Been playing poker since 2005 but mostly it was bonuswhoring 25Nl back then in partypoker and paradise poker and all those good days. I use to play sngs only unless bonuswhoring and only played the 5.50s. I am usa player by the way.

The thing is its 2009 already and all i do is play sngs. I always tell myself i need to play cash games but I always have this thing in me that holds me back. I only play 1/2 live at casino but online i play 50NL maximum because i am just afraid for some reason. The last year or so i played 10,000 or so 5.20 Double or Nothing Turbos and usually 12-16 tabled them. 3 weeks ago, i started doing the 10.40 turbos and do okay. I 24 table them now and some days i made 150 dollars or so and other days i make 0 or lose a little bit.

The reason why i play them is because i just play ABC poker and do not like to think. I heard someone mentioned playing sngs stunt your growth and of course DONs would stunt your growth anymore. I play these DoN okay because i play extremely tight but will spew like crazy and drop 10-12 buyins quick if 2 horrible bad beats happen to me.

I always look at those online games on full tilt and pokerstars and see those high limit games patrick antonius and ivey plays. Whether 200/400 PL or NL games and those 100/200 limit games. I always felt like I want to be one of the best players in the world but I am such a nit. All i grind are small stakes Double Or Nothings and of course everything is autopilot for me.

Does anyone have advice for me to how to quit playing these DoNs since it isnt really poker? Also, i noticed a ton of regulars at the 10's now and its even hard to manage a profit. Can someone tell me how can i get these scared feeling out of my head?

4 years later, I am still playing 10 dollar Sngs Dons and 50NL.

Thanks.

If you want to move up to high stakes cash games then you are definitely stunting your growth. The play in DoN's is not going to help you in anything except DoNs.

From the sounds of it you have a decent roll, but are just scared. I would start at 10NL and play 10k-25k hands there. If you feel comfortable, keep moving up as long as you are comfortable with the stakes. If you start at 10NL then you shouldn't be playing with scared money and you wont be so much of a nit.

You're not going to get better at regular STTs playing DONs, you're also not going to get better at cash games playing DONs but I think you know that.

I think that it is important to play a few games besides DONs because they are so easy to solve and one day they will be less profitable. Hopefully at that time the laws will change in the US and it will open up everything in which all the current players will have a huge advantage.

So if you're not doing it already you should play other games on the side as well. But you need to think about what your long and short term goals are.

DON's make me lose the will to live but are a decent BR builder, may i suggest playing the higher limit 180 mans, DON'S contribute nothing to your playing style

You're stunning your growth by playing a lot of tables and not thinking about the game.

This

I'm in the exact same boat as you OP. I grinded up my roll playing DoNs and I now have the feeling that i need to start playing cash if I want to get any better. I've always been a decent tourney player but I'm likely in the red lifetime when it comes to cash. But I know that I'm not gonna get any better as a poker player if I don't address my cash approach, and neither will you. I also want to do it because it will improve my deepstacked tourney play. I agree with jim's post - start at 10NL or even 5NL if its better for you psychologically and just go from there.

when you understand DON strategy it's like working in a factory. For the same pay. Without the social interaction.

Maybe a little harsh for beginners but i dont think DONs have any positive thing to give to poker and the long term growth of the game, all i see is people ending up burned out and hating the game playing these.

play them too long i can see potentially good players unable to beat the lowest limits cause their heads are messed up from having DON strategy ingrained in their heads.

I would not play 5NL or 10NL because i feel like i would be wasting my time. Even at 25Nl i feel like wasting my time. At 50NL though i feel okay. Anyone get what i mean? I am a tag ABC player. Live, i only play 1/2 no limit

okay, those limits you talk about are not a waste of time. what you learn working your way up the limits are what makes you a long term winning player.

what i said was DON strategy is bad to learn, especially if you want to play cash.

seriously, take a week and play 10k hands at $2NL, then another week at $5NL, you will learn things about the way people play that will improve your game no end.

I am actually a winner at 25NL and 50NL full ring thedoctor though just a slight winner.

whether you are a winner or not at those levels is not the point, it doesnt matter. the point i'm making is that when you put in hands at the lower levels you are giving yourself a work ethic where the money on the table doesnt matter, its the number of blinds/ pot size etc that matters. beat the lower limits for a number of hands to train a good mindset of only thinking of the cash as units. psychology and mind set is a MAJOR part of the game.

i only play 50NL though but i dont know why something in my head always stops me?

bankroll management?

No its not bankroll management. Its just the feeling that say i made $140 today and then $80 tomorrow etc in the 10.40 Dons. I never want to "risk" my grinding money in cash games. I dont know why i am so damn scared.

You are very wise. Even though I am not the op, I appreciate you responses and feel they will help me with my game. Thanks

If you are good at the DoN's why not much up a few levels, like 10, 20 or 50.

By the way what strategy do you use for the DoN's or where can you get strategy advice, I seem to have some success at the micro DoN's normal but less success at the turbo DoN's not that I've played that many of them as I'm normally FR cash game player.

You're scared because you don't have much confidence in your game.

DON's provide so many easy outs for their players since there's a "correct" way to play and after that what happens just happens.

You played at higher limit DONS than I did but and are prob vastly better than me at DON's but it's just a form of push/fold poker. Most of the thinking is pre flop. You never get the chance to read your opponents hands or analyze lines.

To be honest it's a disgusting form of poker. Even more disgusting than Limit Hold "em. lol


If I had to guess, I'd say that you're not confident at all about your post flop play. Furthermore, when you play an SNG you know how much you're going to lose (the buy-in) whereas in cash your bankroll is much more liquid.

As the Doctor said, just play some lower limits where you can build your post flop play confidence as well as get used to reading hands, analyzing lines,a nd extracting value. Then move up.

To be honest I don't know how people grind these things. They are extremely tilting.
When I first deposited on Stars I played the micro DON's because I figured that it'd be a safe way to unlock the deposit bonus. It was relatively safe (I was a little below break even) but it was soooo tilting and I didn't learn anything about playing some real poker.

I use to play the 5's. I now currently play the 10s. I can play the 20s but i dont feel like i will do good. The thing about all these dons is that i play tight poker. I do not know a thing about icm nor use things like sngwizard. I dont even use pokertracker or hem. In tough situations, i usually go all in or call an all in if i feel its the right play.

I never got strategy advice for these DoNs. I just play them and learn thats all fox.

You can't equate live and on-line limits. Live 200nl is equivalent to the lower micros (which limit is dependent on the particular casino). 50nl online will have a much higher standard.

Also you should listen to Thedoctor's advice rather than simply rebuffing all his suggestions. It sounds like you've reached, or are nearing, the ceiling in the DONs. If you want to be a poker superstar then yes you will have to switch to cash (or even MTTs) but it willl be hard work and you will have to take an initial hit on you earnings so as to sow the seeds for a future, much larger potential income.

As for your fear of losing your money. It's been said already but yes BM is the answer. If you're properly rolled for any limit then you don't think of the buy in as money but as a buy in-if you're sufficiently rolled then you're going to have lots of them and losing a couple is no biggy-as long as you're a winning player. One of the main reasons that you should drop down and play at the lower limits is to get used to this way of thinking. When you feel you're ready and sufficiently rolled you can jump up to the limits at which you believe you are capable of and attack them with confidence.

It's the money that you're winning at the DONs that is stopping you.

Listen to thedoctor , $5 for 5k hands minimum $10 for another 5k minimum. just to get your feet wet - if your good 50nl you should crush these levels. then move up ,each level does have something different to learn. work your way and those feelings in your head should go away -
PS....... PT3 or HEM is a must imo.

somewhat same boat as OP.

not only do DoN's and most SNG's not build cash game skills, but i think they actually harm your cash game for numerous reasons.

Don't know what icm is nor do I use sngwizard, I find pt3 is totally useless for don's, only thing is good for is telling you the number of hands an opponent has played, ie. if they are a regular or not.
Yeah I seem to play them in a similar fashion, I just think I play them to tight for turbo don's

What would you do in this situation, lets say 6 people are left blinds are 200/400 with ante, one player has 700+ chips left another has 800+ chips left.
The player on your right goes all in with 2700, your on 3150 and have been dealt pocket aa's, do you fold or call?

Fold