New 2+2 poster, just asking a few questions

[Offspring6767]

Hey all, I've been reading 2+2 for a few months now and I think it has helped my game, however I'm definitely losing money in MTT's (mostly 10 dollar or 26 dollar buy-ins on Full Tilt). I first got 20 bucks from a friend, won the 1 dollar Ferguson tourney, then the next day got 4th in Midnight Madness, and i was up to 700 and feeling pretty good. Long story short, I ended up losing all 700, just playing tournaments.

I know that I did not play my best in some of them, as I would go on tilt pretty easily, and generally make "good plays" against horrible opponenents, and most of the time they would obviously not work. I think I have a problem reading people's skill level, because sometimes my plays make me look like a genius, and other times I look like a total donkey.

I guess I have a few questions:
1. How do you get better at reading people's skill level? I feel that I am pretty good at reading people's hands, and I usually dominate the early stages of the tournaments, mostly through seeing a lot of flops and stacking the donkeys who push with random stuff into my sets/flushes, etc. I looked myself up on a tournament stat site and I have cashed in 15% of tourneys, which I've read is a descent rate, so I believe I have a problem in the middle stages when the play almost all preflop. I'd say I'm a tight aggressive player who has gradually become looser as my game has improved, if that makes sense. (Ex. I can play A-rag and other easily dominated hands because I can tell when I'm beat most of the time.)

I qualified for the 400k guarantee on Full Tilt, and got a monster stack early on (30k+), and proceeded to call off my chips. I was pissed at myself for days after that, I simply sucked in a tourney where just cashing would have made my bankroll (I qualified with FT Points lol). I had also won two satellites to get there so I was close to breaking my computer after the last of my chips went in with QQ vs A4, and I went busto when an ace flopped. However, I know the only reason I lost was because I really screwed up playing the big stack.

After this I got a job (I'm 18, in HS, still live at home), made $600, and put it onto Full Tilt. I am currently down to 200 dollars, and have made about 200 in cash games and have gotten 60 dollars in bonus, so I've lost 660 just playing tournaments. When I go to the local casino or my home game, I easily make tons of money in the cash games. I play 10-25 NL online right now, even though its a little bit out of my bankroll. Lately I've been LAGing it up, and I'll probably tone it down a bit as the games have loosened up I think (for some reason they were tight when I first started).

2. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if I am as good a player as I think I am. I honestly think I should be making money in tournaments, as I usually outplay people postflop. I know tournaments have tons of variance, but at this point I think I must have some leaks or something, because I'm playing small buyin tourneys and not making anything. Whenever I bust out, its usually me doing something like stealing or restealing postflop, sometimes on the bubble (which is becoming increasingly frustrating when people call with trash).

Hand Example:
In the small blind with 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], obviously a pretty weak holding, but I've read (and feel) that its a good restealing hand. Also, we are on the bubble (81 cash 90 people left), and I have the same stack as the button. Sure enough its folded to the button who I've planned to resteal as he has stolen our blinds 3+ times before this. Also, I have played very tight in this tournament, showing down quad jacks with J10 in the SB, two sets, and pocket kings all in vs JJ vs 55(shortie who sucked out). I have stolen maybe twice, and haven't gotten caught with any marginal hands.

Anyways, the button bets less than 3x the BB, a bet I am fairly sure is a steal, so I move all-in, after thinking for a few seconds. The guy ends up calling me with....A4 offsuit. My friend railing me and a few of the players called me an idiot, but I felt that it was the perfect time for a resteal, and I had the perfect hand to do it. The reason I signed up and posted was indeed because I lost I don't really care about the result, I just need an outside opinion of my situation, and I'm sick of losing!

Thanks in advance,
Forest

[hERESY]

I didn't read your whole post, but I think your problem may be that you play rags too much and think you can "out-maneuver" your opponents.

(Ex. I can play A-rag and other easily dominated hands because I can tell when I'm beat most of the time.)

... you don't really have to do that until later on in the tournament.

[Offspring6767]

That quote by me doesn't really represent how i play early on, its just an example of folds I think I am able to make. Ace-rag is actually my least favorite hand, if I hit the ace I'll bet the flop, and usually fold to a raise. If I get called, depending on the board, I'll try to check it down. Early on I call with speculative hands, hoping I'll hit big and stack someone, I definitely do not try to bluff people, I just try to outplay them early on. Maybe I bluff too much later on? I've read all of the 2+2 MTT anthology, and I've tried to model my aggression from people like Che and MLG.

[brad3]

I decided to read it all because I am a good person like that.

At the buyins you play, you should be playing straight up or solid the whole time pretty much. Do not try and make plays on bad players.

I would suggest, since you play on FT, you should play the $5 or $10 90 man tourneys. These have less variance and you have the bankroll for them. Personally, I like the Stars 180 mans the best for learning to play MTTs.

"How do you get better at reading people's skill level?"
Learning the game better and experience. If you are really dedicated to getting better at tournament play, get a Pokerxfactor subscription. This will be quite expensive for you at first but it will be so incredibly helpful.

Keep reading/posting on 2+2 and read up on books as much as you can. It looks like you do want to get better so best of luck to you in the future. Hope this helped some.

[mikeJ]

I read your entire post.

First off, your attitude is very good. Someone open to new ideas and those willing to accept constructive criticism are usually the best learners and have the most potential, imo.

Review your HHs and post hands that are debatable. Like the resteal you mentioned, perhaps it was a good play, but do you understand the mathematics and required reads behind the play?

One of the easiest/best ways to develop your game is to befriend a player that is stronger than you w/ proven results. You can go over general strategy, starting hand requirements, hand reading, whatever.

Oh yea, and exercise good BR management. Here is an excellent article that I used when I started playing.
http://www.pocketfives.com/5C57520F-...240CB3E59.aspx

[mikeJ]

Also, many players overestimate their skill level when they start out. I thought I was a god when I got my first big score, but now I realize I was a big donk and I've still got a [censored] to learn now.

[MJBuddy]

Inserting obligitory "Read HoH1/2/3" post. It'll make itself back in your winnings easily.

Also, my new biggest "this is what I have to work on" catch has been controlling my pot size and finding the aggressive donks.

I survive by finding the aggro donks and making them throw their money into my best hands. Otherwise, don't put your mediocre holdings into any big pot situations; checking turns and rivers against trappy slowplayers saves more money than you'll win in many MTTs and STTs. Figure out fast who you can trap, who traps constantly(most trappers overdo it), and who just play solid poker.

That said, an interesting development in my recent games was that after setting a trap or two, even with small pot victories, I was able to check throw mediocre holdings against other mediocre hands and set up my draws for big cash outs. People always "suspecting" you of having more than you have, even as a tight conservative player, pays off dividends.

[hERESY]

"Early on I call with speculative hands, hoping I'll hit big and stack someone, I definitely do not try to bluff people, I just try to outplay them early on."

unless you're in the small blind in an unraised pot you don't have to do this at all early on, and that was one of my (and one of your) problems when i started.

[Offspring6767]

[ QUOTE ]
I read your entire post.

First off, your attitude is very good. Someone open to new ideas and those willing to accept constructive criticism are usually the best learners and have the most potential, imo.

Review your HHs and post hands that are debatable. Like the resteal you mentioned, perhaps it was a good play, but do you understand the mathematics and required reads behind the play?

One of the easiest/best ways to develop your game is to befriend a player that is stronger than you w/ proven results. You can go over general strategy, starting hand requirements, hand reading, whatever.

Oh yea, and exercise good BR management. Here is an excellent article that I used when I started playing.
http://www.pocketfives.com/5C57520F-...240CB3E59.aspx

[/ QUOTE ]

I've always been good at math, but I am usually confused when people start talking about ranges in poker, especially when you have 30 seconds to make a decision at the table. I know the odds to make flushes and straights, and usually use the formula that you multiple the outs by 2 to get a good estimate on the percentage per card(flush = 8 outs, 16%ish per card). I appreciate the comments thus far.

[shefhammer]

[ QUOTE ]
but I felt that it was the perfect time for a resteal, and I had the perfect hand to do it.

[/ QUOTE ]

57s is most certainly not the perfect hand to resteal with, I can't imagine why you'd think that it is??? His call does sound loose but what were the chips stacks like in relation to the blinds? Sounds like he was fairly committed if he's calling off his entire stack with A4.