30 in a session, with an occasional loss, say 1 in 7 sessions of about $5.

The last 3 weeks have been horrible however. It has completely turned around to about 1 win in 4 sessions, and the wins are now $2-$4, while losses have been $10-$20 with 1 at $30.

I estimate that I have played about 600 hours at the .25/.50 tables.

I have re-evaluated my play several times over the last few weeks, and am at a loss as to what I can do differently.

I only play premium hands, which usually ends up being 14-20% after 3-4 hours. What seems to happen, for example, is that I will fold all hands twice around the table, other than the BB. Finally I will get something like KQs, AKs, AKo etc., and enter the pot. It doesn't seem to matter at all if I bring it in with a raise, or just call. The result is the same. Either the flop is exactly opposite of my hand, someone bets, and I fold, or maybe I hit top pair, with a flush draw, and I bet the flop, the turn and the river. Inevitably, when we show down, the 2 on the river gave someone 2 pair, because they stayed with 92o or some such variation. Seems like the only way to win a hand is to have a full house or flush, and then the pots are so small that they don't cover the blinds and bets from busted hands.

I know that the people who go in with K2o, J4s, etc. are supposed to lose in the long run, but lately there seem to be some lucky ones making a lot of money.

At times, the implicit collusion theory seems completely unbeatable. If there are 10 people at the table, 6 will enter the pot, between them they have the cards covered, and 1 of them is certain to make 2 pair minimum.

Upon reflection, and reading some other posts and articles, it seems that I may just be hitting a bad patch that will turn around, but it is discouraging and any insight would be appreciated.

[Noodles]

It is a bad patch everybody gets them and they are a pain in the ass.You just have to ride it out.
I would suggest during this time is take note of what you are doing.
Do you get pissed off and start trying to bluff or steal too many pots do you loosen up too much? Call too much?
This is the best time to learn and improve your game.
Actually when i am on a winning streak i feel i play worse as i get too cocky thinking "i am invincible tonight" and take too many silly chances.
Dont worry it will end.I bet in a few weeks yuo will be posting about the great night you had [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Nottom]

[ QUOTE ]
At times, the implicit collusion theory seems completely unbeatable. If there are 10 people at the table, 6 will enter the pot, between them they have the cards covered, and 1 of them is certain to make 2 pair minimum.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are as likely as anyone else to make 2-pair and when you do you will make plenty of money off the worse hands. It can be frustrating when you hands don't hold up, but you need to keep betting your big hands and getting the money in when you are ahead. Eventually, you will be the one with the winners and it should turn around.

In the mean time, post some hands so we can see how you play. Maybe there are some things you can be doing to either limit your losses when you get sucked out on or increase the size of the pots that you do manage to win

[Lost Wages]

Finally I will get something like KQs, AKs, AKo etc., and enter the pot. It doesn't seem to matter at all if I bring it in with a raise, or just call. The result is the same.

You shouldn't have any results from just calling to compare because you shouldn't ever do it. The fact that you would even consider limping in with these hands makes me think you don't play as well as you think you do.

...it seems that I may just be hitting a bad patch that will turn around...

Most new players have no idea how long you can run bad while playing correctly.

Lost Wages

[thirddan]

I had a similar situation as im sure most players have. I was running really well at these limits, up about a grand. Then i went through a bad month a probably dropped 300BB between .50/1.00 and 1/2, i took a couple days off with no poker, reread WLLHE and TOP, then gave it a go again playing a bit tighter than usual, not playing as many hands in EP and playing fewer drawing type hands. this worked and i built my confidence up. Try taking a break for a day or two then give it a try again...Good luck

[Brian462]

In very loose games I take the emphasis off of big cards and value multi-way hands much more. ATs over AQo, JTs over KQo. What I like about those hands is that you can actually take advantage of the loose play. I don't hesitate to cap the flop with 4 to the flush, even if its the jack-high flush, because so many people are capping it with me. JTs will get lots of action whenever it makes a straight because of all the big cards on the board. Compare this to AQo. When you hit top pair on the flop, you won't likely be raised(at least more than once) by any worse hands. You will hardly ever be raised on the turn or river by anyone who doesn't have top pair beat(unless its a bluff, which happens just enough to force you to call them down). Now I'm not saying that big cards aren't profitable, because they very much are, but in multi-way pots they lose alot of value simply because 1 pair isn't that good when 7 people are showing down. You can see this compounded to an extreme at the play money tables. Top pair wins maybe 1 in 10 pots there.

Just keep in mind that when 6 people show down, you only have to win rarely to show a profit. It can take a long time for it to finally pan out but if you are playing well you will eventually win the money. Try to focus more on the plays that make you better than your opponents rather than the ones that win any particular hand.

[DrewOnTilt]

Try searching under my user name. I made a similar post about a month ago and got some good feedback. One of the suggestions that I was given was to download and use Poker Tracker. It is helpful in reviewing play and categorizing opponents, amongst other things.

DOT

[Styles]

Not that this will help, but, there's a quote in the Feeney book paraphrased as 'when I have a bad stretch I find I usually had something to do with it'.

I just had an 8 day bad stretch, while there were some bad beats, implicit collusion, and just some really weird stuff happening ... I did some serious review and found 2 or 3 "plays" I had started making when I was "killing".

At the least reread the Q&A of HPFAP and see if something jumps out at you.

When I had my first winning day again, I won almost all of it back and have been on the horse since YAY!

This too shall pass, good luck.