I`m a nit, help me opening up my game

[the clêaner]

I used to be a marginal winner at 50NL and 100NL for a couple of months, before I blew 2/3 of my bankroll on Heads up tables beginning of August. Since then I was kind of struggling to get my A game back. Tbh I haven`t made any money in cash games during August and Sept. Luckily I cashed in some satelites during the wccop at PS.

My alltime winrate at 50NL 6max from March till July was only about 2.2ptbb/100 and about the same for 100NL. I used to play 19/12/2 stats and always considered my game kind of weak tight, loosing a lot of small to medium size pots. Since then I have worked on some aspects of my game and I`m running at 17/12/2.4 wich is still nitty. I would like to open up my game to 22/18/3 or so, but just can`t seem to find the right spots. I believe I should open up my game in late positions more, since my attempt to steal blinds is only around 20%. However, I really don`t seem to find any good spots to do so. I focus a lot on table selection, and always seem to find some calling stations or shortstacks at my tables, that make high % stealing attempts -EV IMO. Another aspect I`m having a hard time is small to medium size pots. I downloaded PokerEV and it shows I`m loosing a lot of these pots. I`m probably not mixing my game up enough, 2nd barreling, floating etc. Also, I probably give up to easy in a lot of pots. I have improved a little bit there thought, since cutting down the number of tables I`m playing.

I usualy don`t like to post stats for review, but I would really like to hear some opinions from other players that have probably gone thru the same problems and have been able to improve.

Below are October, and obv. only a small sample. I probably been running good.

 

[ChuckTs]

Try this, cleaner.

Drop down a few limits to stakes that you don't mind losing a few buyins for, pick a really weak table and play a really, really LAG game. Raise like %75 or more of your hands and go crazy with any draws and at any sign of weakness. I'm not talking about open pushing with trash and coming over the top of a 3-bet with a gutshot or anything like that, but rather playing small-ball poker in almost every pot you enter and really applying pressure at every spot possible.

While you'll probably lose money, it'll give you the perspective of a maniac and you should be able to see where the more successful spots are to open up. You'll be more comfortable the next time you're playing your 'real' game, and can open up a little more.

If you don't feel like going that nuts, then there's really nothing I can tell you but to open up your starting hand requirements a little and play your draws and smaller hands a little more aggressively.

 

[the clêaner]

Thanks for your reply ChuckTs,

Sometimes when tilting, I have dropped down to 10NL and played a really Lag, borderline Maniac game. Raising preflop and applying a lot of pressure postflop, and i actualy have won money like that. I usualy play draws quite aggressive when I consider it`s +EV, regarding odds and Fold equity. I do have problems with marginal hands tho.

I will follow your advise tho and drop down to 25NL and open 2tables or so and play Lag. Also, I have about 100$ on another site and usualy play 3 or 4 HU Sng per day and usualy do very good there. No wonder, since the buy in is only 5$ or 10$ . Will try to grow a bigger bankroll there and play some bigger HU matches, since it has helped my game.

the clêaner