Can't win after years of trying to learn

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Ripper1UK

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I need some advice, I have played for 10 years, read about 20 books, played millions of hands, was a big poster on an old forum with 1000s of posts and discussions on hands / situations, put in a lot of hard work to try and improve and be a success at tournament poker. I only play micro MTT's as I mainly enjoy them, yet my graph is a continuous downhill slope with the occasional nice win and then down down down.

Name: stejens (pokerstars), if wanting to look.

Not sure what my next step should be?, probably sounds a rare case with all my research ! :(
 
Alucard

Alucard

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Mtt's have very high variance. Try to balance your roll by playing cash games. That way with a decent win rate, you'll be able to balance it up for suck outs you get at mtt's. And once in a while a huge score as well
 
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ph_il

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This is pretty vague.

Can you be more specific of where you need help at? Maybe post some hands in the HA section of the forum.
 
walluyo

walluyo

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I need some advice, I have played for 10 years, read about 20 books, played millions of hands, was a big poster on an old forum with 1000s of posts and discussions on hands / situations, put in a lot of hard work to try and improve and be a success at tournament poker. I only play micro MTT's as I mainly enjoy them, yet my graph is a continuous downhill slope with the occasional nice win and then down down down.

Name: stejens (pokerstars), if wanting to look.

Not sure what my next step should be?, probably sounds a rare case with all my research ! :(
Woww you have been read 20 books. Maybe not those books that you need. You just need to be focus, patients, and know when to stop.
 
Andrei Korolev

Andrei Korolev

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What that experience can be taken from books or videos but you need to find your play style...
 
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colbear

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have you tried poker tracker or other hud

I had one before and never really figured it out but redownloaded it a few daysago and really find it helpfull .( I watched a few videos on how to use it) If you buy the full version after the 30 day trial it has a leak checker ( haven't tried this yet ) give it a try it's free for 30 days there are a couple others holdem manager and one just made for pokerstars if thats the only place you play I forget the nome of it but will look it up if you want
 
Bev

Bev

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Someone told me to relax and let the hands come to me - don't keep chasing those big hands , know your hands , pairs, sets, straights , flush, etc and just focus on what is on the table that not only you can use , but others may have in their hand and then you need to judge how strong your hand is . Watch what the others are doing for each preflop, and flop.
By the time the flop comes you should be able to tell who is waiting to build their hand , and those who have a strong hand already.
After reading , and videos etc. , what works for someone else doesn't usually work for me , so it is most likely the case for you - trying to do what everyone else does.
Then the only thing you can't or ever will control is the luck part.
Keep trying and relax and have fun.
If need be take a break from what you always do and do something else - play ohmaha, black jack etc , or just take a break from cards altogether .
 
terryk

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You have come to the right place Ripper,,,sounds a bit like you just need to `find` your game,and maybe might be a bit muddled at what your supposed to be doing.Their are so many variables to poker,you just might be playing the wrong game,and dominate cash games or omaha or some other form. Keep your head up,we`ve all been there:) And welcome to CC! ;)
 
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Ripper1UK

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Thanks for the replies. I tried HuD a long time ago, and felt that I was watching that more than the table, making my decisions based on the stats it told me rather than playing my own game, started to enjoy playing less.

For the most part I have built up my own style over time, and get a feel of what will work in some spots, many mini cashes all the time though and the very occasional deep run. I watch players as best I can, use the previous hand tool to rapidly click back and see roughly how many hands they play (kind of doing the work myself instead of HuD), taking notes on certain actions, and then playing to that information.

But after years of losing, I figure something is not right, so I start reading books and forums, watching streams, then change what I normally do and lose more!, rather than finding out where I am going wrong and pushing past the losses to at least break even.

I do play all other poker games, and really enjoy most, I was winning in mixed games, then started losing, currently in profit on OH8 (cause I won $200 or so in a $2.20 MTT, which kind of payed for all my losses which was -ROI).

I like to play other games more than Hold'em as I enjoy them more, but I also want to crush Hold'em, as it's there where the big wins can happen, and nothing satisfies me more than being at the last few tables, full concentration, trying to make it to the FT.

Just started using Jivaro, it's nice, neat, gives some good info, but again I play too much into the stats, and it takes my attention away from what the players are doing.

Since trying to get better putting many hours into study recently, my results have plummeted even more, rather than improved which I thought it would.

I took some advice and mixed in some 90/180 seat SNG on Stars...lost most, mini cashed 1 (just like in big MTT's).

Happens a lot lately with hands like AJ or even A3o depending on player, I see someone being super aggressive, wanting to give his chips away, so I call the all-in early on and lose to a 55-45% roughly race, hands like KQ, KJ, KTs all those ranges, small pairs, even stuff like 95s from some terrible players, other situations I think I am making all the right moves, doing the right actions, and losing over and over again cause my tournament life is on the line to a drunken muppet. So maybe I am not doing right, even if I believe I am ahead before the flop to these all-in raises I should fold, unless AA (etc).

So now I question myself over and over, and start doing things wrong that maybe I was doing right, and vice versa.

This is why I look for possible advice, as I am now at a loss as to what I should do.
 
515bastos

515bastos

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make self analysis is hard, but something have to change on how you've been playing
 
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gofish

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DO NOT play online poker. Play live poker.

ONLINE IS RIGGED. Only the sheep will tell you otherwise.
 
Syltan

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You need to either throw poker or try to play tournaments in which the number of participants does not exceed 1000. To do this, you will probably have to climb to low limits.
 
darthdimsky

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A HUD really gives you an edge. Pokertracker 4 atleast allows the mouse over visibility, which makes the stats visible only when you hover your mouse over it, if that proves to be distracting.

To avoid being bombarded with stats they also have bare bones HUD options, which display only the VPIP, PFR and AF.

PT4 has helped me immensely. You may play the same two cards differently with different player types. Know when to flat, bet and shove at what spots against villains.

More importantly: post session analysis. You also have the option of copying and pasting hand histories in forum discussion threads to get advice on correct play.

I use the mouse over visibility. Here's an example, with a very basic HUD I use for satellites.
 

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R

Rufun2

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Same boat

I find myself in the same boat. Please let me know me know where to go for help with online games struggling???
 
Empress

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Post an example of a play that you would go all in for or a scenario where you lost and what the other player was holding.

Reading books (may be?) helpful, but honestly, practice makes perfect. Enjoy the sport of freerolls and micro tables with the intent of learning how to perfect your play -- not with the goal of earning money.
 
hugh blair

hugh blair

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That is the thing about poker very easy to lose very hard to win good luck
 
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Jack Reacher

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You need to learn harder.
 
es530

es530

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I need some advice, I have played for 10 years, read about 20 books, played millions of hands, was a big poster on an old forum with 1000s of posts and discussions on hands / situations, put in a lot of hard work to try and improve and be a success at tournament poker. I only play micro MTT's as I mainly enjoy them, yet my graph is a continuous downhill slope with the occasional nice win and then down down down.

Name: stejens (pokerstars), if wanting to look.

Not sure what my next step should be?, probably sounds a rare case with all my research ! :(
Do you really want to be profitable?
 
UberRogue

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I was in the same boat where it seems like the line is trending down.
I am more of a cash game player.


Where I turned it around by watching videos.

Then here in the strategy section is a "Avoid preflop mistakes" . Followed the advice pretty strictly and it worked. I eventually found another preflop chart that I am trying from upswingpoker.com.

I also use holdem manager 2. I use the stats sparing with only the essentials. Vpip and pfr. I use it mostly for hand analysis and it keeps track of win/losses amount. Over time it us helpful knowing which cards you win with and which you lose with for example I have lost most hands with AKo vs AKs which I have won the most (it tells you how many blinds lost and how many hands you had wuth those cards). You can even drill it diwn to which position is most profitable.

Also when I am doing post play I look at the hands I started as a favorite. If I cant see what I did wrong I post it here and these guys are very helpful in telling you where it went wrong.

bankroll management was another thing. I was already doing all the suggested stuff but I read it anyways and try following it.

There is a lot out there. Its identifying the leak and plugging it that may be the most difficult.

Try to use all the resources at your disposal.
 
MoeJurphy

MoeJurphy

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I need some advice, I have played for 10 years, read about 20 books, played millions of hands, was a big poster on an old forum with 1000s of posts and discussions on hands / situations, put in a lot of hard work to try and improve and be a success at tournament poker. I only play micro MTT's as I mainly enjoy them, yet my graph is a continuous downhill slope with the occasional nice win and then down down down.

Name: stejens (pokerstars), if wanting to look.


Not sure what my next step should be?, probably sounds a rare case with all my research ! :(

1. Find to a variant of MTT that you feel you are best at.
2. Pay for a decent coach who has been beating these games over a large sample.
3. Apply what he/she has taught you into your game.


Honestly, getting a coach was the best thing to happen to my game, I'm no pro but im certainly better than where i was at this time last year without a coach.


Looking at your graph your not a terrible player, you are near enough break even over 7k sample size with mtts with such a high field which isnt actually that bad!
 
n3rv

n3rv

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Perhaps do the opposite of what you have been doing. For example, play cash and only use intuition. As opposed to playing MTT with logic.
 
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hooble1

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If you really want to play tournaments, try single table sit-n-go's. You have a much higher chance of making ITM, since most payout top 3/9 or 2/6. Much less time commitment as well, since you mention micro stakes. Even if you are making the money every game, a 300 player MTT can take you many hours to play, and only double up or tripple up. In the same amount of time you can play 4 or 5 9 player SNG's. This was the biggest help to my game, since I enjoy playing tournaments over cash games as well.
 
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janisromanov

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I think u need to leave the micro-limits, so on micro players go all in with very weak hands and call any hand. They only look at their cards, not considering the cards of other players.
try playing for 11 dollars and more
 
koisug

koisug

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Maybe poker isn't yours? pay attention to the chess, can baminton))
 
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