How do I get better at Stud Hilo

[stud7champ]

Play about 30 hours a week on PP. Mainly 2/4 basically break even . If I start with $60in the 2/4 game I fluctuate sometimes as high as $140 and as low as $30. I tend to play about 2 tables, I've read a lot of the litereature and probably played about 500 to 600 hours. Basically dont play beyond 3rd street with an 8 in my hand if I see one or two going for low. I Like to play low hands with flush or straight possibilities. Occasionally mix it up and play KKX and AAX of course. Rarely play 3 flush hands unless at least 2 are 8 or below. Always raise with an A showing on 3rd street (Might have a high pair or 3 low cards)
Notice that with a hand such as 2,3,5,6 or 3,4,5,7 etc I will play to the river particularly (particularly with flush backdoor possibilities) if I put the high hands on non flushes & high pairs.
How do I get to move to the next level to be a winning player? I dont mind $5 per hour but breakeven is rough for 30 hours effort.
Do I need to move up to 3/6 or down to 1/2?

[zoidswallet]

I've run extremely bad lately at the stud 2/4 table on PP. I've dropped a few $50-$70 buy-ins. It's really just from me getting too creative, and playing hands I shouldn't be playing. Stuff like (5 10) 10.

I've never really been afraid to play 3 to a low with an 8 in my hand, but I've made the mistake lately of playing it when the 8 is my door card. Unfortunately, all low draws will chase you when you're showing an 8. I think I was trying to pretend that people would be confused if they saw me raise with an 8 because, "Is he high, or low?" Yes, very stupid.

I've cut back on the stupidity though, and I've gone back to the basics, and it's going well. The advice I would give is to constantly keep yourself in check, and make sure you're not chasing your low against a made low (unless you see someone named zoidswallet with an 8 as his doorcard, in which case, chase that mofo!).

[Andy B]

Thirty hours isn't much of a sample.

You haven't said a damned thing about what you do on the later streets, which is where lot of money is won and lost.

I doubt that changing levels is going to change anything, unless there is something very favorable or unfavorable about one structure that I'm not aware of.

I almost always keep enough in front of me to cap it on every round if the need arises. That would be 16 BB in your game. Buy in for $100 and reload if you get down to $60 or so.

[Bremen]

[ QUOTE ]
Always raise with an A showing on 3rd street (Might have a high pair or 3 low cards)

[/ QUOTE ]
How about only raising if you have a high pair or three low? Against loose opponents you're just throwing away money raising with just an A door card.

Overplaying high only hands is very common. A pair of kings may look nice, but its actually inferior to a low (since the low can frequently outplay you). Against multiple lows you're in trouble.

[benneh]

these guys said these exact words to me, and i'll pass it onto you.

read, and reread ray zee's book.

i was a decent winner at the stars 2/4 stud 8 tables, but after having read through the stud 8 section of ray zee's book twice, my play has improved tons, and i'm not wasting lots of money overplaying busted lows or mediocre high hands. now i'm doing really well in the party 2/4 game and i attribute it to the book, and reading over all the stud 8 posts (even though i rarely post here myself)

[frappeboy]

The best way to improve at any form of poker is to do a lot of thinking away from the table.