please help me fix my leak

[RileyB1]

so ill do my best to make this post make sense.

so i play limit holdem .25/.50
i just started using poker office, and im trying very hard to play ABC poker. however im still loosing money at a fast rate. so this is what i have found using PO.

when i go to the hand analysis tab:
under final hands: single pair is killing me. my average is -.38/hand

under flop hand analysis: one and two overpairs are my bigest losses across the board.

i dont know how else to describe the problem.

i know almost every time i raise with conected and suited big broadway i will make a c-b with a BDFD or BDSD with out a 2 flush on the flop.

many times with position and odds i will call a single bet with a BDSD.

sorry i hope some of this makes sense. should i just dump if i dont hit top pair, OESD, or a 4 flush?

please advise, or ask questions so i can make my problem more clear.

im trying hard to break even but i just cant do it when im loosing so much money to missed flops and over cards.

-Riley

[FourthWin]

Top pair is really not enough, with or without a good kicker, to play big pots against most opponents at that level.

I fairly limited experience with limit (5,000 hands or so), but my experience, as compared to no limit, is that the you can't make the odds bad enough (implied or otherwise) with a pair to take down pots without a showdown.

What this means is that you're going to have to win at showdown a lot more often. Considering that the "average" (and I don't know the source, but think it's popular wisdom) winning hand in NL is 2 pair, I think you have to bet with a pair but really, really consider your options (fold or bet)if you get any callers. This is because there are few reasons for them not to call with bottom or middle pair, or any sort of draw against you.

Good luck.

[PantsOnFire]

I only play limit when I'm on tilt so bear with me.

You have to look at what kind of game you are in. In games where there are lots of multiway pots, even top pair with top kicker is not going to win most of the time.

And what exactly do you mean by connected and suited big broadway? KJs is a losing hand as is KTs, QJs, and even KQs. You should only be raising these hands first off as the first one in the pot and second in late position. And you shouldn't be calling raises with AJs or ATs.

What is your VPIP? It should be 20% or less.

[googleit123]

Don't focus on your winrate until you have at least 10,000 hands.
You leaks could be:

1) Playing too many hands, especially out of position. Such as limping UTG with Ace-nine suited and middle position raises and you call. Your VPIP should be 20 or less in a full ring and around 30 in 6-max.

2) Chasing WITHOUT pot odds. Chasing most draws is correct on the flop, especially multiway, but changes drastically on the turn.

3) Always staying to the river with one pair, especially when villan shows strength on the turn. By the way, I would get PAHUD if you have not already done so. Learn the software.

4) Going to far with AK? I did and it cost me dearly. Bluff less than 20 percent of the time with AK and even then it is board and villian dependant. Don't bluff in general.

5) Making the same mistake twice. Situations in Hold Em come up all the time. It is your job as a winning poker player to study and evaluate these situations and make the correct decision. This takes practice, bad judgement which lead to correct deicsions and ultimately experience.

[OziBattler]

[ QUOTE ]
when i go to the hand analysis tab:
under final hands: single pair is killing me. my average is -.38/hand

[/ QUOTE ]

FYI in pokertracker if the board is paired and you have 2 non-paired cards that dont pair the board then that still counts as a 'One' Pair' hand. eg you have AK and board reads QQJ64
edit: oops, just realised you said you were using pokeroffice. best I can do is to suggest you check what pokeroffice counts as a single pair hand. if you can look at some hands that count as single pairs you should be able to work it out.

also try checking the 'Show only hands that were not folded' box at the top right of that page.

[Greg Miller]

When I started out and couldn't figure out why my results weren't better in limit, it turned out that I didn't really understand equity and wasn't getting nearly enough money in the pot when I had an edge. Reading SSHE did wonders for me.

[RileyB1]

my VP$IP is 16.1
my aggro PF is 1.6 (its so hard to throw money in pot when im not sure im winning)

when i say suited conected big broadway i mean i play AKs,AQs,KQs for a raise. ill play QJs,for a riase if im first in and in good position.

ill play most suited broadway from late positioin for a call.

I do my best to watch my odds with the OP hud. i wont chace a missed flop for less than 6:1.

i also feel like i always get drawn out on. like if i flop a OESD with a BDFD ill bet/raise then hit one or the other outs and loose the hand because the caller hits a better hand. i go back and look at the hand and i had the better hand the hole way and i would never call a bet/raise/CR if i were the villan but they do and i loose.

i just cant figure out why i play so few hands and do my best to stick to ABC (maybe i dont know what it is) and i still loose like 2BB/100. i just cant figure it out.

-Riley

[jmitchell42]

working on that myself.
my suggestion would be to keep posting here. get told how poorly you play and learn from that. that is what i am trying to do. slow and steady.

[googleit123]

Hello again Sir.

Your VPIP looks OK but you need to raise more preflop and be more agressive on the flop and later streets. Your aim for agression should be at or above 10. Your goal is to play TAG and ABC right. I know no better way than to raise about half the pot you enter.

As far as calling big broadway...well it depends on who is doing the raising. I someone with a preflop raise aggression factor of .50 or 1.2 comes in raising I RUN! This means I only play AKs, AA-QQ. KQs, KJs, 88, TT I muck against these players.

You will occassionally get outdrawn.
Aces should hold up about 73 percent of the time and yield about 3BB/100
Kings about 2BB/100 and hold up 68 percent of the time.
Queens in the low 60s and yield about 1.7BB/100

As far as your winrate (-2BB/100) I think that is about average for a beginning player. There is a statistical model that surveys players. I think your win is within one or two standard deviations of the mean.

Just remember to tighten up to a raise and do some strategic raising your self.

I would also recommend you read Getting Started in Hold Em and Small Stakes Hold Em both by 2+2.

Kind Regards.

[OziBattler]

Riley, welcome to 2+2. if you want to get better at limit holdem I suggest you venture over to the MicroStakes Limit forum and get involved. Post a few hands, reply to alot more, get corrected as required (it pays to have a thick skin at times) and learn from your mistakes.

This advice of getting involved in the strategy forums on 2+2 is pretty much applies to anyone wanting to get better. We see alot of posters here with low post counts who dont seem to get involved in the forums and seem to want fix all their problems all in the space of one thread (Im not saying this applies to OP, its turned into a general rant now LOL) whereas there is no silver bullet.

The pokerworld can be lonely at times and alot of people probably play many many hands without even knowing what they are doing wrong because they likely overestimate their abilities. FWIW I dont post on 2+2 totally out of the kindness of my heart...I do it because I want to continue to get better and better at this game because I like the challenge and I like money. Sure, I do get a kick out of helping others but at the end of the day if there werent something in it for me I would post here much if at all.

goodluck and cya on the forums