New to Forum. Need Help.

[klickitat]

Ok so I have been playing NL Holdem for about 6 years off and on in small live games. I was recently forced into retirement and started playing in 2-3 small (30 or less people) a week with buy-ins of $65 or less.

I make it to the final table every time and won 1 in the last 6 weeks. Not so hot, but what is disturbing to me is that I just realized that I am a freakin' guppy. I am not even a fish.

I started to get really serious about poker and was irritated that I can not consistently finish in the money on these small tournaments. So I started watching everything I could on Youtube and found School of Cards. My game has improved a lot since then, but I also realized that I am a guppy.

I need help. I am hoping that there is an analysis tool that I can play and have it show me what I am doing wrong. I have been playing a lot of sit-n-go's to practice for these small tournaments and I am winning a lot more, but I really need to find a tool to help me dial things in or even find a buddy who wants to help me figure this out.

BTW: This realization of being a guppy was a huge blow to my fragile ego.

Right now playing sit-n-go for the last 10 days, I have been only playing about 21% of my hands and I really watch position, but that is as far as I have gotten with my skills.

 

[CRStals]

Why don't you post some of your hands where you think you made a mistake & let us help.

The key piece for me is understanding how you're losing:
- Are you getting blinded down because action is slow & blinds jump
- Are you making right decisions in the moment but the villian sucks out on you
- Are you making the wrong reads in the moment and losing your stack because your gut wasn't right

These weekly tournaments, are they the same 30 people or so? Might also lend information to help.

Let me know - there are plently of people that can help here.

 

[Propane Goat]

Definitely post hands, there's a lot more to it than just your VPIP. It's hard to diagnose anything until we see how you're handling various situations; for hand analysis try to post marginal situations where you had a really tough decision to make and you will get better responses.

 

[klickitat]

Ok thanks, I will do that Thurs. at the next tourney. I played tonight and went out 14th. This is the worst I have done to date. I know the 5 mistakes that I made tonight that cost me 3 big blinds when I went out.

I was not getting any cards at all so I pushed twice with crap that I should not have,4x's the blinds with k 10 suited and Q J suited on the button trying to steal the blinds and was called by loose players that I picked out at the beginning and sat behind on purpose. These two hit on the flop and raised. One was a straight and one was a flush. I hit my king in the first hand and raised half pot and was instantly raised all in. I folded and he showed the straight.

I knew the guys were super loose and seen them fold to these bets already but also seen them call with crap. I got called with 9 J offsuit and A 6 suited.

Anyhow those were two early hands that I feel I pushed too hard with cards I had no business playing. I only played 6 hands in the 2 1/2 hours because cards were just so horrid. I ended up getting down to just 3 1/2 big blinds with wild players to the left and right. I was in the cutoff with A 10 offsuit with checks around to me. I went all in. Everyone folds to the player 2 behind me and he calls me with A 8 offsuit and turns an 8.

One of the worst nights I have had for not catching cards. I did have a guy try to slow play pocket aces against my K Q offsuit. I was big blind and it was checked all the way round to me and I checked. I flopped a K and trash. I bet Half pot, under the gun called. Turn came K and I bet half pot again and he pushed all in, I called and put him out of the tourney. That was what half the players there tonight were.

I would say that 1/3 of the players are regulars and the other 2/3 rotate in and out with new faces every week.

When I make final tables I always seem to be short stacked when I make it. Not tonight.

I always bet 3 -5 times the blind depending on the players and what it takes to induce folds from most of the table. I do not like playing against more than 1 person at a time if I can help it. Once I figure out what it is taking to achieve this then I stick with it. Seldom is more than 3 x the blinds for a raise pre flop. If I hit then my cbet is half pot dependant on who the opponent is and what their stack looks like and position. I try really hard to advertise the tight image until final table. I keep it up until or as the table shrinks and then I start widening my range as we lose players. My strategy tonight was not to get into all ins without the nuts so as not to be put out before the money, but I never made it to the final table before blinds killed me.

I have another tourney Thursday and will keep track of the hands a lot better.

I think tonight, I got anxious and lost focus waiting for good cards in position. I also could have waited to see at least two more hands before I pushed all in on the short stack.

Anyhow, thanks guys and please be gentle with the guppy.

 

[Graxa]

Lol. I think its really really nice that you have realized that you are a guppy. It is a huge step forward! You know, poker is not only playing cards. It is so much more

 

[ph_il]

If it's a weekly game, winning 1 game/6 games (6 weeks) isn't bad at all. It might seem like it's bad, but it's a weekly thing, so the days in between might make it feel like you haven't won in a while when it's only 6 games you've played. So, don't worry about that.

There is a lot of variance in poker and a lot of luck is involved as well; you're going to have to win flips, sometimes ahead and sometimes behind, if you want make it deep it. As long as you're getting your money good in +EV spots, you'll do well in the long run. Don't worry about losing hands like A10 < A8, it happens, but keep in mind that you win that situation way more than you lose.

It sounds like you play a pretty standard TAG style and you understand how your opponents play. Just keep playing TAG and extracting as much value for your hands from your weaker, loose opponents. Don't be afraid to clash with loose players when you have strong hands.

 

[klickitat]

I played again tuesday and took second place. I made the money. I played really well until I learned a new soft spot. Heads up killed me. I played against a guy who I almost knocked out at the beginning of the final table. He battled back and beat me in the end. He is one of the best players I have ever seen. He is so patient and so well balanced. I really want to play him again and get to know him.

Anyhow he showed me how bad my heads up game is and right now I am working on that playing online. I have tried a couple of strategies that I have read on here but I have a tough time with HU play.