Does anyone else feel like this?

[rrrorrim]

That no matter how much you study, play, and analyze and try to correct your leaks... no matter how many blog posts you make or articles you read or higher stakes games you sit in on...
you're still the same player you were 6 months ago?

I was a winning $3.40 SnG player. My track record would be something like 1/10, 1/10, 2/6, 8/10, 2/10, 1/10. But my bankroll was way small and variance hit me hard. Then I moved down to .2/.5 and then .1/.2... and lost practically everything... in a very consistent manner. After all the studying and books read...

And now I'm frustrated and pessimistic and grumpy. Someone console me.

[MattHH]

I would suggest playing freerolls and such right now and save up money so you have a decent bankroll... that's kinda what I'm doing right now. Sounds like you need to stick to the SNG's.

[ev_slave]

[ QUOTE ]
That no matter ... you're still the same player you were 6 months ago?

I was a winning $3.40 SnG player ... Then I moved down to .2/.5 and then .1/.2... and lost practically everything... in a very consistent manner. After all the studying and books read...


[/ QUOTE ]

I'd say it's less that you're the same or worse player than you were, and more that you're playing a completely different game. SnGs have a blind structure that advances quickly so you have to learn to find spots to push your shortstack into the middle and hope for everyone to fold or to hit your cards and double up.

Cash games play completely different. Very often you're playing much deeper than in SnGs, so if you're playing the same hands you play in SnGs, you're going to do fairly bad simply because you haven't adjusted to the fact that a 2nd best hand is MUCH more expensive with deep stacks. For example, A8o is a decent hand in late stages of a SnG because 1) you may get called by something like KJ and your Ace has showdown value or 2) you may get called by 44 and you're a coinflip... but you won't face those hands in the same way in cash games very often. 44 will typically fold PF or a missed flop (and if it hits the set on the flop you're in trouble), as opposed to getting it all-in PF and seeing 5 cards. In other words it won't pay you off as well, but will win more against you. Also, in raised pots, your A8o is usually dominated by someone with AJ+, so you're equity is much lower than you're used to when you make the PF decision to play.

In short, Cash games let players play selectively FOREVER since blinds don't increase and no one HAS to loose all of their money eventually. The result is that you're usually facing stronger cards than you're used to if you transition from SnGs.

[Hitsurume]

I'd like to add that in my opinion, to get REALLY good a poker, you need someone who you can talk to about your studying or analyzing or watching your plays. Now that I think about it, most online pro's (the very good ones atleast) have friends that are also top or decent pros and they probably talk a lot about how their doing. Most beginning players tend to be alone and try to grind out their own thing (Like what i'm doing) and aren't as involved in trying to meet other people. That and creating friendly rivalries can also help in the long run.

Just my 2cents

[ev_slave]

Also, I forgot to end my post above on an upnote.

So... Try reading some Cash books (they're just now getting popular... most were Tourney before) like Professional No-Limit, and No Limit Theory and Practice. Keep playing hands and post your hands in either Micro Stakes NL forum (if you play 6-max) or the Full-Ring forum. The fact that you're on this site will give you plenty of opportunities to work on your game, and to get input on why what you're doing is/isn't working.

GL! Don't give up!

[SaErDnaW]

There is a big difference in reading books and articles and really studying them. I think most people don't apply what they learn. Most of us just read and think: hey, that's cool! And then we play our ordinary game...

Someone said practicing does not make perfect, it makes permanent. Or at least something like that.

I think you like many of us plays a lot, and pick up habits and a style of play that isn't optimal, and then it's much harder to change the way we are playing. I used to play electric guitar when I was younger. For some reason i didn't hold my hands correctly and I didn't hold the "little plastic thing you strike the strings with" right. (Someone please with english as native language can tell me what that thing is called :-) I couldn't play as fast as I should, and I got an ache in my hands after a long playing session.

It took me a lot of effort before I could unlearn that habit and then my guitar playing improved significantly! But I wished I wouldn't have learnt it wrong in the first place. Maybe this is a bad example, but I think this applies very much to all poker players that want to improve. Play a little, learn a lot and apply the correct thinking and then practice to make the right decisions permanent. Then you will become a winner...

[JJT]

The "little plastic thing you strike the strings with" is called a <font color="red"> plectrum </font>.

As for poker. I try so hard to play basic, ABC poker. I haven't read all the books, but the ones I have I strive to apply what I've learned.

The problem is that the people I play against haven't read any books. So they play stuff like 78o or 74o and suck out on you. They don't pay attention to board texture, position, betting and they don't care. It makes it very frustrating playing against them.

[jmitchell42]

[ QUOTE ]
The "little plastic thing you strike the strings with" is called a <font color="red"> plectrum </font>.



or it can be called simply a pick

[/ QUOTE ]

[runout_mick]

[ QUOTE ]

The bonus is that the people I play against haven't read any books. So they play stuff like 78o or 74o and suck out on you. They don't pay attention to board texture, position, betting and they don't care. It makes it very profitable playing against them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree.

[SaErDnaW]

[ QUOTE ]
The "little plastic thing you strike the strings with" is called a <font color="red"> plectrum </font>.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the translation. So it was that easy. I call it plektrum in swedish [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]