flatlining

I just can't break through the $40 profit mark which I reached almost 3 months ago. (Obviously I play micro) I would have a string of nice days and come close, but all my profits would be wiped out in a bad day or two. Like last night. I lost almost 3 buy ins. I didn’t exactly play perfectly but sometimes the cards just don’t fall my way. I had JJ vs. 10 10. He shoves all in on the flop of 3 low cards and I called. And he hits a runner runner straight (including a J on the river to gimme a set just to rub it in). Then another one that hurt the most was when I shoved it in on the turn against what I correctly thought was a flush draw (about 1.5 size of pot bet), and still got called, and he hits a 9 outter. These 2 hands cost me almost 2 buy ins. My problem is when I am on a bad run, I can’t bring myself to stop. And when I am on a good roll, I am afraid of playing too long and giving back most of my winnings. The opposite of what I SHOULD be doing. I play conservatively and usually don’t win huge everyday except when cards really fall my way, but when I start losing, then I get more aggressive when I have something. I still get in there good most of the time, but it just seems when things go bad for me, things go real bad. I don’t play perfectly, of course. For example, an example of bad play on my part. The other hand that got me was when I reraised a LAG all in on the flop when I had top pair with QJ. The guy had been betting almost every hand, so I thought he’d make the same play with medium pair or just ace high from the button. I was wrong. He had KJ. I really didn't need to shove there, but I just got tired of him betting all the time and me not having anything I could push back with except then. I should have led out with a bet but I thought that my J was good and wanted to reraise him cuz I knew he was gonna raise regardless.

Attempting to remove emotion from the game is a process (I've found anyways). I try to just forget about the money... forget about the results & just focus on playing the best I possibly can in each & every situation. Just have to clear the bs out of the head & move on, so one can be in the here & now.

My own personal experience in micro limit nlhe has been, you grind away, playing good, then a major donking loses a buyin (ie. you get it ai vs. villain as a huge fav. & they suckout on ya). Some days you win a few buyins, other's you lose a couple. Maybe better to consider it all part of the process (the journey, the education), knowing it's all just steps towards something bigger & better.
(for the most part I'm a MTT/SNG player, as I much prefer the game theory, learning processes involved with it but have also invested some time playing super micros & micros, with much better results @ ~25nl (actually 20nl) on sites like DoylesRoom.

PO called it. You need to figure out how to control yourself. You go on tilt too easily.

One of the ways to improve is to improve your attitude. Change you. The results do not matter, hand by hand, short-term. Making the correct plays will get you ahead in the long run, and poker is a long-run game. You cannot win every hand, even when you play them perfectly. Accept that fact, and still play your hands correctly, without being invested emotionally in the result.

Oh, yeah. Learn to play post-flop. Those allins can kill ya.