Is this normal because it fustrates the hell out of me

I started to play online seriously within the last couple months. I played play money for awhile before but i went to Vegas a month ago and played in a poker room for 3 days and won at the 2/4 table. Thats when i made my first online depoist. since then i have depoisted over 300. i have lost it all but i can see I am learning as I been playing the $5 SnG tourny's and i have won or placed ITM 7 of the last 10 tourny's. But when i go and play at the .5/1 tables i loose my butt, as players seem to chase to the river card and i lose a good hand. I am a tight player i feel, but i also make bad decisions too. Is this normal? I play on party poker

I'm no veteran of normal NLHE games but I'm pretty sure that ring games are a lot looser than STT and MTT tourneys.

If you're winning at one, Why try another?

Originally Posted by Mashey

I started to play online seriously within the last couple months. I played play money for awhile before but i went to Vegas a month ago and played in a poker room for 3 days and won at the 2/4 table. Thats when i made my first online depoist. since then i have depoisted over 300. i have lost it all but i can see I am learning as I been playing the $5 SnG tourny's and i have won or placed ITM 7 of the last 10 tourny's. But when i go and play at the .5/1 tables i loose my butt, as players seem to chase to the river card and i lose a good hand. I am a tight player i feel, but i also make bad decisions too. Is this normal? I play on Party Poker

The 2/4 tables in Vegas are jus as bad if not worse than the .5/1 tables at Party Poker. This is a long run game and you will make money off those players who chase and call to the river without odds over the long run. You also need to chase better/smarter and play speculative hands that could turn into monsters when you get a bunch of limpers in the pot. Pick up Small Stakes Holdem by Ed Miller and then come back with a 300BB bankroll. You should be killing that game after that.

Sounds quite typical, actually

Some suggestions:

Loosen up a bit, for one thing. Play connecting cards (suited or not) from middle position back. Even raise pf with suited connectors; if you're last to act and it's checked to you you can check behind and pick up a draw for free on the turn. Play big connectors from any position, as well as any pair. Jacks or smaller you want to hit your set, since those hands don't hold up in multi-way pots.

With AA or KK remember that if you're getting 6 way action after the flop and only win 1 out of 3 times in that situation, you're getting a HUGE profit in the long run. Jam the pot with as many people in as possible.

Almost never bluff, and don't try to bet people out of the pot. If they have a piece of it they'll be in to the river.

When you do hit your hand:
Value bet. Value bet. Value bet.

I second the suggestion to read Small Stakes Hold'em. That should help you identify your mistakes.

I suggest playing tighter in ring games. The binds are not a significant enough factor to worry about if you are playing within your bankroll. Playing mediocre hands, while winning some large pots when they hit occaisonally, will lose money long term when you catch pieces and can't let go.

Oh and also, if you're profitable in SNGs, play SNGs. Some people are just naturally better at one form than the other.

[For example I feel quite confident with my ring and MTT game, but I am not pleased at all with my SNG performance.]

Take Gutshot's and LockLow's advice if you have strong post-flop play.

If not, play tighter.

Get SSH and read it over an over again.

EDIT: Oh, you're talking about NL .... SSH is for limit, but still useful for overall poker knowledge.

Limit or NL?

-'rilla

I play both the NL/L SnG's and do well at boths but after reading the above post i found a flaw within my game and thats been that i am extremely tight and very tenative when betting as i worked on this in a play money SnG and really looked how i was playing the hands.