How do you deal with the variance at low limits?

[Bluegrassplayer]

I will have to check that out. I'm just so competitive with myself. My bankroll is at 8 grand now due to my live game, but still knowing that I have lost several buy ins pisses me off, thanks for the advice everyone, and sorry about the guy I got into an argument with, was steaming.

[Split Suit]

[ QUOTE ]
I will have to check that out. I'm just so competitive with myself. My bankroll is at 8 grand now due to my live game, but still knowing that I have lost several buy ins pisses me off, thanks for the advice everyone, and sorry about the guy I got into an argument with, was steaming.

[/ QUOTE ]

happens.

also, what are u playin? 8K roll u shud b doin 100 or 200. (tho i dont suggest it till u get the concept of money having value out of ur head while playing and reviewing seshs)

[Bluegrassplayer]

I have 1/2 and occasionally 2/5 live. I only have a game 2-4 times a week though, so I decided to try out online poker this weekend. It's a way different game. Decided I would work my way up through the levels, doing 10NL and 25NL right now.

[KUCletus]

I ran into this exact same thing when I first started at the NL10 tables - "LOL $10 all in with 84s! Ooops, caught my flush against your top 2 pair" Very frustrating when you want to play serious poker (if there is such a thing at those stakes, debatable?). I played and cashed in SNG's until I could build my bankroll up enough to move up a level and that seemed to help a slight bit; the players were a little less reckless when it was $50 or $100 a hand.

[Bluegrassplayer]

Thanks for the info Cletus, exactly what I was looking for. I'm really trying to keep my online and live stashes separate so I'm trying to do the exact same thing that you did.

[Brimstead]

6 or 7 buy in swings aren't unusual.... remember that online you are going to play so many more hands in an hour than you would live, so the bad beats are going to come thick and fast. also, we tend to remember our bad beats much more than our successes.

get your money in with the best and you'll be fine. We make money off the donkeys. they suck out on us, but most of the time they just ship their chips across the table.

[ QUOTE ]
Seat 1: ($30.20 in chips)
Seat 2: ($18.15 in chips)
Seat 3: ($16.65 in chips)
Seat 5: ($4.80 in chips)
Seat 6: ($11.25 in chips)
Seat 7: ME($14.55 in chips)
Seat 8: ($53.60 in chips)
Seat 9: ($16.55 in chips)
4aws: posts small blind $0.10
Texxas Tom: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ME[Ks Kd]
: folds
: calls $0.25
: folds
: folds
ME: raises $0.75 to $1
Villain: raises $1 to $2
: folds
: folds
: folds
ME: raises $3 to $5
Villain: calls $3
*** FLOP *** [6h Jh 4h]
ME: bets $6.25
Villain: raises $6.25 to $12.50
ME: calls $3.30 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [6h Jh 4h] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [6h Jh 4h 3h] [8s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ME: shows [Ks Kd] (a pair of Kings)
Villain: shows [9h 7c] (a flush, Jack high)
Villain collected $28.25 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $29.70 | Rake $1.45
Board [6h Jh 4h 3h 8s]

[/ QUOTE ]

in this hand u let the villain in too cheaply and allowed him to draw out.
PF you need your original raise to be $1.25. as played, your 4 bet should be to ~$7.
on the flop you need to bet closer to the pot.

at the lower limits many players do not understand or consider pot odds so will call when u give them poor odds. they may suck out, but in the long run this makes us a lot of cash.

[Steelerman]

[ QUOTE ]
I played and cashed in SNG's until I could build my bankroll up enough to move up a level and that seemed to help a slight bit; the players were a little less reckless when it was $50 or $100 a hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing you have to understand is that the players being a little less reckless will only increase your variance. You want players to be as bad as humanly possible. You want them calling pot sized bets all the way down with a gutshot or a backdoor flush.

In the end, they will hit miracle hands on you exactly as many times as they should mathematically. It's just a fact. The idea that moving up will somehow decrease variance is completely wrong. OP is playing at a level which is meaningless to his bankroll. Just use the time at these levels to focus on every single individual decision. If they suck out, they suck out. It's the decision that matters. If you plan on playing long-term it's the only way to even hope to keep your sanity.

[Bluegrassplayer]

Cool thanks for the advice. I don't even think I'd seen a 5 dollar bet yet preflop. Normally I bump this up a lot, probably 4x their bet live, but got greedy and wanted some action.

Definitely agree about the flop bet too, but honestly I put him on a big pair and thought he was pushing anyways. Solid reading abilities here.

[Bluegrassplayer]

Agreed, maybe variance isn't the term I should be using. Although it is creating some pretty sick downswings for me, it just seems like I get hit by waves upon waves of suck outs at a time. I guess variance is probably the wrong term. Believe me I love pushing all in for twice the pot and getting called by flush draws.

[Steelerman]

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed, maybe variance is the term I should be using. Although it is creating some pretty sick downswings for me, it just seems like I get hit by waves upon waves of suck outs at a time. I guess variance is probably the wrong term. Believe me I love pushing all in for twice the pot and getting called by flush draws.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know exactly what you mean. When poker decides to really put it on you and refuses to let your hands hold up for a period of time it can seem worse at the low levels. There's that natural tendency to think that you'd be better off moving up just because somebody there might be able to fold a hand. You just have to fight through that and keep plugging and getting your money in good. In the end, the numbers will work out exactly as they should...though it might take quite some time.

Just know that if you're playing good poker and committing chips to +EV spots, you've got a sick upswing coming your way.