Hi guys,

First, the next few words are regarding NLHE in micro limits on PS ( .05/.10, and .10/.25, and VERY rarely .25/.50)

You guys are always an inspiration, if not a wealth of knowledge who always seem to point me down the correct path. I'ce been seriously considering if poker is something I should still be pursuing...

I'm sure you've noticed the posts of success that I have made such as first SNG win, and first good night on .10/.25 tables in ring. Here's the problem. I had moved my bankroll up from $50.00 to about $130.00 last week. I noticed I was starting to lose my BR a little bit, so I tightened up my playing as I lost aboiut 50% of my BR in 3 days. Dwon to about $75.00 as of 2 days ago. Last night I lost another $40.00 and I am now down to a $35.00 BR!

It's not so much that I am making stupid plays, or playing loose, I stick to solid hands TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA, + AQs, AKs, etc...and pay full attention to position, so depending on position I open up and luse afew more hands than these such as TJs, T9s, etc...Wy am I losing so much?!? I have not only lost most of my BR, but I am beginning to question my skills as a player...and to boot, I am getting frustrated! I never had this problem when playing in real life, as a matter of fact I won another local tourney out of 9 guys at $20.00 in with a freeze, no rebuys, or addons.

It's getting ridiculous, like last night where I sat and played only tight hands, and won smaller pots. Last hand of the night for Eg, AKs I limp in, the flop is AsQd4h. The guy beside me raises .50, I raise to 1.00, he calls. Turn is 3h, he raises .50 and I call 1.00. The river is 8c, he raise 1.00, and I reraise 5.00 to grab the pot, seeing as how he's running on a A(but with a lower kick I assumed, based on how he was betting)....but noooooooo, he shows a Qh3c to win with 2 pair! the guys went in with a Q3o??!?!?!?! I know that you guys always say stick to your game, play tight with good hands, dont limp in with crap , as these players will only win in the short run. Well what's defined as a "sahort-run"? I've been playing or 6 months now, and byu no meeans do I feel that I am amazing at the game, but not only am I getting a few bad beats here and there, like running with a straight or trips, and having a flush draw beat me by runner runner, regardless of the bet. It feels like everyone plays like a maniac online.

I haven't been able to get into my groove at all, and I want to enjoy the game, but it seems lately I'm not having very much fun - And I don't want it to be like that, I want to enjoy the game.

Guys, I'm begging, what advice, or what help can you give me in Ring...Is it the limits? As usually I play .10/.25....should I go up or down?!? I feel that if I go down in limits, more and more players don't care oif they lose their money so they are more volatile, if I go up, it seems like I run into the exact same type of players - What do I do?!?!? Another thing I was thinking was due to the fact OI have only been playing 6 months, that a lot of my wins earlier this year may have spurned a law o averages on me and now I feel like it's my turn to lose.

What to do , what to do...I'm tired of logging on and having some weiner sit next to me that plays any Ax, and pays no attention to position, or the guy who playes with nothing and bets right till the end. SHould i observe a table more befor I sit down? Rad a book on online poker? I never have these issues playing IRl...

I hate to bitch guys, believe me I love the game, and would like to make some money at it, but I don't like the way I'm acting right now, do I need a break? Hmm....hopefully you guys will beable to point me in some direction, cause I'm getting fed up here with PS, and onine in general.

On the upside, I have thrown $20.00 on Noble Poker, and my BR is at 60 curently. Mebbe it's the quality of players and I'm not that good...

Please....any advice....I'll shut up now...

Well, hey no problem, but the table limits, are only $25.00?!? How can I be productive at sitting at the lower limit tables, (.05/.10) with a $10.00 maximum? The players are getting worse as I move down, but when I move up in the hopes of playing a better game, my limit to walk onto the tabel with ois only $25.00?

What to do, I have also played limit under Steve's advise, and generally break even, should I switch to another game here??!?

and in particular the "Tilt" club...

Now I've never been on tilt ( I've also never lost a hand of poker in my life and the drugs are working fine thank you) but I hear thare are mechanisms for dealing with it..

1] On ps move to the 0.01/0.02 NL. On a single table variance for a TAA is 300bb ( i.e $12). The thing is that when you hit -$10.. and it begins to compromise your BR.. you will tilt. We all do it (ask Alex).. you have a bad few sessions .. move down. Personally I would only play 0.01/0.02 with a minimum $110 BR.

2] Start to win at this level. If you have to do this: start off with a $3 stack (no more) but keep it at this minimum level - it can grow.

a) open four or five tables- make sure each table always has 8 other players and has a flop entry > 50%<- KEEP an eye on this figure in the lobby. If it drops to 45% then change table.
b) if you get AA or KK go all in
c) if you get pp limp in (<10c)and if you trip go all in. Fold everthing else unless you have top pair ..the check or fold (NO CALL allowed.. dont' try anything flashy.. This is about discipline and removing emotional involvement.

This is brain death poker but your BR will increase and your confidence will be restored. Multitabling will reduce your variance and the simple rules means you don't have to concentrate. I think your BR is too small even for this limit .. but it should work.

This is an anti-tilt mechanism I have used in the past.

I got to say that everytime I move up a limit I tilt - NL is particulary bad for it.

I always know to return to a limit I can beat easily at 8bb/100 if I hit certain stop losses. These SL's I set before I enter the limit.

I'm not sure in variance terms there's much difference between NL and limit. I think 7-9bb/100 win rateis as good as you'll get at most limits (depending on rake) for limit and NL. The variance seems to be about 300b for both.

Hope this helps

I hate to bitch guys, believe me I love the game, and would like to make some money at it, but I don't like the way I'm acting right now, do I need a break? Hmm....hopefully you guys will beable to point me in some direction, cause I'm getting fed up here with PS, and onine in general.

Poker is like any enterprise you partake in, you can only get out of it what you put into it. That said not everyone is destined to be a great player no matter how much they love the game or how hard they work at it. not trying to discourage anyone but it's just a fact of life, just like not everyone can play baseball or be a doctor.

I would start by setting some goals and also a to do and a not to do list. take 20 minutes and write 3 short term (1 month poker goals), 3 long term (6 month - 1 year) poker goals, and then 10 things you should do when you play as well as 10 things you shouldn't do.

for example, short term goals

Increase bankroll from $130 to $175

read 2 poker books

practice Omaha 8 at micro limits at least 1 hour a day


long term goals

build and maintain a $500 bankroll

make 1 cashout per month

move up to .10/.25 limit


to do and not to do

I will not play above .05/.10 until I have $250

I will move down in limits if my bankroll falls to 5 buy ins

i will not multi-table

I will not watch TV or browse the net while I play

I will not play drunk/high/tired/etc


this is just suggestions but if you write things down you will have a better shot of acheiving your goals. obviously every month you will have to write a new set of goals for that month, I actually do it weekly and sometimes daily.

I added you to AOL, Diggler - but you may not want to talk to me, because I have some different things to say than what they've said, so I might screw you up :P

Originally Posted by Beavis68

KidRed: Diggler - put it all on black!

Diggler, there is a reload bonus on PS if you can afford to drop another hundie or so. Then maybe play some 5c/10c.

I'd tell him to put it all on RED of course