Hi guys,

I'm finally down to 1 $10 buy in . Uh oh!

I started out watching all of Atta22's first 10 video's and a couple of newer series. I also watched Hockeyguy's beating the Microstakes. The best I could seem to do was Yo yo with wins and losses, e.g. win two buy ins in an hour and a half, go back later and lose it all in around 30 minutes!
I then dropped pretty low with a few bad beats from my original, pretty small, bank roll and decided to watch Hockey guy's Leak finder series. After watching the first 2 I was itching to play again and started well, half a buy-in in an hour on one table, before losing it all on one stupid hand.

I know what mistakes I make as soon as I've done them, and I really feel like I understand all the concepts covered in the video's I just can't seem to apply them all of the time and when I mess up I get stacked off.

I think I have an inability to fold what seems like a good hand, it seems to happen when I'm not sure if I'm beat at the time. Then in hindsight I was crippled.

I have been playing at PartyPoker and might try a move to BoDog or similar. I feel like there are a lot of tags at the $10 tables and not enough fish! Does anyone have any recommendations of sites which might prove a better training ground at this level? Preferably with Rakeback.

I feel like my playing at PP will be over pretty soon but I've been severely bitten by the poker bug so I can't give up now!

Kitson

Hey Kitson
the poker bug is tuff to cure and can be a bit of a roller coaster, you didnt mention how many hands you played during the yo yo ride. But if it feels like you understand the basic concepts i would look at a few things that helped me when i was starting out trying to incorporate the lessons from ATT22 videos into my play.

First, really focus on playing in position, if you have a marginal hand and are out of position. Relax, and let it go and look for a better spot. You will be surprised how easier play becomes since having position tends to create easy decisions and reduce tough decisions.

Secondly, no limping preflop with only the following exception AXs or JTs with at least 2 limpers in already. I can make case for raising, but limping is a low risk way to make a big hand in multiway pot.
I know that doesnt strictly follow Atta22 advice, but i found it worked pretty well at 10nl and 25nl to win some big pots w/ low risk and fewer big swings. AXs makes nut flush, JT makes nut str8 and solid J hi flush, so when you make your hand you mostly know if you have the nuts.

Thirdly, really focus on implied odds and pot odds. if it is marginal or worse, let your hand go. THERE WILL BE A BETTER SPOT

Fourthly. no calling raises w/ TT or less unless you are getting at least 20/1 implied odds, preferrably 30/1 implied odds, you are not losing much value between 20 and 30 to 1.

Lastly, look at the big hands you are losing/lost and see if you are calling when you get stacked, or if you are betting and the opponents are calling w/ monsters or hitting draws late in the hands. you cant do much about the last 2. but if it is mostly you calling big bets, you may need to tighten up your calling stack off range, typically i want a set or better to stack off w/ a call since microplayers typically are not that aggressive to bet a lot of 2 pair or less hands.

Some of these things will tend to reduce your win rate, but also will reduce bankroll swings. I found the latter to be very helpful in keeping a positive mindset and patience. Basically this makes your style a bit nitty than optimum, but allows you to develop a winning style and confidence that builds a bankroll and lets you work in other concepts as you keep playing to grow your game and skills.

A friendly reminder on basic rules to beat microstake games

Bet your made hands for value- generally keep betting until you get raised

Dont try big bluffs- but Cbetting flops after you are the PFR is a must, you should be C betting about 75% of the time when you are heads up post flop and around 50-60% vs 2 opponents postflop, vs 3 opponents you should only be betting made hands or monster draws with 12+ outs

DON'T PAY OFF OPPONENTS- I think this is the hardest for most players, if you have TPTK and get raised you are usually beat, 2 pair is the trickiest and very board dependent, i generally paid offw/ trips or a set since i play them aggressively so i am typically pot committed or have enough outs/equity to get it in before river, the hard ones are on river when a draw completes and there is a big pot and you must call a big bet- trust your gut it will be right more than you think and get better w/ practice. When a 4 flush or 4 str8 hits river, i generally fold unless it is a smallish bet. There are not that many players brave enough to bluff this situations at micros to make calling all the time profitable, folding in all these cases will hurt your winrate, but not cause you to be a losing player. So dont let it hurt your confidence as it can be streaky and frustrating

AND I WILL ADD PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE
GOOD SPOTS WILL COME I PROMISE YOU

i think if you review your big losses you will find a couple situations from above that you can avoid in the future so your bankroll takes fewer/smaller downswings and starts a pretty steady pattern of growth.

do you have a stats program?

hope this helps

gl HG

Hi Hockeyguy,

Thanks for the helpful feedback

There are a lot of points which relate to my situation. I really need to get to grips with pot odds, I think I understand it but I've pretty much ignored it so far only realising that now :S

I definitely need to tighten up my calling range, I think this is my major weakness, I find it almost impossible to fold TPTK then instantly regret it knowing I shouldn't have made the call.

I need to improve my value betting, I bet 3/4 pot almost all the time, but sometimes scare cards make me check behind etc. so I miss some value occasionally.

There are some plus's I have taken from the video's though, I use position almost all the time and only get into trouble when I play SB against BB (depending on opponent) and when my AK, AQ out of position misses. I have removed any big bluffs from my game which was one of my major leaks so that has improved the situation aswell.

I'm going to get HM as I type, I've been putting it off for a while now, but it needs to be done! Haha.

I have a list of things on sheets of paper as I play, the majority of what you have covered and I know what I should do but I just can't seem to stop my "instincts" which are terrible .

Thanks again.

embett wrote:Hi Hockeyguy,

Thanks for the helpful feedback

There are a lot of points which relate to my situation. I really need to get to grips with pot odds, I think I understand it but I've pretty much ignored it so far only realising that now :S

I definitely need to tighten up my calling range, I think this is my major weakness, I find it almost impossible to fold TPTK then instantly regret it knowing I shouldn't have made the call.

Holdem manager will help here alot, since you can autofold to any tight player that raises
vs laggier types you will still have a decision, but a much better chance still best when you take out the tight opponent that virtually always have you beat- remember if opponent has you beat or a big draw, 12 outs+, as his range you are behind overall and should fold, you will surprised how good it feels to end the session w/ a profit by making a couple laydowns that avoided trouble

I need to improve my value betting, I bet 3/4 pot almost all the time, but sometimes scare cards make me check behind etc. so I miss some value occasionally.

try betting w/ the plan to fold if raised- but you gotta stick to plan to fold, remember board is scary for them too- few micro players will bluff raise, HM will identify those that do

There are some plus's I have taken from the video's though, I use position almost all the time and only get into trouble when I play SB against BB (depending on opponent) and when my AK, AQ out of position misses. I have removed any big bluffs from my game which was one of my major leaks so that has improved the situation aswell.

a simple plan for AK AQ oop in blinds, make 4x pfr, cbet all flops except something like 678, 679, 689,78T, etc 3 middle cards that give you no draw are a check fold unless you improve. If you cbet 3/4 pot and get called or raised and have no pair no big draw, just give up and put no more $$$ in pot. Again HM will help fine tune when and who to cbet vs and who it is better to check vs

I'm going to get HM as I type, I've been putting it off for a while now, but it needs to be done! Haha.

I have a list of things on sheets of paper as I play, the majority of what you have covered and I know what I should do but I just can't seem to stop my "instincts" which are terrible .

Thanks again.

gl hg

If you can't afford variance, you need to play a nitty style.

Thanks HG, would you recommend a move to somewhere like BoDog?
I'm sure you mentioned in your video's that it was your preferred site, correct me if I'm wrong .

like emit said nitty will reduce variance
and tim discusses nitty style frequently in his videos
it is a simple to play and will beat microgames
but atta's more aggressive style wins more

as to Bodog, i am a big fan of the bad players there as they have been quite generous to me
I have been watching play since black friday and have not realyy seen any influx of better players from
full tilt, pokerstars or UB/AP, I dont like playing alot of tables, typically 3 or 4 is fine by me, as it turns out Bodog software max is 4 tables sopeople that like to play alot of tables trying to grind a living (so presumably are solid players) arent likely to ever show up at Bodog.

Bodog doesnt have rakeback, but they do have points reward system and some other player reward deals from time to time, but mostly they have bad players that are more passive than i have seen in my experience at many other sites which is the perfect opponent style for the OP style of play.

hg

Hi Guys,

Bit of an update... and it's going well .

I signed up to BDog the other day and got a hold of some poker tracking software.

I've been playing a little over the last two days now and I've increased my initial deposit of $30 into $51 already. I've only been playing on the $5 buy in tables and will until I can get $100 to begin on the $10 tables.

I have had one bad session losing two almost two buy ins, but it was a mixture of reverting to old habits and bad luck (e.g. my queens beaten by ATs all in preflop and hitting a flush).

The software is letting me analyse the hands I'm losing money on so I can spot the problems easier. (Which really helps) I now will go nowhere near A4 of hearts in any position as I have lost about $5 alone .

Thanks for all the help and advice,
Kitson

congrats

its hard to put a price on the info the software gives you

good luck
hg

Or the training on this site
up another $15 since I posted haha.