Confession: I'm a nit and probably need help

[Deathtiny]

Hi everyone.

I have played 15,5k hands on Stars/NL25 during the last month. Not that much, but I really want to keep some real life.
Looking at my stats, I've realised that I play much tighter than I'd actually like to. However, I feel VERY comfortable with this style and just cannot get myself to raise KTo after 2-3 calling stations or LAGs have limped in front of me, steal the blinds with any two cards or just throw in the occasional raise with offsuit crap.
Also, I'm originally a Full Ring Limit player and have played maybe 40k hands of NL overall, starting with shortstacking NL10 and 25. (Not included in those stats)
While I do realise that I've been running very good for those 15k hands and 15PTBB/100 are not sustainable, I'm asking myself if it is absolutely necessary for me to adjust my game while moving up and at which level nits like me aren't too successful anymore.
At least my post-flop aggression levels should be fine, i guess. I'm too passive in unraised pots, but that's noted and being worked on.

So .. is it better to play like I used to or is it better to move out of my comfort zone and start being more aggressive? And when? NL50? 100? 200?

Thanks.

[ajml]

Your attempt to steal is really low, you can try loosening up a little by raising almost everything on the button when it folds around

[prodonkey]

15.4 ptbb/100 and u are complaining? Upping your steal about 10% will get your vpip up closer to 20. I don't make a lot of the steal/iso raises suggested here either and I win just fine but I do raise when it's folded to me in the co/button if I have anything reasonable. Not being in there with all the marginal hands is going to reduce your variance and reduce your win rate a little.. but I've always been one that is happy to knock a little off my expected win rate to reduce my variance a ton.

[Lurker.]

you call waaaaay too many raises. your att. to steal is low, you dont raise enough hands. man you ran well.

[prodonkey]

didn't realize your pf raise was only 6.. you need to raise instead of limp more.

[BevillTheDevil]

looks like you limp too much in the SB tbh. If your limpin that much then you should be takin stabs at the pot a lot if not then you need to nit up there. Your most likely not positionally aware which is the nutz in teh poker. The best advice i could give you is to read the stickys...

[mvdgaag]

Your stats suggest you play a very safe game. It seems to have worked out fine though. So keep it up and as ajml already pointed out you can get away with stealing a lot more blinds.

If you want to expriment a bit out of your comfort zone here's a nice one. Drop a couple of levels and take a couple of buyins. Play half your hands untill it's all gone. It actually took me about 5K hands to go broke. I had the worst preflop standards, but it was the best spend 50 bucks ever, lots of fun and educational [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[MrWooster]

I would suggest raising more hands, PFR of 6 is way too low, you are calling raises and limping too much.

[Deathtiny]

[ QUOTE ]
15.4 ptbb/100 and u are complaining?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Certainly not about my winrate, though. I just really feel that my play is sort of weak.

[ QUOTE ]
you call waaaaay too many raises.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where do you see that?
I coldcall small pairs vs other nits or maniacs, yeah, but not much else. They never seem to catch onto that and getting paid off on sets works well on NL25. I might coldcall suited connectors if there are 1-2 more callers.
By how much should i reduce that for NL50 and 100?

[ QUOTE ]
looks like you limp too much in the SB tbh. If your limpin that much then you should be takin stabs at the pot a lot if not then you need to nit up there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, agree. I've just read a post on raising limpers from the SB with ATC and that sounds pretty good (due to not looking like a steal so much.) It's just to damn tempting to complete 67o after 1-2 limpers (which i'd probably fold firstin). Actually, i don't complete the SB at all, if i'm first to act on a full table. It's raise or fold then.
I'm at breakeven on the SB right now.

I'll try raising more there. (Being too passive in unraised pots is already halfway fixed, just doesn't show in the stats yet.)

Edit: Just checked my coldcalls.
I've done that 86 times in 15.5k hands. Of those, 63 were pairs JJ or lower.
Limped with TT (once!) or lower 156 times.

[Triggerle]

The thing is that there are games where a strategy like yours is close to optimal.

When most of your opponents are very short and/or like to stack off with middle pair in unraised pots then limping a lot, even with good hands can be a good play as you can get out if you miss and stack them if you hit. In these games raising speculative hands often doesn't make sense because you will not be able to take down pots with cbets and if they stack off regardless of pre-flop pot size you might as well get in cheap.

Of course these games do not run all the time at every table so a more open and aggressive style will often be better. When you experiment with opening up/raising more make sure you are not in one of these super-donkey games described above.

In the end loose or tight and aggressive or passive are fluent as you adapt to the situation at the tables. As you move up you will see more and more need for, as well as utility of, aggression.