Im weak

I recently found myself weak. Folding alot when I have to raise/call. Even I have AK i almost fold it on flop when i do not hit something. Guys, I need help how can i adjust this? How can I improve? I dont want to be weak anymore. I would like to be the aggressor. But how? Where should I start?

Tells us a little more, like stakes, real or imaginary?

Play money is a good place to break habits. You need to get over your fear.

Go into the play money games and go crazy

Im playing on .02/.05 I what i mean weak is like i always fold on flop. I dont know why but people tend to steal the pot easily.

Sounds like u are too afraid of losing. This is a bad bad habit, and again I suggest you go play money and break the habit.

Play raise or fold poker, never limp or call. This is an exercise to break a bad habit.

I rarely limp pre flop. The problem occur on post flop play.

First of all, it's actually okay to fold the best hand. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, if you're folding almost everything, then you have a big problem. Not taking any action (folding) is tantamount to an action (giving away all your chips, albeit slowly).

I think you might benefit from having a game plan going in. Maybe limit yourself to only playing premium hands for a little while, but play them very aggressively. That doesn't mean foolishly, by the way. Good luck!

DJ hit it, it sounds like you're playing scared, which is the worst way to play poker. If you are thinking that people are easily pushing you off of your hands, then reraise them and see what happens, it's a good way to get an aggressive player off of your back, especially if he hasn't seen you reraise, he will take that as you really have a hand.

Another thing with your example, there is nothing wrong with folding AK to a flop that it didn't hit, because it isn't a made hand, only Ace high... Hope that helps a little

I think that the problem might be the fact that you started playing poker at play money tables, since the play is quite lose there a good strategy would be to play a rather tight game, so in short I think trying to correct the problem at the play money tables will just make the problem worse, granted however if you do have enough play chips the "high stakes" might be of some good use.

I had that problem at the beginning of the year. Either raise or fold. Don't call. Don't even look at the call button.

RAISE

or

FOLD.

No other option. It's VERY scary when you first start doing this, but this was the only way i was going to get over this mental block.

Your not alone... I am the same as well at times, perticallarly when its coming close or on the bubble.... something I need to break as well.

Seems like you need to train yourself to recognize situations where you should continuation bet the flop even though it misses you. For example, a fairly straightforward one is where you bet out pre-flop, just one of the blinds called, and then checked to you on the flop. Of course, what the flop is matters. So does the opponent. Against someone who will almost always check fold when he missed, any decent bet by you will take the pot most of the time.

BINGO

^^^ +1

^^^ +1

I got over playing that way... It's simple to say, you can't win if you don't play.

I wish I could add all of my +1s up... I feel like I have gotten a lot lately, lol

But on a side note, yea, if you show aggression back to an aggresive player and you're not percieved as aggresive, you can get them out a lot.

Do you use tracking software? If so what's your flop cbet%?

Why not try to cbet 100% the next session you play? While 100% is likely not optimal it's closer to it than only betting when you hit.

Oh by the way, have a towel close by. You need it to wipe off the sweat.

I'm not kidding about this, you're gonna sweat bullets. I also put a sign underneath my monitor 'DO NOT CALL. FOLD OR RAISE.'

You are not alone, many people have had to cross this bridge. We did it, so can you.

Look at the bright side Eddy. EVERYBODY else is just as scared as you are! It's hard to muster up the courage to hit the raise button, but if you can, you are on the path to bullying the table! And that is a great feeling when you make everyone at the table your personal b*tch. LOL. LOL. (can't believe I said that)

One of the lessons/challenges at the Full Tilt Academy was for S&G in which you have to raise with specific hands in specific positions. Maybe try that, makes it a task list that you have to do.

Your right, i have done that, they backed off real quick.

Even if i miss i am betting haft the pot, or the pot <<<<< 2NL i still get them to fold, even if they call and win. So the next time i hit the hand, they call and lose.

dont have fear of money. Even if u miss the flop n turn with AK, u shud b bettin with it against one person. but i depends if there tight or loose at the end of the day.

I think it comes down to ranges.. you need to start thinking about your opponents ranges, and what hands fair well against them.

AK, may be a great hand to 3 bet / 4 bet / shove against some players who have wide 3-betting ranges.

Against those with extremely narrow 3bet ranges, AK is the very bottom of your opponents calling range and so if you miss the flop, you really cant continue.


So start asigning your opponents ranges, and start putting those ranges into pokerstove to get a feel of when you are ahead and when you are behind, and what you can fold out etc etc.

It seems that you are losing your confidence which is not a good thing.
I advice you to play online for free and it would help you regain your confidence and would sharpen your skills. Play with as much attention and concentration as you can. Best of luck

I don't know if I would call you weak I would just call you a really tight player lol

well its better to be too much tight then too much loose

well there are certain precautions you have to take before playing aggressive in a hand. First you need to read your opponent predict what possible cards he might have and if you have the best hand possible. Also you look for outs you might have to have the best hand on the turn and river. Preparing for the future will help you become more aggressive because althought you might not have anything necessarily you have draws and opportunities to win the hand in the future and knowing this you are able to bet. Try betting when you have open ended straight draws when other don't bet and check around or if someone tries to take the pot re raise with your draws this will give you more action and possibly more success.