Hi, I'm Dan, from the UK, only been playing for around 4 months since going to Vegas in January and reading the Little Green Book.

I loved the first 2-3 months, I felt like I was following the rules of the Little Green Book, and learning all the time, just playing live, real life tournaments mostly, and finishing in the middle, but getting closer and closer to the last 10-20 spots.. then I had 1 week where I finished 3rd, 6th, and 4th – taking home around £650 total – great, back to even I thought, made some real progress, and all in just 3 months – the future is bright!

Since then I have been in turmoil. I have played some cash and had my ass handed to me. I have gone on tilt a lot in tournaments... typically what will happen is I play tight for 3 hours, build my stack from 12k to 18k perhaps, then raise in position with ok cards, but get re-reaised but only double, I have to call... I put more money in during the flop and turns and lose, or I get “valued” into a hand I don't want to be in, for more money than I want to play... then suddenly I'm back down to 10k, below average stack and looking at either being able to play 1 or 2 hands before I am properly short stacked and have to just sit and wait to push... but then I'd rather push early and double up than chipping away down to 3k... but I always seem to get callers... against my low pairs, against Kjs in position... always with an ace that comes on the flop for them...

But when I'm not on tilt :P I think I play quite well, but Id say my real weakness is overvalueing my strong cards – KK, QQ, AK, or top pair on a “nothing” board (and someone has a set / 2 pair), or relating to this then getting “blind” and just having to bet my KK or call when there is so much danger on the board... I really struggle to put good cards down...

Here's some examples:

1. I have KK Pockets. I raise before flop, I get called.
flop comes down 8,q,k, all spades. I check, he bets, I call.
turn comes A. He bets, I push him all in He calls.
He has pocket Aces. Here I raised him as I didn't respect him, and didn't want to be bullied when I have an overpair...

2. Pocket Kings.
Seat 6 raises, seat 8 re-raises. I push all in.
Seat 6 calls. So does seat 8. (I'm seat 1, in position)
I reveal pocket KK, seat 6 has pocket AA. He wins, seat 8 slopes off into the night.
Background - A real life cash game at £1-2. I sat down with £120 over the last 45 minute I have built up to £500 - with 2 big hands of £100 all in each, and £200 all in each coming from seat coming to me from seat 8. In this hand seat 6 was on his first hand of the table. I figure he is just announcing his arrival with a raise and playing the first hand and don't really expect him, or anyone to call me all in £450 shove.... except seat 8 - he will call me with anything it seems, and I know I have him beat... that was my logic anyway.

3. Pocket Queens
In on the button, one limper round to me, I raise to £10, small blind raises to £25. I "think", then call. (I have £90 remaining)
Flop comes down 6,8,9 rainbow.
He bets 20, I raise to 60, he pushes me all in.
He has pocket KK.

Under all of these circumstances I just don't know what to think of my play - am I unlucky, did I do the right thing? I probably didnt play the hands perfectly, but you should be aggressive with strong cards right? But aggression does no good when they have dominating hands right? Or did I play these terribly? Did I totally overvalue my cards (too early?)? ... maybe, but im also really sick of checking with the nuts to trap people, then finally betting on the river and having people fold...

I hear so much about being aggressive... that aggressive poker is winning poker, that you have to be aggressive to win... but it seems that when I really am overly aggressive it dosn't work out for me... or am I picking my spots wrong?

I have also just bought Tri Nguyen's Poker Blueprint... Ideally I would like to learn some really solid, tight play that I can take to a low limits cash game and really play 1000s of hands... free from tournament poker where the different stages of the game make play vastly different from each other...

Grr, any input is greatly appreciated (please feel free to be as brutal as you want, I don't need / want sugarcoating if you think I'm terrible - I'd rather know.... please educate this fish... If I am a fish? ).

Many thanks,
Dan

2 cooler, 3 push pre, 1 i'm not sure on the best line as we have no stack sizes but start by betting the flop

1) Probably could find a check call on turn, as played maybe a fold but I hate folding top set. (Stack sizes would help)

2) Bad luck, it happens

3) Bad luck, but if you are raising, with your stack size you should be raising all in, not 2/3 of your remaining chips.

I'd be interested to hear which hands you think you played aggressively...

Hand 1:
Playing this aggressively would be leading or checkraising the flop
Given this hand, it is very likely you slowplay way, way too much. Every beginner wants to slowplay because they they've seen it on tv or they think they're being clever. However, inappropriate slowplay is a huge, huge leak. Stop slowplaying until you clearly understand what you're doing and why.

That flop is likely to have hit him hard enough to play for stacks including a bazillion draws. Get the money in while you're almost certain to be way ahead. There's a ton of draws out there and any of them hitting is likely to either kill your equity or kill your action. ie; what happens if he has red AK and a spade hits the turn?

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/78...lowplay-19726/

Hand 2:
Ok, you played this one very aggressively.
Just a cooler but OTOH, you're not really clear about effective stack sizes. Not that anyone is ever getting away from KK preflop in a live 1/2 game however if all three of you are actually 250bb deep a more standard 4bet keeps your options open if you don't like what you see when it gets back to you. In addition, the overshove is likely to fold out some hands you don't want to.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/78...my-set-121694/

Hand 3:
Playing this aggressively would be 4bet shoving preflop
Given stack sizes just getting it in preflop is an option but it really depends on information we don't have - Your history at the table with respect to blind stealing. While live 1/2 players are not known for 3betting light if you've been hammering the blinds like you should you need to consider whether he's decided to make a stand. Particularly if he's 3bet you off hands before.

As played, when you call and see a low flop you're obviously pot committed and shoving is super-standard (just shove, don't raise to 60).