Help! Preflop Solid/Postflop - Having Problems. Ideas?

[MrHorace]

I believe one can't become better at something unless one is willing to admit weaknesses and ask for help from knowledgable people...like those on this forum.
I'm pretty much a novice and have been playing only B&M for about 10 months/maybe 15 sessions or so. Have won a couple times, but have mostly lost, although my losses ARE getting less per session. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I believe I have preflop play down fairly well, but have troubles post flop. This is especially true when I have a monster that I'm afraid to let go of, or flop the nuts, but lose on the river, i.e. flush loss to full house.
Does anyone have any good suggestions/ideas on how to improve. Maybe I should post some hands, but being B&M, it's a bit more difficult.
Thanks for your help.
-David

[bisonbison]

Maybe I should post some hands

Ding ding ding.

There is no way we can offer advice unless you share your play. You'll also learn by responding to other people's hands.

[MrHorace]

Okay, hit me over the head w/a sledge hammer already! I'll commit to taking detailed notes and Will post. Will go through my notes and post 'approximates' (Not exact hands, but close) to give you an idea of what i'm facing.
Thanks,

[Guy McSucker]

[ QUOTE ]


I believe I have preflop play down fairly well, but have troubles post flop. This is especially true when I have a monster that I'm afraid to let go of, or flop the nuts, but lose on the river, i.e. flush loss to full house.


[/ QUOTE ]

Post some hands... but, to me, it sounds like you're worrying about the wrong things.

Preflop is relatively simple, but hugely important. If you really have preflop sorted out, that's great, and frankly, I would expect you to be at least a small winner in most low limit games unless you're doing something insane post-flop.

Postflop, the situations that require your thought are not the ones where you have a big hand and want to extract the maximum/avoid losses when outdrawn. The ones to worry about are the so called "marginal" ones, like middle pair with overcard kicker and a backdoor flush draw.

Best advice I can give is to buy and read Ed Miller's book (Small Stakes Hold'em, from 2+2 publishing, just in case you don't know!!?!?!?) and post a ton of hands here.

In the old days, when I first posted and read these forums (fora?), there was no such thing as online poker and we all posted hands in our own words, drawn purely from memory, rather than using hand histories and the admittedly marvellous bisonbison hand-history-converter. You can do the same and nobody will think the worse of you! As long as you get the relevant details right, which you will if you were awake, the responses will be valid.

Guy.

[MrHorace]

Guy,
Thanks for the encouragement to go ahead and post my hands from memory, which I will do...and use Bison's convertor.
By the way, just bought Ed Miller's book today. So am sure that will help tons.
I'm intrigued by your comment regarding middle pair w/overcard kicker is where one could get into trouble. Where does the trouble come from? Not folding soon enough (I'm thinking if the top flop card is something someone would see the flop with, I'm way behind and catching up is a real gamble), or what? Thanks. Just curious, and wanting to learn more.

[Mike Gallo]

Welcome aboard.

Get a notepad and write down every hand that troubles you.
Post the hand without the results. Give us as much details as you can about the player.

From there you will get more detailed answer.

[BeerMoney]

Get practice on Micro-Limits.. Play party poker. I imagine you are playing at foxwoods. The rake there is pretty tough, plus you're expected to tip. If you play .5/1 on party poker, that will be 1/4 the stakes, the rake is better, you don't have to tip, and you can access your hand history easier and convert it thanks to bisonbison. Sold?

Also, read some books. Internet Texas Hold 'Em by Hilger and SSH by Ed are my suggestions...

Most people probably start out as a losing player.

[MrHorace]

Beer, Thanks. I've been seriously thinking to move to .5/1 on Party, and am working on my 300 BB bankroll as many recommend. Do you agree w/this philosophy? It seems like a lot, and I was initially planning to start w/ $100. However, I think if I start w/$300, I'll have that much more bonus money, etc.

I have been reading a lot, and believe I'm making progress in my play. As you say, everyone starts a loser, so thank you for that fact. In some of my readings, people state that if you aren't making 3-4 BB/Hr in B&M, you have major 'problems'. Which is maybe true, but I'd like to think I'm somewhat intelligent. However I do realize the need to be self critical, and the fact that it can only make me a better player.

I did buy SSH the other day, and will get Hilger's book before venturing into Internet poker.

Any other thoughts on playing on-line, and your ideas on the starting bankroll will be appreciated.

[MrHorace]

Mike, will do. In fact, have done so as of tonight. Man, I just hope I can get this all down and win some decent $$ before the alzheimer's sets in. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Mike Gallo]

Mike, will do. In fact, have done so as of tonight. Man, I just hope I can get this all down and win some decent $$ before the alzheimer's sets in.

You will.