The more I've read the more I've lost money

[JussiUt]

I play microlimits at 0.10/0.20 limit and 0.05/0.10 PL. I started fairly well as I increased my money from 5$ to 30$ in quite a short time. At that time, however, I didn't know anything about pot odds and the importance of a position.

Now that I've read a few books and now that I've really tried to study the game I'm losing money and I don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong. I'm pretty sure I'm "smarter" as a player. I raise strong hands pre-flop, I play far less hands than before and I see the possible hands of my opponents easier now. I KNOW I SHOULD play better than before but something's wrong.

I've been very patient especially in 10 player limit ring games and I've waited for playable hands. But, every time I raise pre-flop at least 4-5 players call. Then if I miss the flop I pretty much have to fold every time. If I hit, usually at least two players call me all the way down to the river and it's a 50/50 chance they'll beat me in the end.

Maybe I'm just a bad player and I think too highly of myself but how can I crack these quite loose limit games? Every time I have a hand the number of my opponents destroy the advantage I have for example with my QQ. Then the blinds slowly eat my stack away and after an hour or so I become impatient and quit.

The books don't help because they assume your opponents play like you but they don't. I just can't adapt to the players and be a winning player. I don't know what's the ultimate point behind my post but I guess I'd just like to hear some advice how to beat the game.

Maybe I'm just too impatient, I don't know. I'm just getting frustrated because when playing with my friends live I've started to beat them more regularely as they play "in a smart way" too but online I can't win.

[Jaran]

Respond to some hands without reading others replies ("Grunching"). Post some questionable hands. While I am cognizant of your frustration, there is really no way to tell you from this post what you need to do to improve your game. Poker is a simple game, but it is not an easy one.

-Jaran

[slamhound]

Read, re-read, re-re-read SSHE, then read it again. SSHE is geared specifically towards those games, and even if you have just a very basic understanding of the concepts presented, you'll be beating the nano-limit games easily.

[stupoman44]

When you are in very loose games with many callers, then play more drawing hands from the later positions. Play more suited aces or suited connectors such as J-10. They will be giving you the odds for them, and they will go up in value. Hands like A-J, or A-10, K-J, or other two high cards go down in value against many callers. Adjust to the game and you will come out on top.

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
The books don't help because they assume your opponents play like you but they don't.

[/ QUOTE ]

No decent book assumes this. Maybe you're reading the wrong books.

[VoraciousReader]

I am considering moving this thread to BBBV. I'll let the forum decide. Opinions?

[joeski19]

I was going to suggest the Psychology forum. The BBBV forum is one step away from the Zoo.

[shant]

[ QUOTE ]
The BBBV forum is two steps past awesomeness.

[/ QUOTE ]

[degroot]

How many hands have you played since you've read these books? Unless it is a large number, it's probably too early to complain.

[RobDoral]

Grunch. There's a limit to how helpful SSHE or similar books will be for microlimits because there's just way too much variance. People just playing for fun WON'T play rationally (sometimes I like to drop down to microlimits just to screw around and calling 2 or 3 bets cold with crap when I'm in that mood isn't going to bother me). Your big pairs are going to get cracked a lot if you don't improve. Remember that pocket aces against four or more opponents is going to lose most of the time (you're still more likely to win than any other player but combined they have the edge).

You make the most money in microlimit games when you chase and catch good drawing hands (and there will be periods where this just won't happen). Make sure they are GOOOD drawing hands, not crap like 42s. You can also make a lot when people chase with second best hands, but you have to AVOID the draws then, and this can be as tough as hitting your own draws when you're running bad.

SSHE strategy such as isolating players and making people mistakenly call 2 bets to their draws just isn't as effective if people just won't fold. There will usually be so many bets in the pot that all kinds of draws are getting proper odds to chase (e.g. 4-5 out hands like gut shot draws and middle pairs) This is why it's important to alter your hand selection accordingly and avoid sucker hands at all costs (k9o, AJ for 2 bets, etc) so you don't end up chasing with second best hands yourself.