...but I don't know what they are.

They are obviously there because I'm not a winning poker player.

http://www.officialpokerrankings.com...9E6BF.html?t=2

I'm wanting to better myself at the game and haven't yet used anything like Pokertracker or Holdemanager - will these types of tools allow me to pin point any gaps that I'm currently leaking through?

It's hard for anyone to really answer this type of question as you don't know me, and don't know how I play but over the last three years I have made minimal progress. Sure, I've had my fair share of bad luck over the years, but so have others and I want to bounce back.

Can anyone give me some general pointers? How can I begin to examine where I'm going wrong, when I don't really know?

Thanks.

PT or HEM are good yes, there are free trials if you want to give them a go. Post hands on the forums youre stuck on, read hands posted by others etc. Read about theory from books & forums and youll get better.

I've gone through loads of books and articles on theory and I have improved somewhat, but I'm just not seeing the end results on a consistent basis. Am I playing the wrong games? Am I playing the wrong levels? At times, I'll admit, some of the poker I play is brilliant. I'm on song reading people, I make great calls/raises and at times can feel invincible...

Other times, I just can't do a damn thing right. My reads are crappy, my game is off but it's niggling at me as to whether this is me that is causing these issues, or whether it's just the situation.

I like to play MTT's and often find myself finishing in or just out of the money for what amounts to nothing -we're talking +$10 etc... I just can't (or very rarely) seem to run deep anymore and it frustrates the hell out of me to be playing for 4 or 5 hours to then get knocked out by a bad beat or a cooler and win little more than my buy-in back. Are my goals/ambitions of running deep in these MTT's out of line with reality? Do the majority of succesful players run deep in these on a consistent basis or am I fooling myself? Should I stick to the 45/180 SNG's or simply just stick to cash tables?

I'll start posting a few more of my hands up and also trial out the PT and HM to see if they can help me out.

I don't get it when people just can't understand what they should try to improve, while they're aware of PT and HM?

Just try it straight away, what are you waiting for? Such a waste of time to play without them.

I'm aware of both products, I've just never been aware (or interested enough in the past) of what they could help me improve on. How they could help me move up through the gears per se.

It is only recently I've been researching both and it's now gotten to a stage where I need to be able to see where I'm going wrong.

They come with HUDs, so it displays the stats of other players at table. Can see who is playing too many hands, who 3 bets a lot etc. Which means you can adjust to their play.

Record all hands, gathers every stat youd ever want about you. Can review previous difficult hands. etc. etc.

All these things will make you understand your game more, making you a better player.

Op

You say you've played three years, but you don't seem to grasped a profound truth about NLHE.

It is a game of very small edges.

This is why when you run good you feel invincible; when you run bad you feel crap. This is why variation in MTT feels insurmountable.

If you want to win at NLHE, stop reading all the mega advanced stuff and start looking for edges to exploit (you can go back to the advanced stuff when you're winning the small stuff).

Online you need a HUD and know how to use it...otherwise every HUD user has an edge over you. If you are a cash player you need to bumhunt fish.

Otherwise get a roll and get playing BM; edges huge there.