Hello,

I have been studying poker: reading articles, watching training videos, and reading the forums. I have been playing $1/$2 no limit with absolutely no success. It is very difficult to play $1/$2 with people who don't really think. I am a very tight player and I don't mind waiting, waiting, waiting & waiting for a good hand before I jump into the action. At $1/$2, even if someone raises it to $20 pre-flop that player may still get 3-4 callers (because the odds are so good is what I hear them say). And that same person wins the pot calling a pre-flop raise out of position with Q-3 or something similar. There are a lot of crazy stories. But my point is, because we are so short stacked, I play ABC poker waiting for a good hand, that gets sucked out by people who call you so quickly and shoves all in when they hit bottom pair.

I'm really beginning to think there is no way to win at this level, that you have to be really lucky to win any money (which I am not). Most of my cards are never higher than a 7. Because of that and the way the people play, I spend a lot of time folding, and I spend 95% of my time at the poker table trying to put people on hand ranges, but action moves so fast, they don't even take time to think about the action, they just throw out their chips, that while I still thinking and trying to pick up tells, the action has already moved to the flop and is on the 3rd player to act. I try to calculate pot odds and outs. I am okay with that.

I want to get so much better at poker, but I REALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE LOSING MONEY, because my AK didn't hit, and the kid next to me who called with 7-3 off, continues to win chips because the pot odds were so good he had to call. Not to mention, I'm continuously getting blinded out. I may call with AJ-AT, KQ, and maybe T9 if I'm on the button, and maybe I might call an A9 + if I'm in the blinds, but those hands don't come around very too often. I don't dare call or raise with Speculative hands. Not deep enough, and "MY HANDS" never hit.

When I try to bluff, which isn't very often (maybe once every 2 hours), I still get called, and I'm never deep stacked enough to continue to barrel. Which in my case is good, because people call crazy all-in bets with one pair weak kicker all of the time.

I have not played enough hands to get a feel at where I am at. But most of the hands I have played, I lose. I will say I have lost about 87% of the hands I played. And the hands I have won, were not substantial wins. The loses always hurt way more than the wins. 1ore goes out than are coming in.

I would assume there are better players who are more analytical at the higher levels (maybe, maybe not). Maybe $2/$5 and $5/$5, but I don't want to lose 5x my money in every session with people who are way more advanced than me. (money is getting tighter and tighter). I want to get there eventually.

What can I do to:

1. Get better at my game? I feel if I continue to play this way (the games at the casinos, I won't even call it poker), I won't get any better and I will continue to lose money. I'm trying to study, but the action moves so fast, they don't think.

2. Start winning? My experience is not a lot, and I don't feel like playing at this level with these players warrants getting a coach when I start off so short stacked, and they are all just shoving, not thinking about the action that occurred before them.

Playing ABC poker IS NOT WORKING. Point, blank, period, I have to have the best hand. That unfortunately is not the case for me, never is. Even the hands that I fold, they would not have won had I called.

Playing loose IS NOT WORKING. I am not deep stacked enough to lose a few big pots. If I lose one, I am crippled and my next move is waiting for an All-in spot. I don't play this way ever, but the one time I always try to bluff, I never get it through. Someone else always hits. Even if it's on a J-7-2 board.

I go in there thinking positive, I don't let the previous loses get into my head, but the same scenarios keep happening.

I am currently playing at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens California. I have tried other casinos, but this one is the closest to my home.

Can someone give me some advice on what to do and how to improve my game.

Is there really something as being hexed, I really think I am. If so, can anyone give me any advice on how to get rid of it, that isn't costly. Out of the 100's of times I've played, I've only gone home with money once. And that was only because I kept hitting top pair.

Thank you in advance!

What is the buy-in for the game and how much are you buying in for when you play? If the buy in is $300 (150bb) then I would always buy in for the max. If you are playing in a game that's a max $100 buy in or less I would not play in those games. I am not familiar with the 1-2 games at the bike but I'd guess they have the traditional 300 max. Definitely try to speak with players on the forum or at the bike about game selection there. The people who have played in the rooms you play at can help you best with game selection. If I recall the commerce has 1-2 that's 40 max buy in. Games like that are really not suited to the type of poker you want to be playing. It seems to me like you're in a game that requires a short stack or you aren't buying into bigger games with the max. That should solve some of these issues you are describing.

I would also spend some time looking at positional range charts. When I started playing I found that it helped me play looser because I knew when to raise when folded to. Otherwise people know you only open 10% of hands and are willing to put money in the pot when hands don't hit that range.

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How many hours have you played so far?

The classic I can't beat 1/2 because of the players post. An oldie but a goodie.

OP, when you raise with AK you want them to call with Q3! Your ABC goal in poker should be to put money in while you're ahead. Just because you didn't hit the last 4 times it happened means nothing.

When you lose a hand, instead of feeling short stacked and needing to find an all-in spot, you should add on money up to 100bb. This way you can continue to play your A game.

You should spend a lot of time reading hand history posts on this forum, they will help you think more clearly about the game.

+1

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Sounds like you need to simplify..

Keep a full stack so you never go back and forth between a full stack/short stack game
Don't worry so much about physical tells with bad players
Realize that your AKo is still a big favorite playing QTo, J7s, K9o, etc
Don't think of being lucky/unlucky
Post hands you played - if you are losing almost always, you have serious leaks

The max buy in is $60. There are no other buy-ins greater than $60 at the $1/$2 level.

They do have $1/$3 games, but I suppose they are about the same players as $1/$2.

Before I sit down, I always spend 30 minutes watching a few of the tables just to get somewhat of a feel for the players.

@JacetheMind - the max is $60, I've tried doing that. I am not hitting the board. Even the cards I fold, they are not hitting. I'm not deep stacked enough to even bluff them. If they hit a pair, they are in it for the long haul. And because I am so short stacked, I can't call raises, very often. I can't raise or re-raise very often. I pretty much have two shots to win a big pot my first go around, or I have to wait for an all-in spot. Starting at 30BBs

@ niceguy - I've played about 1000 hours over this past year.

In my opinion game selection is your biggest problem. Play in a game where you can sit down with between 100-150bbs.

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If you want to stay at this game, you should always be playing a simple short-stack strategy.

@PTMHM - that's an ideal. However, those are the higher stakes games. I don't think I'm at that level yet.

My advice would then be to ask businessdude where to read up on playing short stacked poker. It would be best to adjust your play to the stakes that you spend the most time playing.

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Yea, a 30bbmax game is pretty awful, but still definitely beatable. You really should have only 3 plays preflop at 30bb max until you've doubled up at least once: Open raise, reraise- all in, or fold. Calling raises should be out of the question. You aren't deep enough to call, so stop doing it.

On the flop, if you're putting any money in, you're going all-in. You cannot bet/fold. Top pair is the nuts, overpairs are the nuts, good draws with any FE are the nuts.

After any hand that you lose, rebuy to the max. Playing with anything less is a disaster.

Stop paying attention to whether or not the cards you fold are hitting.

I don't ever play short stacked, but winning with a 30BB max buy-in mostly involves raising and getting it in preflop with a range of hands that is adjustable to the types of players you are playing against. You will lose your buy-in very often, but also win more than your fair share of pots (which might be < 20% depending on how many call). Just remember that a more normal amount to lose at 1/2 is $300 as opposed to just $60. Try looking up a short-stack strategy when searching for articles for a clearer picture, it should be fairly simple to follow.

I also recommend playing 5NL online or something to build some skills in a low-risk environment.

@Jacethemind - I am 100% doing all of that. Honest to God I am. I pushed all in with AA and lose. I call with AA and lose a substantial amount. I raise with AA and still lose. I push all in with AK and lose. I call and raise with AK and the same thing. I'm not calling or raising or pushing with weak hands or speculative hands (99% of the time).

My win rate is literally probably less than 1%.

I'm not trying to be a bitch baby, but like I said, these people call with anything and they get lucky and hit their flush, or straight or something that always seems to beat my hand, every single time - literally.

I am always reloading and reloading.

@ Rhombo - There is not an option to buy in at $300. I can't play online in California, can I? I even tried the free sites, but I can't improve my game on those sites.

Math is math man. If you play a short stack strategy as I alluded to correctly you will win over time. You should try not to be results oriented, but rather focus on making the best decisions at all times.

Also, you mentioned the word call like 4 times in your post. If you're calling preflop with 30bb you're doing it wrong. 3 plays, Raise, Reraise, or Fold.

The chance that I do win a pot, it makes no difference, the small pot that I win is all gone by the rake. and they are so far and few in between Maybe 5-15 BBs, and I get blinded out eventually.

I will look into short stack play.

I don't want to play short stacked, I don't really have many options. I'm also on a budget, and was really hoping to put everything I'm learning out there and start building some type of bankroll. But instead I'm just folding. And that's not helping me build my game.

Not sure if your game is beatable. What is the rake structure?

So my options for improvement are:

1. Play at a higher level - I would like to win the money for the buyin for this
2. Look into 5NL online
3. Read up on hand history posts
4. Read up on short stack play
5. Read up on positional range chart

Thank you guys very much!

I would disregard my advice on the positional raising range charts until playing at a higher buyin. It will only make playing in the game you are playing in now more confusing because no one will fold/think rationally.

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My point is that 1/2 is 1/2. You can't achieve a lower level of variance by playing short stacked. The fact is that $60 has 1/5 of the value of $300 while the blind structure remains the same, so you should be prepared to lose at least 4-5 times as many buy-ins as you would deep-stacked.

I'm pretty sure that at least some of the big sites are okay to play in California, like Ignition/ACR/Bet Online.

What do you want to hear? That faith has turned against you? That the game is rigged? It just sounds like you're major tilting and playing with zero confidence.

A 30bb max buy in game will always feel like bingo, but actually in the long run will be easily beatable. Look up short stack strategy's, even mid-late tournament stratergies. You will beat this game pre-flop, post flop means nothing here, concentrate on getting your money in when your infront and trust the maths, it's Never wrong in the long run.
As some have said in here, get rid of your call button, 30bb deep you should never call, unless it's an all in. Next few times you play concentrate on never calling.
Just because the pace is fast at the table don't feel obliged to act quickly, make sure you give yourself time to decide the best course of action......which will never be call..

Look into 2NL on ACR or some other US facing site for improvement

For this particular live game the only skill advantage will be in learning how to play with 30bb. That's already been mentioned. Wait for a premium hand and either jam over someone or raise to $20 and shove the flop with your eyes closed. This is the same advice I have to my wife when she played for the first time ever. TT+, AQ+. Raise to $20 and shove all flops. You should crush.