Am I on the right path to being a winning player?

[cgwahl]

I started with $50 on PokerStars a little over a month ago. Playing on the .02/.04 tables in about 2 weeks I slowly built it up to $61 with occasional losing sessions. Then bam, all of a sudden I lost $5 or $6 over the course of 5 days. This is part because I played higher than I should have and also because I was playing hands I should not have (or trying for draws I should have quit earlier on).

I took about a weeks hiatus to read Lee Jones book and and then made $3.50 back over the course of two weeks with small winning sessions and 2 or 3 big winning sessons (then lost a $1.50 in one day).


Now I know I still have a lot to learn, I am still in the middle of Hilger's book and when I finish that I am going to reread Jones' book. Not to mention TOP again. I finally understand pot odds (which I did not the first couple weeks of playing).


I am curious to know though is it normal to be up one day and then lose a good chunk of it the next or if this is just because I am still in the learning stages (which I admit is a big possibility since I do sense moments where I let me ego and aggression get the best of me)? Not to mention some of it was just dumb luck with my aces being second best with a guy staying in when he should have folded, hehe. Because lately it seems as if I'll win a buck each session for two or three days ($2 or $3 total) and then lose a $1.5 the next.

I suppose I am still ahead since going by this 3BB/100 thing I am still up considerably considering I have only been playing $.02/.04 limits (with the occasional $.05/.10 thrown in). Just curious if this is the norm...

Also, would it be worth buying PokerTracker for these low of limits? I have used the demo version of it and filled it up already. I was going to wait a bit until I paid the $65 for it, but if those of you that reply think it would be worth it even for these low limits, then I'll definately consider it.


Sorry if this seems like a lot in one post...just wondering where I am at currently. And I do realize a lot of this may just be speculation on your parts since its not as if I have posted many hands here.

[AKQJ10]

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I am curious to know though is it normal to be up one day and then lose a good chunk of it the next....

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In a word, yes.

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...or if this is just because I am still in the learning stages (which I admit is a big possibility since I do sense moments where I let me ego and aggression get the best of me)?

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That's quite plausible too. I can only speak from personal experience as a beginner, working through many of the same books. I can say that after a poor run in brick & mortar play during a trip Out West, i did a lot of soul-searching and decided it was both a bad run of cards and suboptimal play on my part. I studied the preflop section of SSH and realized i was misapplying the Loose chart even in "Tight" games (3-5 to flop). That, plus a couple of other instances of preflop loose play, would be significant leaks in my game over the long haul. Perhaps the poor run of cards helped me find them!

But notice i didn't lose my head or start overcompensating; I just went back and relearned some things from scratch so i could apply them better in the future.

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Also, would it be worth buying PokerTracker for these low of limits? I have used the demo version of it and filled it up already. I was going to wait a bit until I paid the $65 for it, but if those of you that reply think it would be worth it even for these low limits, then I'll definately consider it.


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I'm in the same boat, haven't yet bought PT but plan to, and i'm considering it (or one of the Wilson suite) as a post-Christmas present to myself.

I see two broad ways in which PT helps pay for itself:

1. As an analysis tool to help you improve your play.
2. As a tool to help you better exploit the suboptimal play of others (for example, by finding the biggest fish on your favorite site).

As for (1), I think it would be of some value immediately. As for (2), i don't think that matters at micro-limits because even against horrid fish it would take a long time to make back the purchase price. But as i said, i'm very close to getting it not to beat the micros but to help improve my play to get me beyond the micros. Just my .02....

But as for your main question, i think you're on a good course, and if you can look open-mindedly for leaks and not try to overcompensate for every bad beat sounds like you'll be fine. See ya at the high limits, once we both get there. *g*

[cgwahl]

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That's quite plausible too. I can only speak from personal experience as a beginner, working through many of the same books. I can say that after a poor run in brick & mortar play during a trip Out West, i did a lot of soul-searching and decided it was both a bad run of cards and suboptimal play on my part.

But notice i didn't lose my head or start overcompensating; I just went back and relearned some things from scratch so i could apply them better in the future.


But as for your main question, i think you're on a good course, and if you can look open-mindedly for leaks and not try to overcompensate for every bad beat sounds like you'll be fine. See ya at the high limits, once we both get there. *g*

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Well just lost $30 going to a B&M tonight playing 1/2 with a friend (I know I probably shouldn't have gone being above my bankroll and all, but this was more a for fun thing). Was up then down then up to break even then down again; stupid misread cost me $10...hehe.

I tell you what though...I cannot wait until I fix the holes in my game and become a good to possibly even a great player. There is so much money to be had by these people that will call anything and everything. Its funny too because even though it may have just been my particular table, but these people were worse than the people I play with on .02/.04! At least on .02/.04 the people fold once in a while. Its downright scary, heh...


And thank you. I suppose the next thing on my list will have to be SSH. But will probably wait until I hit the .25/.5 tables. Seem to be spending more on books than what I have been winning at poker as of late...