Time for a break? Need tips...
 

I've been breaking even (which to me, as a pretty new player of only months of serious play is good) in low limit hold 'em at the local casino.

Over the last 3 months I've been down at the tables for 30+ sessions from 2+ hours to 12 hours, probably 5k bought in and slightly more than that cashed out over this time. I have been keeping tabs on every session, so I have a direct record of dates, times, buy in, cash out, specifically because I was worried I'd be gambling too hard and losing too much cash. It hasn't been that way, I'm doing ok...breaking even. meh.

First off, how do I get past this bubble of 'break even' and get to win? I've read dozens of books, gotten past the 'tight tight' kind of play, but very smart on position, cards, and playing players. Is it just the low limit 'flop 'em' that is keeping me back? I've been playing 3,6 and 4,8 regularly.

And today was a killer day, I think I've burned out. Played my best that I've ever thought I've played, in all seriousness, very conscious of cards, position, players, odds, everything....but:

5 quads, 1 straight flush, 5 full houses kicked my butt today. Probably a record somewhere. wth.

And yeah, I've had some pretty wacky days before but this was wicked sick.

Other than a bad beat day, how do I get to win? Move up??? Get up in the limits past Grandpa who pays 3 bets with 3:c: 8:c: in bad position and hits his flush every time I'm in the hand? ;)

I definitely wouldn't recommend up, thinking the games will be easier for you to beat. In fact, just the opposite is true. If you are playing with people calling raises with 83s right now, you should be crushing this game before you move up to stakes where people don't call raises with 83s. Think about it. Less bad players = harder to beat game.

ure, you're going to see more variance at the lower limit, you're going to have a harder time putting people on hands, and you're going to take more bad beats..... but no way is that outweighed by the people who will be paying you off with junk and giving you maximum value for your made hands - action you likely won't get at higher limits.

Remember, poker is a long term game. How many hands do you think you have played over those 30 sessions? My guess is it isn't a significant sample size. If you want to get more hands in and pay much less rake, which also makes the games easier to beat - play online. You probably could have played 10 times as many hands as you have in those 30 sessions had you used that same time to play online with a bit of multitabling. Give it some thought.

GL.