9 replies to this topic

[VirginiaGent]

Going to try and be as honest as possible here so that I get what I hope to be the best feedback available…I’m relatively new to poker, less than 1 year with real interest (since ESPN began televising the 2003 WSOP), but have really attempted to educate myself about the game and the nuances. I watch a LOT of televised poker and I have read and STUDIED many books. All the ones that people discuss or mention, I have them. I have won multiple, local live tournaments (no limit hold’em and combination of limit hold’em with chip leaders advancing to play no limit hold’em for payouts) and I’m a regular winner in many regular neighborhood home games and local games. I have struggled in the online games at all levels. Have played no limit hold’em mainly across $0.25/$0.50 on up to $2/$4 blinds and have not played a lot of limit hold’em online. Virtually no stud or Omaha.I struggling to fault my play completely…of course, I’ve played the occasional ill-advised hand but that stops rapidly because I’m cooler headed than I am stupid. I can take a bad beat, but I have been badly beaten so many times online I just find it tougher than the live game. Betting pattern and time to bet seems like such a poor gauge when a person could be playing three or four tables at once or more, it will always take a lot of time for them to bet sometimes.I would not call myself tight to the point of not getting action when I call or raise pre-flop, but I am selective about my starting cards, my position, number of callers or raisers before me and what I expect people behind me to do if I choose to play. I would call my play prudent, but I do feel that my post-flop play could improve a lot. Like many new players, I can sometimes feel like a fish out of water if I’ve missed the flop completely or I don’t even have a good draw. Have no problem folding these hands. The ones I can get into real trouble with are where I’ve hit a little piece of the flop, it gets better on the turn, and I could be drawing dead or just not on top of it by the turn or the river. I need to either read these better, or have the tables turn in my favor. Is it possible to always come up with 2nd best hand by the averages of playing enough loose people that one of them always seems to be ahead of you in the big pot? I’ve gone through my initial stakes in two online sites and I just can’t come to grips with the fact that I’m a poor poker player based on my live results.I do miss the fact that I can’t get a read on people like I can in a live game, but I can’t help feeling that with my diligence to learn the game and my live results I’m just around the corner from being a plus online player too. Have to admit that the super loose guys that pull rabbits out of their hat tick me off. They double up when they shouldn’t have even been in a pot…example, last night, I’m in a $0.10/$0.25 no-limit hold’em ring game with about $17 in front of me. I had been losing enough that I had to back my blinds/limits way down unfortunately…I’m in the SB with AQo and everyone folds around to me. It is $0.25 to call so I raise to $0.75. Guy in BB has about $4.00 remaining, and he goes all-in. I call…I figure that kind of bet is just him getting mad that I raised him.Flop is 3-3-K, Turn is J, River is A for a board of 3-3-K-J-A…no flush out there….BB shows 23s and wins the 8.50 pot with a set of threes….I think I’m just vexed because this kind of thing happens to me all the time online. I feel the right play was made and I had the best hand by far pre-flop….don’t get it.Don’t know if I’m looking for encouragement here, some confirmation that you’ve all been through this kind of crap, or if you have suggestions.Thanks in advance.

[Suited_Up]

I think we've all been through it. Online poker is a little ridiculous.. but I don't have any specific advice really. Everyone will say keep playing well it'll pay off in the end, blah blah.... but I haven't really figured out the stupidity online either. I can do well, but only when it's the right table, and I am playing very level headed. If you get stuck at the wrong table, it's too late before you realize it. But I hope other people chime in too... cause I struggle a little online at times myself... but who doesn't I guess.

[Smasharoo]

Bankroll, bankroll, bankroll.You should be playing with at least a $500 BR if you're playing $25 max buy in .35/.50.

[VirginiaGent]

Thanks for initial replies.I have to be honest, I think there are less people making money than let on that they do. Pride and ego are a tough thing to overcome and the Internet is an easy place to be more than you are. I remember reading some of Daniel's articles about his early playing days in Canada and his first disastrous trip to Vegas where he ran out of money in the first couple of days in the tough games and he was still on vacation for at least 4 or 5 more days.I realize that everyone has to do their time at the tables.I have wondered for a while if I was playing too high for my bankroll, especially playing no-limit mostly where one mistake can cost you your whole table stake...e.g., you play well for 2 hours and build 40 into 90 and then in two bad hands/beats you're back to 30...go figure. Two or three key hands can either make or break the session.My bankroll for the better part of the last 2 months has been anywhere between $600 and $100. When I got below $100 the last time I had a good session or two and got back above $250 but it was short lived. I could not seem to keep consistently winning at the $0.50/$1 and $1/$2 no limit levels with this type of money. Most of what I've read says I should have about 400 big bets in my bankroll and that's why I just resigned to drop back to the $0.10/$0.25, but I had reservations about the types of players there that would neutralize my discipline to back up. See my hand example in the initial post in the thread.I thought you guys would like some stats:Over my last 250 hands or so:I play 23% of hands.I play 16% of the time I'm in the small blind (this is probably too high!!).I apparently folded to steal attempts while in the sb or bb 100% of time.I attempted to steal (based on position raise and eveyone folding to me) 7.7% of the time.I win without seeing a flop about 39% of the time.Went to showdown about 22% of the time.Won showdowns about 44% of the time (this seems like it could be better, like 75% to be profitable considering I've invested to the river or all-ins)Last stat: Pre flop raise about 5% of the time.With respect to only playing top-10 hands on multiple tables...I guess you get enough action to be profitable...and you are hitting a set occasionally with a medium pair. I don't play out of line hands...e.g., I'm not calling with 76s unless I'm in later position and there are three people that have entered an unraised pot so far, etc. That kind of thing.More thoughts? Thanks to those that are contributing.

[Smasharoo]

When I got below $100 the last time I had a good session or two and got back above $250 but it was short lived. I could not seem to keep consistently winning at the $0.50/$1 and $1/$2 no limit levels with this type of money. Most of what I've read says I should have about 400 big bets in my bankrollFor LIMIT you should have about 300BB for a bankroll.For NL you should have 20 times the max buy in. If you lose 20 buy ins, take up Chess.

[rxq]

I heard this the other day.Maniacs lose in the long run but take bust lots of people on the way down. But even knowing that dosen't help get that bad taste out of mouth when you lose to one. But I find Congac helps a lot or I should say Lots of Cognac helps alot.

[VirginiaGent]

lol...yeah, Cognac, Whiskey, Scotch...all fix the bad taste. Thanks.

[Heyou!]

First, I think you "talk" too much, sorry!!!2nd I think you are makin a huge mistake by playin online "ring games" , cos there are prolly only 10% players who make $$ by playin ring games online!!3rd if ya play in those lil ring games please dont expact good plays there!! And please dont play there at all- cos thats not poker there!If you play if that Roll, im tellin ya; just play and learn, dont even ask /read too much (mistake anyway), just play $3 + higher MTTs and $10 + h. -sngos if you want to enjoy it (online) and learn something!Cos there r waaay to many fishes online !!

[VirginiaGent]

A breakthrough....took 2nd place in a tourney last night with over 600 folks entered.Played solid, tight/aggressive disciplined poker. This is my first final table in an online tourney and I was well below the chip average for quite some time.Good confirmation of play for once.Heyou! Good thing I'm thick skinned. I read some good constructive criticism in your comments. I'll leave the rest of the assessment on the shelf.