Some general advice requested and needed.

[RJT]

Garon,

I think it is one of two things. Either, like I say I start “tensing up” with my profits or more probably you have hit the nail on the head.

It does seem that I build my stack by taking down pots on the flop.

Any suggestions regarding playing later streets? Reading material?

[ChipStorm]

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Since you are new to NL, your problem could be you don't know how to play the later streets very well. You don't need to know that when you only buy in for such a short amount, then when you build your stack enough to have to play them you lose all your money.

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This definitely gets my vote.

So work on turn and river play. The very next time you find yourself full-stacked, in a hand, and lost about what to do on the turn or river... post the hand here and get feedback.

[RJT]

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So work on turn and river play. The very next time you find yourself full-stacked, in a hand, and lost about what to do on the turn or river... post the hand here and get feedback.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks, guys.

[Garon]

Hi RJT,

Here is a suggestion, though it may not work for you. Try moving down a few levels and buying in full at $50NL. This way you get to play the turn and river every hand almost and get to learn on the cheap compared to doing it at $200NL.

The reason it may not work is many people have said they can't play as well a few levels lower than their normal level because "it's just 50 bucks". I can understand that reasoning. You'll know pretty soon if you are still taking it seriously or playing like it's just 50 bucks.

This is the big problem with short stack play. You (general you, not you specifically RJT) find a juicy table, double up or more, then have to leave because you don't know how to play past the flop and will lose it all back. And you're not learning how to play the later streets using a short stack strategy either. I think it's a horrible strategy and a horrible way to try to learn the game.

By moving down and buying in full you are still risking about the same amount of money, but you get to play and learn a lot more. Unless someone is a complete fish who can't ever learn how to play past the flop it's much better buying in full at a lower level. I don't think anyone is that dumb, but there are other factors that stop them (mainly emotional or discipline factors, another way poker is a lot like trading for a living). This isn't brain surgery afterall.

Good luck!

Garon

[RJT]

Garon,

Thanks for taking the time to post some more thoughts. I did in fact start playing full buy-in this evening - I am going to work on 100NL for a spell.

I know what you mean about not being able to play too low limits. I had this problem before, but am now concentrating on playing good poker no matter what the limits. I used to not have the patience for too low a limit. I really am working on my game now (after my first year of swimming around).
Discipline is so much a part of the game. (It is a rather boring game much of the time.)

I am going to (try to) post a hand now that is not probably such a good one (where I lost my whole stack) - happens. But just to see if perhaps I should have played it differently.

Thanks again for the help.

RJT

[theben]

most players here prefer playing a 100+bb stack game. you are playing a mid stack 40bb game. contrary to what everbody on this forum will say, this is OK TO DO. if you prefer to play with a mid stack and develop your best possible game with a stack of this size, you'll do fine. if you arent comfortable with playing deep, then have fun. you'll only truly optimize your win rate playing as deeply as possible assuming you play deep and well. but you can certainly win doing what you are doing. and it requires less hard decisions.

[Garon]

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you are playing a mid stack 40bb game. contrary to what everbody on this forum will say, this is OK TO DO IF you don't know how to play, don't want to learn, and don't mind not winning near as much as you could

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FYP [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[RJT]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
you are playing a mid stack 40bb game. contrary to what everbody on this forum will say, this is OK TO DO IF you don't know how to play, don't want to learn, and don't mind not winning near as much as you could

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FYP [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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ben and Garon,

That actually is also what I was asking - it seems to be working but I see that I can be making more (as I get better with deep stack).