so im your basic poker addict. I cant get enough of it. I study all 2+2 publishing books (as well as others) , lurk here, play alot live and also online.
Im thinking about it 24/7


Ive played serious for about 6 months. The nighmare is that im not showing a profit. at all. I consistently run my account up to 400ish then its gone in a week.

I have a lagish style. dependent on situations of course.

I can beat small SnG's as well as lower cash games (not consistently obv.)

Id like to be a winning player

I do not use hem or pt, but i will invest if recomended.

I also do not have any hands to post, from what i read this is important to see how i play. so ill work on that.

I just wanted to post this and put it out there that im trying to take my game to the serious level. any recomendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ryan

Get HEM, watch vids, get coaching as you move up imo

Bankroll management!

Set aside some money for poker.

Buy HEM/PT3. Subscribe to DeucesCracked then deposit 100/200/500$ whichever you prefer.

After depositing this, treat it like it's all you have... practice strict bankroll management and never let yourself go busto. Be prepared to move down during downswings and don't be in a hurry to move up when you go on a heater.

Poker requires so much discipline to make profit and that's what kills many aspiring players.

BRM is key. when you get your account up to 400 are you starting to buy into bigger games? Are you switching your style of play when you get your br up?

play more hands, only way your gonna get better

So you've completely skipped the bankroll management part?

Also, the LAG part doesn't help your swings much. Tight is definitely right for inexperienced (<2-3 years) players, especially online. A lot of people like to play **** and fire at the pot a lot then call themselves LAGs when they have nowhere near the experience and skill to play that style right yet, which just makes them **** players.

thank you very much for the replys.


quote from cry me a river-

So you've completely skipped the bankroll management part?

embarasingly yes. I have.

wtfcircus- yes thats exactly what im doing. im buying in bigger tourneys and playing a little looser in cash games.

It is sad that all of this info is right infront of me...BRM, LAG style, and yet it takes a post to make it really stand out.

I thank you all for the responses, i look forward to posting more.

Stay at your comfortable buy in levels for a long amount of time.

"All I suggest, is a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

The Boxer, Simon & Garfunkle

Welcome to the human race.

It is going to take a while to actually learn bankroll management. don't expect it to just occur now that you have identified it as your problem.

While Bankroll management is nice, I think the real emphasis of this thread should be that OP learn to play the game as well as possible.

I'm not a strong advocate for videos and coaches, and the OP already has access to the best theory. Therefore, I think what's most required is additional experience, close scrutiny of one's game, and long stretches of play only occassionally punctuated by a review of good poker literature.

I suggest playing one table, and only one table, for a long time to come, and focusing on completely mastering the game.

Having a way to track your progress, and review hands, such as Poker Tracker or Holdem manager, may be advisable, but is not strictly necessary. Mostly, I don't think you should think too much about stats, or use them as a crutch, during the learning process.

Also, you have to realize that the results which you can perceive directly are almost always *short term* results, and are therefore unreliable as a gauge of your ability. So, though you probably already know it, let me reinforce the concept: you must focus on the PLAY, and let the money take care of itself.

I'm also an advocate for diversifying one's play, though I sometimes take flack for it in this forum. In any case, Hold'em's not the only game, and No Limit is not the only format. Stepping into another arena for a while, and then returning to the familiar, can bring new perspective.

Playing LAG in SnGs (I assume STTs) indicates hat he does not have access to the best theory, however.

$400 = enough for 10NL and no higher, unless you don't multitable, then go ahead and take shots at 25NL, imo.

300 is likely enough for 10NL. 150 is enough for an experienced player, or for 25NL if you pay cap games or short stack.

For now, I suggest specializing and focusing.

What?? I'm typically one of the most aggressive players in any sit'n'go I play, and I'm often the loosest as well, and I do rather well.

But don't tell anyone. I don't want my cover blown.

Due to ICM, +CEV plays in STTs can often be -$EV, while they would be +EV in an MTSnG or MTT.

Though I have an inkling of what your jargon means, if this is supposed to prove that Loose Aggressive play in Single Table Sit'n'goes is incorrect, I'd say you're FAR from proving your case.

How did you lose your bankroll the few times you have? and you say you have played 'serious for 6months' could you expand on this? ie hands played in each stake, number of tournaments played.

It's fairly proven that one should play tightly early in an STT, especially when compared to an MTT. In an MTT, it'd be okay to raise something like 57s UTG if you so wish, but in an STT you want to fold AJo maybe even AQo. You may want to read up some literature on the matter or visit the STT forums.

The ranges of early game STT and MTT is significantly different. The LAG range of an MTT applied to an STT is absolutely not optimal. CEV (chips EV, or plays that win chips in the long run) may not necessarily win money in the long run ($EV) due to the payout structure of an STT. This is because according to ICM, the value of chips won are worth far more than chips lost, so whenever you risk 100 chips to win a 150 chip pot, unlike a normal cash game where your cbet needs to work less than 66% of the time (equity + fold equity on later streets of course), you actually need to work even more than usual, making steals and bluffs less profitable than they generally are in an MTT or cash game.

So yes, this is proven, and not by myself.

People develop their own style of play and what works for them. I'm sure there are flaws in everyone's game, but if he is winning with his style of play over a decent sample, you can't really say that either of you are 100% correct.

A good LAG can still be profitable at micro stakes cash games, a lot of players play a tight ABC style, and don't play back...ever. You just have to know when to slow down.

You have not read my post at all. Nowhere did I say LAG is unprofitable. In fact most of my posts in the beginners forums advocate a looser approach in order to expose a player to marginal situations. For STTs however, it is a mathematical fact that chips lost are worth more than chips gained which means that bluffs have to work far more often than in MTTs/cash games to be profitable, and as such, one should be far tighter in an STT than other forms of poker, RELATIVELY SPEAKING. I suggest you read my post carefully before making assumptions about what I am saying.

I also never said that you can't win playing loose, especially at low stakes. I said that it is suboptimal.

I disagree.

Learning is trivial, a 3rd grader could "learn" bankroll management in about ten seconds.

And execution is trivial as well, just don't play outside of your bankroll. If you never register for a tournament you aren't rolled for, you can't possibly violate the br guidelines.

Link? I mean your post sounds nice and educated and all but please put some flesh on the bones

More discussion re 57s utg in MTT and STT would also be good.

ty