Need reassurance on 1/2 NL

[jively]

I've won at 2/4, 3/6, and 4/8 live, and switched over to NL about a year ago. I am a winning player at 50 NL online, and have now played 2 sessions on 1/2 NL live. I lost $165 at Turning Stone a few months ago, and lost $149 Saturday at Foxwoods. I know I am new at NL live and have a small sample size.

I played a hand very stupidly and lost $130. I had K8s and limped in late position, maybe 5-way. The flop was K66, I bet, 1 caller. Turn is a 6, I bet $30, and my opponent min-check raises.

This type of hand was in Angel Largay's book that I had read before the trip. I don't think I'm up against AA, but my best case is a split with another K. I'd have to call the $30 and a river bet to only win half the pot, so it was a clear fold. But I messed up, called the $30 and $100 on the river to see my opponent's 6-2o. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

My loss would have been a lot larger, but I sucked out on a semi-tilty semi-bluff. I had 65s, and on the turn the board was something like J764. I check raised all-in with my 13 outs to trips, 2-pair, or a straight. My opponent called instantly with KK and was pissed when I hit a 5 on the river.

I did see some people playing very poorly and very loosely. There was one Asian guy who called a river bet on a board of something like KT9xx. The bettor shows 88 and the Asian guy mucks. I just didn't find myself in the situations with the really bad players.

Actually, there was a middle-aged lady who was very loose. She raised early and I call with QJs, it was 5 way. Flop is Kxx with 2 of my suit. She bets, I call the flop. The turn gives me the 2nd nut flush. She bets $30, I raise to $100, she's upset but folds what she says was AK. So I got up against a loose player, but she was maybe too weak tight. Or maybe I should have min raised like most of the table did...

By the way, why do people but $15 so much? $15 on the flop is frequently reasonable, but then again $15 on the turn and $15 on the river when the pot is larger?

I did try using Angel Largay's type of PF strategy, to limp with AK, AQ, KQ. If it's a limp pot and I flop top pair, I probably have the best top pair and can make a lot against someone I have dominated. However, I just seemed to miss the flop.

I also tried just calling PF with QQ against a PF raise. I think it was 4 or 5 way, and the flop came low rags. I was going to check-raise, but the PF raiser checked and it checked through. Then the turn was a K, and I felt stupid. I folded and someone had a K.

I don't know, should I give it another shot. For 1/2 NL, should I use Angel Largay's strategies or more standard like Harrington?

Thanks.

-Tom

[LuckyTxGuy]

$1/2 NL can be very profitable if you have the bankroll and the mental ability to sustain the losses. I started out playing $1/2 and quickly realized I didn't have the bankroll or the stomach to sit down and loose $200 in a hand and rebuy like it was nothing and keep playing. I switched over to limit because I'm better bankrolled for it and while losses and big swings do happen, it doesn't happen all in one hand. Nothing against NL and if I had more money, I play it more again.

Everyone talks about how profitable $1/2 NL it is and I agree. I made alot of money quickly off of people's horrible mistakes. However, when those horrible mistakes suck out on you for your whole stack, you've got to be able to dig into your pocket and rebuy without playing scared. It's definitely a big mental switch IMO to go from LHE to NLHE.

Good luck!

[uber pea]

Ok, first off, stop limping AK, AQ, KQ, especially in LP. Go ahead and raise it up, you'll still get called by hands you have dominated. Next, virtually always reraise QQ preflop. You don't need someone with Axs calling the raise behind you and catching a cheap A, or an x44 flop when he has the 4. Most of your competition will be loose passive, so stop checking mediocre hands with the intention of checkraising the flop. Basically, aggression is key. Aggressive poker is winning poker. As far as post flop betting, most players don't know how to bet NL, so they either over or underbet. Hence the $15 bets so often. Usually bet between 50%-100% of the pot size. More if there are more players and more draws and you believe you have the best hand. GL!

[jinyk]

Gosh, if you need reassurance after two sessions, perhaps you don't have enough gamble and vision of the long run in you to make it.

Your problem is that you _feel_ you should win whenever you play. Even if you are a winning player you have to understand that you're going to have bad streaks as this is gambling after all. To quote Marcellus, "That's pride f**king with you. F**k pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps."

On a serious note, don't sweat a few or even a long losing streak. If you think you are a winning player, stick with it longer. If you keep losing, then you should play at the Borgata in AC and give me a heads up before you go so I can play with you.

[jively]

[ QUOTE ]
On a serious note, don't sweat a few or even a long losing streak. If you think you are a winning player, stick with it longer. If you keep losing, then you should play at the Borgata in AC and give me a heads up before you go so I can play with you.

[/ QUOTE ]
I played at Borgata last November. The line was uber-long for 1/2 NL so I played 6/12 limit.

Now, did you want to play with me to reassure me or to take some of my money? :-)

-Tom