$200 in PP, now what?

[themflags]

I think you need more patience, both with the hands you play, and with your hot vs cold sessions.

BTW -- I started with a lot of money too (relative to the micro limits), but playing the low limits is still the best way to gain comfort with the swings. It's easier suffering a session down 20 BB when that translates to only $.40! (I started at UB on the penny tables). Once I got a few hundred hands, and saw some ups-n-downs (and saw I was still ahead, overall), I moved up. For me, psychologically, the possibility of losing a lot in any one session made me either too tight, or too loose.

If you cannot detach yourself, emotionally, from your performance in any one or two sessions, you'll find you are not making optimal decisions.

[@bsolute_luck]

[ QUOTE ]
If you cannot detach yourself, emotionally, from your performance in any one or two sessions, you'll find you are not making optimal decisions.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes. i found this out the other night (monday- i just haven't had time to post about it). i got upset with the cards i was getting and getting sucked out on repeatedly.

but today i read chapter 1 of Theory of Poker and how good players will get sucked out on frequently. why? because worse players are "simply going to have the worst hand against you a lot more times than you have the worst against them."

and i remembered that i'm playing for long term winnings, not short term so, while i may play correctly, i may lose more money on certain hands because the 35% chance my hand comes in, didn't come this time.

i can't remember which book it was in (SSHS or TOP), but i also remember reading that players have difficulty letting go when things go bad but think "i need to get even", and get up too soon when things are going well because of the feeling "i should get out while i'm ahead".

monday night, i was the former. i was up 18BB and playing solid poker (from what i can tell so far). then...BAM! things went sour. i fell to +8BB and said i know i can get back up to 18BB, i'll play 'til then and then quit. PROBLEM: i got to 14BB by playing a pocket pair and flopping a set that held. instead of getting up, i stayed thinking "i'm so close".

welp, i fell all the way to -20BB. i quit there sadly. the lower i got, the madder i got, the worse i played. i spewed money, checked and folded with hands i should have been aggressive with knowing my luck would screw me. so <font color="blue">ADVICE TO OTHER NEWBIES:</font> not to quit while you're ahead or quit once you lose one hand, but notice when things have changed. either someone is better at the table, the table's gone cold, or you are just too emotionally attached to play smart. don't wait 'til you're -20BB.

the other point i've found is regarding preflop play. maybe some can comment on, but i've found that if you come to a hand preflop that you don't know whether you should check or fold...fold. the money is made postflop, but if you don't know IF you should play it PREFLOP, you won't know HOW to play it POSTFLOP. same with checking and raising. DON'T raise if you're not sure IF you should because you won't know HOW to play it POSTFLOP. most of time you will think "i'm already tied to the pot".

So that's it for now. i'm in "Study" mode, so i don't know when i'll post again, but feel free to post here other stories. Peace.