my poker sucks

[pokergoddess666]

hey all

i am having a horrable run with cards! does this happen to everyone ? i mean i try to bluff - i get a few good one here or there - but its getting a little rediculous. or i play people who constantly raise. i take chances - but not on bb 300 and people raise 1200!
my cards just arent good enuff - or so i think. does this happen alot? should i be taking more chances? how can i improve my game??? help - thanks

[Irongirl]

Runs of bad cards happen Pokergoddess but fortunately its all short term but we think it lasts forever. Are you playing buyins or just freerolls?

As far as bluffing goes, you can only bluff a good player. You cant bluff someone who isnt going to lay their cards down. The majority of freerollers are calling stations if they catch a piece of the flop they are going to hang in there with their Q3 sooted.

Position is extremely important as is aggression. Ive played enough to know that even if I raise 4x bb with a solid hand from early position that I will have at least 3-4 callers when the blinds are low. So I am apt to throw away mid and small pairs from EP and only play them and suited connectors with a bunch of limpers in the pot.

The other thing is what size betting are you doing? $20 into a $300 pot is a sign of weakness see it all the time. If you hit two pair or top set dont be afraid to throw out a pot size or 3/4 size bet. Even if the flop misses me I will throw out a bet to see where I stand. IF you check you have no idea if your opponent missed too. They can just throw out a bet and take the pot down right there even if they miss too. That is again why being last to act (position) is a good thing. Also pay attn to your chip stack size in relation to the blinds and antes, Known as your M. Once you have enough to only last 4 blind rounds total your only move is all in. Dont minimum raise either. That is why you see people throwing out $1200 bets when the BB is $300-$400. They are making you think about a decision for perhaps all your chips. Remember it takes better cards to call a raise then it does to be the initiator of the raise.

I suggest reading as much as you can too. I love Phil Gorden's little Green Book. My favorites are the Harrington on Holdems I and II.

[w00t16]

Yup, happens all the time, gotta get used to it, Poker will always be POKER =o/

[pokergoddess666]

hii - thanx that helps some - i play buy ins and freerolls.
i seem to do better in buyins that a freeroll. the people in the freerolls are way too free w/ all ins and such. but i will re read your post ... and try to grow some balls lol.
thanx!!!!!!!!

[doogs_69]

I get the same crap too

[dci_assassin]

When you are on the losing side of "luck" it is hard to remember that it is just mathematical variance in action. Especially when you are up against loose players in freerolls who will call with any two cards and can't be bet out of the pot.

It doesn't mean you suck at poker, so much as you are feeling the effects of variance. When a lot of players are in the hand and won't fold to a raise, you are more likely to see someone win with 72os against AA. You have to adjust your play accordingly. The more people in the hand, the greater the chance of someone cracking your two pair with two random cards. So you have to tighten up your starting hand requirements and play aggressively to build the pots for the times when you DO win.

Miller, Sklansky, Malmouth wrote a book called "Small Stakes Holdem for Expert Players". Although it is addressing cash games, many of the concepts can be applied to freerolls. Along with the books Irongirl mentiioned above, I have found this one to be a good addition to my poker library.

[Huyton Phil]

hehehehe

[ratpackohio]

If your game sucks, GO BACK TO SCHOOL! SERIOUSLY!

Instead of jut reading another book, I joind the new
xxxxx] and my game has improved alot

Books are fine, but you need to be playing in a live online classroom format where you can get feedback on WHY you play the hads you are playing, form professional teachers!

Later!
See ya at the 2-5 table!



webmaster note: dont spam the forum (especially on your first post with other sites with your aff link in or punting your site)

[Arjonius]

One thing really good players do is to focus more of their attention on hands they could have played better, not the ones they lost due to luck. They all have bad beat stories. Who doesn't? However, while many lower-level players either curse their bad luck or ask what they could have done differently on that hand, better players think about what they might have done better on other hands so maybe the beat wouldn't have eliminated or criippled them.

[maxxam40]

some times my game is too bad, but the house always win