Ok, not everyone can be a rock star playing poker, I admit I suck at it.

Should I buy in for 40 bb rather than 100bb?

I have decent preflop play I like, but my Achilles heel is not knowing when I am beat. All to often I am calling off a 3 street with mid pair top kicker because I think everyone is bluffing me.

This will cap my play-ability per hand but it should limit my weakness of calling all-ins even if I am beat.

Everyone have problems folding hands like top pair or an overpair in 100BB poker in the beginning. Its not just you. You could try playing SnGs instead, until you get more experience. They usually start with 75BB, and already on the third blind level a starting stack is only 30BB. This mean less of those difficult postflop situations, and the whole thing is a bit more mechanical than cash games. SnGs are also a good practice, if you want to play tournaments later on.

It's not a matter so much of how good or bad you are that determines whether you should buy-in with short or deep stacks. It's a matter of where you're comparatively stronger. If you like pre-flop and shorter-stacked play, by all means buy in for less. If you feel more confident playing deeper, than buy-in for full stacks at a lower-stakes table.

Either way, you want to play as low as possible and study a lot while you work up your skills -- and your confidence! I think you're under-estimating yourself since you do a very good job discussing potential leaks

Originally Posted by blix177

Ok, not everyone can be a rock star playing poker, I admit I suck at it.

Should I buy in for 40 bb rather than 100bb?

I have decent preflop play I like, but my Achilles heel is not knowing when I am beat. All to often I am calling off a 3 street with mid pair top kicker because I think everyone is bluffing me.

This will cap my play-ability per hand but it should limit my weakness of calling all-ins even if I am beat.

Alltough it is tough you will loose some money in the process of learning the game, but that is normal. Try and learn to play the proper way right away, which will safe you time and money. 100bb deep is the Standart for cashgame.

And being a calling station is a bad habit, you need to get rid of that asap.

Also divide you're time 50/50 between study and play and if you put some effort into it you should beat the game pretty fast at the lowest limits.

Originally Posted by blix177

Ok, not everyone can be a rock star playing poker, I admit I suck at it.

Should I buy in for 40 bb rather than 100bb?

I have decent preflop play I like, but my Achilles heel is not knowing when I am beat. All to often I am calling off a 3 street with mid pair top kicker because I think everyone is bluffing me.

This will cap my play-ability per hand but it should limit my weakness of calling all-ins even if I am beat.

Middle pair top kicker can make a good bluff catcher but when the population isn't bluffing much or if you face a very big bet you should let it go.

That aside, short stacked play is in fact more straight forward and easier assuming you to it correctly, but you won't win as much with nut hands.

You should focus on palying broadways and not do as much set mining or calling with connectors.

Despite having a short stack I recommend still having auto top off on.

Your short stack will shift the stack to pot ratio forcing regs to play a simpler game too (more flop checks and less focus on draws and implied odds)

Short stack is less risk less reward, If you feel confident in your preflop game but your able to identify you leaks post flop then buy in short for awhile so your not putting dead money in the pot you would otherwise fold 100+bb deep. If your buying in short you should be playing to get to full stacks not 10-20bbs here and there so you can play optimal. A tight aggressive strategy is key, learn to 3bet 4bet fold etc and put in the hands over a month to get an evaluation on players. And by put in the hand i dont necessarily mean play but sit at the table and observe what people are doing over an extended period of time. Personally i love a short stack Tight Aggressive Strategy but you cant be betting on nothing and have to learn the sizes your opponents will call/fold and or bluff so only over time can you get better.

Move down stakes and play full stacked instead. If you have aspirations of becoming "good" one day, then you need to learn to play full stacked. It's more complicated but ultimately far more rewarding.

Buying in for the minimum, in my opinion, puts a target on your back which says "scared money". If you're not comfortable playing 100bb at your current stake I would recommend moving down

Originally Posted by blix177

All to often I am calling off a 3 street with mid pair top kicker because I think everyone is bluffing me.

Playing as a cap stacker (40BB) is actually not even a cure for this, because even then you need to be able to fold hands like second pair or top pair no kicker. There is no other solution for this than to simply work on that urge to be the table sherif. Its ok to get bluffed. Its not a matter of personal honour.