Winners or Losers???

[BrianSwa]

I dont have perfect records but with the $350 online right now im probolly about even.

[GeoffM]

In all honesty, I am up around $3K, but that is so exaggerating my poker skills because I swear about $2K worth is bonus money .

[PShabi]

Your choices are awfully low. $500 is a swing for me at 3/6 short. I'm up well over $500 but in all honesty I've had a shit year up until the last month. Rakeback/bonuses have helped and so has the switch to shorthanded. This month should be my best ever barring some unexpectecd tragedy.

[GeoffM]

Shabi, I know this is low, but I didn't want to have a 10 option poll. I don't think too many people on this site play the huge limits, so I settled on the $500 number.

LMAO, $550 in bonuses from Party alone since April 22nd. I just love free money.

[Penguinfan]

I can tell you to the dollar where I am at, down $26.00. Low limit cash (.50/1 1/2) and small buy in MTT and SNG player who just cant get over the hump. Been like that for two years now. I'm actually one of the few people who play too few hands and get pushed out of pots unless I have the nuts. One more pot every half hour or hour, or one less lost pot on the river per hour and I would be on the other side of the line I am certain. One of these days........

[GeoffM]

+$2,568, within $5.

My crusade regarding bonus whoring, you guys should listen .

[Kurn]

If you haven't done so, buy Small Stakes Hold'em. Read it, internalize it, use it, live it. Things will change.

One thing to try right away is on the flop, treat every decision as raise fold and if there's a good pot odds reason to play your hand, raise. Obviously, this isn't correct all the time, but doing this will put you on the right track towards winning postflop play and teach the proper mindset. Many people understand the basics of preflop play and play tight and raise at the right time, but then play too passively postflop. Try it for a session. SSHE goes into this in much more detail.

One more thing - fold less on the river, especially when the pot > 8 BB. It is usually a mistake to fold the river for one bet in limit.

Remember this old adage - "The time for big laydowns is preflop. The time for loose calls is on the river." Weak players usually do the opposite. Sounds like you're OK with the preflop part, but start seeing monsters under the bed after that.

Again, I can't recommend SSHE enough. 3 years ago, Ed Miller was a programmer in Redmond trying to figure out how to stop being a losing player on the weekends at the 4/8 tables at Muckleshoot. Now he co-authors books with Sklansky and Sklansky sought him out because of his success at the loose low limit games newcomers play. You don't need to reinvent the wheel.

[Penguinfan]

Doesn't mean there aren't monsters under the bed. My favorite quote of all time "Just because I am paranoid does not mean they aren't out to get me."

Words to live by.

[2Tone]

Kurn, I give a lot of credence to your advice, so I’ve thought about this one, but am having trouble making it work.

I read an article in a recent Card Player that said the river card should often be your easiest decision. If you made your hand, bet/raise. If you didn’t, check/fold. But calling one extra BB on the river time and time again with the second best hand seems like a very expensive way to occasionally pick up a pot your opponent was bluffing at. Thoughts?