My Game is a MESS - HELP

[Junior in the OC]

Summary – I turned a Donkey that broke even with HUGE money swings into a solid player who broke even with tiny money swings and a bigger investment.

Game - TEXAS HOLDEM


I have been a roller coaster of a poker player my entire 4 years of playing and have recorded big wins and equally big loses on 3-6, 4-8, 8-16, 9-18, 100NL and 40NL.

Over the last year I have patched up some significant holes and my game and have learned to play tight-aggressive, be more patient/less emotional and smart. I play great poker and it has been noticed by my peers when I am crushing our house games.

Since my improvement I have been seeing myself win almost EVEN money in the same pattern as before I worked on my game but much smaller dollar amounts, and its driving me CRAZY!!!!

Here is what is happening

BEFORE study, practice and game improvement –
Style, Loose Aggressive Donkey
Played limits - $40 NL, 3-6, 4-8, 9-18
Play schedule – compulsive, up to 50 hours per month logged, 12 hour sessions,

Would see cash swings averaging $300-700 dollars per session. Example - I would come out 500 ahead, and then bleed it out over the course of the following sessions.

After Game Improvement –
Style, Tight Aggressive, Minimal tilt, premium hand selection,
Played Limits – 8-16, 4-8 3-6 40NL
5 to 8 hour planned sessions totaling no more than 20 – hours per month
I have conducted some hardcore book study and some good online sessions thanks 2plus 2!.

Now I am seeing cash swings in the area of 50-100 dollars. Example – Buying into am 8-16 game for $400 and coming out $160 ahead, Losing 200 on 6-12. Winning 100 on $40, losing 200 on 6-12. Winning 100 on $40, losing 80 on the 40, and etc.

I am breaking even and having smaller wins. Its like I am not even there. I have had a couple friends analyze this for me and were all stumped. Whats even worse is that I give them advice on how to crush the 40 game, and they use it and WIN BIG….but someone I still manage to come out with nothing. I am running bad and due for a big win? Do I need to start over and move down to 2-4? Start playing Omaha or stud?/????

HELP
Things to factor -- I don't play as much as I used to, due to work and family life, but still manage to log 5-10 hours a week sometimes.

I have had some simply improbable, sickening case card bad beats multiple times

[SilentNoise]

[ QUOTE ]
I play great poker and it has been noticed by my peers when I am crushing our house games.

[/ QUOTE ]

quite an achievement. well done.

[ QUOTE ]
Style, Tight Aggressive, Minimal tilt, premium hand selection,

[/ QUOTE ]

Im not sure if your english is just bad, but playing just premiuss is NOT the same as tight aggressive


get pokertracker
play 30k hands
post stats
listen to advice
play another 100k hands post stats
bla
bla
profit

[Junior in the OC]

Silent Noise... Are you just bored? Or a total online poker snob ... "Quite an achievement" I wasnt asking for approval, but giving an example of me winning a home game with players who go to Southern California card rooms and make money in middle limits. I apologize for not having played high stakes like yourself. I was under the impression the twoplustwo forums are a place players go to help eachother and discuss things. Not fire off sarcastic BS remarks and plug poker tracker to anyone that doesnt play 300-600 on fulltilt.... what a joke..

[oddsock]

I would guess that by the same request/response of your threads you tilt easily.

Also use of the word crush repeatedly suggests a superiority complex.

[kekedarius]

[ QUOTE ]
Silent Noise... Are you just bored? Or a total online poker snob ... "Quite an achievement" I wasnt asking for approval, but giving an example of me winning a home game with players who go to Southern California card rooms and make money in middle limits. I apologize for not having played high stakes like yourself. I was under the impression the twoplustwo forums are a place players go to help eachother and discuss things. Not fire off sarcastic BS remarks and plug poker tracker to anyone that doesnt play 300-600 on fulltilt.... what a joke..

[/ QUOTE ]

Well Silent is right. And it sounds like your ego is enormous.

[Mr Rat]

Ego/Emotions = leak (in my opinion...and from what I have seen of others with egos/emotion swings at the table)

When you are getting beat by the "improbable, sickening case card bad beats multiple times," are you possibly tilting? I know you state minimum tilt, but if you respond so emotionally to a post which has no monetary value per se...how do you respond when the bad cards hit?

I am not being a smart-@ss here. I had a room-mate who had extreme emotional and ego based responses when he played online and I knew that was his biggest leak...he played with pure ego and it was really sick to watch (though amusing an a rare occasion). Even when we told him, hid ego would not listen...it was sad.

Good luck.

[Junior in the OC]

Mr. Rat, yes, my ego can be enormous at times. Silent just really pizzed me off that day with his pretentious BS sarcasm, but im guessing thats just how he is.

I used to tilt huge and have it down to a minimum, I have played a few more session since my post and have noticed I exercise a lot of control until something happens. So the issue here is tilt. I am also getting some good advice on what a joke the 20 chip buy in NL games at card rooms in Socal are, so thanks for everything from everyone, Except silent - you sir - are not a gentleman [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[oddsock]

That makes perfect sense.

If the SoCal game is anything like the monkey tiltfest that is - oops,was - the Stardust tard-up then it simply isn't worth playing poker as you may know it - especially if you tilt when "something happens". Sounds like an every hand showdown type of game.

Adjust and resist joining in the monkey fun with anything other than hands that when hit hard you can do some damage with.

Chances are you are playing better hands than the others but if its going to go to showdown with 2 or more others your edge is slight in anything other than premium hands.

[Junior in the OC]

THANK YOU! - Its so true, my NL experience in SoCal has been countless showdowns, bluffing is laughable in the 20 chip games I play and have been discussing in another thread. I have gotten some good advice on the deepstack action around here too. It really is a showdown type game i have come used to and it messes your brain up haha.

[oddsock]

no problem. now go getem!