What am I doing wrong?

[fonzerelli_79]

i dont understand this

if you can only afford to play .25/.50 online - how can you afford to play 2/4 in B&M. People sitting at 2/4 tables online take hundreds of dollars to the table so if this the case - whats the huge deal about losing $100. You said that your now playing freerolls because youve busted out.

Im sorry but this just doesnt seem to add up

i think this could be one of your main problems. Do not get attached to hands which would be considered strong pre flop if the flop totally misses you. You should be prepared to fold cowboys, bullets etc if the flop totally misses you and someone is betting heavily.

[BrianSwa]

when I go to B&M its like a family thing my wife comes too so I have the extra money because she is going and its a trip. Online is a totally different thing she isnt involved so I have to make the extra money and with her not working its hard. bugsys club has this thing where you can win bugsys points in there freerolls and for every 1,000 they give you 10 bucks might take awhile but think I can make little profit on there.

[Aequitas58]

You should get off the notion that you can make money at poker. I'm not trying to insult you, but too many people think they can easily "beat the game." To make money at poker, you need alot of things: a proper bankroll, the emotional ability to deal with beats, the mental ability to deal with variance, if playing NL, unrelenting aggression in those special situations, and most importantly...

...the instincts / poker-savvy to identify those aforementioned "special situations."

Do you meet any of those requirements?

From what I gather, you're playing on scared money (well, not anymore), you certainly can't deal with variance... and your level of NL aggression is suspect.
Losing money at poker is completely acceptable, if you consider poker a hobby, and simply chalk the losses up as entertainment expenses.

If you want to get serious about poker start back at the basics. Play limit, because it's better w/ the swings. Buy poker books and actually READ them. Over and over. Keep your books accessible, and reference various sections when you have a question. If you can't find your answer, search the internet forums.

Always keep in mind, you're not a character in Rounders, and, unless you have the luck of a Jackass, then you should be content with grinding out a few BBs/hr while partaking in a hobby you enjoy.

[BrianSwa]

thanks, I didnt take one bit of what you said as a insult and have to admit its pretty damn good advice, I really like the way you slid the insult at jackass in there, anywho Ill take your advice and start back at the beggining. Im not to concerned with making tons of money, I dont expect to get rich from this but would like to break even. You are probolly right I'am playing with scared money which I know is wrong but hey im no lawyer . Thanks again for your input Lou and everyone else.

[Aequitas58]

Playing on scared money is basically playing above your head. It's playing with money that you really can't afford to lose. Try to avoid this at all costs, because, invariably, it affects how you play the cards at the table.

If this means taking time off from poker, then do so.

[BrianSwa]

ok this is gonna sound stupid, I finally bought super systems, I know you all are gonna say well its about time. Im reading it cover to cover acting like ive never played a hand of poker in my life. So far the book is amazing, wow Doyle had a rough as hell life, im very impressed at how he grinded it out in his early years.

[fonzerelli_79]

yeah its a good book. Probably no need to read it cover to cover as theres a lot of other games covered - maybe best sticking to hold em for now (thats what i did)

[jimmym]

Hello.

I have found playing at low limit tbls can be the quickest way of eroding a low bank roll, the problem playing low limit tbls is that everyone playing will take risks thay would never do if the stakes were a little higher, so when you pull what in your case you would call a good hand eg-A/K 10.10 ect the likelyhood is that because of the low limits other players will bet the first couple of rounds anyway, even with 3.4 - 2.7.
Then you find they have caught a hand and you lose, this I find leads to you betting on anything or sitting playing poker for hours with no real chance of building up you funds.
I know a lot of players love low limits and enjoy them, but my advice to yo ( for what it is worth) would be to step up a couple of levels and play higher limits, even with a low bank roll you can soon build it up, it is very important to watch a few tbls first before joining, you will pick out a couple of chance players and then its time for you to join.
$100 is a fair bankroll and one you should be able to work with without playing on low limit tables, the sit n go games are another way of building your bank roll, but again I am finding that playing higher stakes leads to meeting more players who take less chances.

Jim.

[Talking Poker]

Wow.

Damn good post, Lou.