what the hell is wrong with me?

I am just eating eternal shit at 25 NL and I just don't understand. Over 32k hands I am down 4 buy-ins (-.58 BB/100 hands), whereas in 10 NL I kill it for 7.5 BB/100 hands over 42 k hands. I just do not understand how I am donking so hard at 25 NL, and I am starting to think it is not running bad.

My won $ at showdown % is 46 vs. 50 respectively.

Very happy to receive any advice. I am just so confused right now why I am doing so poorly.

You answered your own question. Get out pokerev and see if you are running like shit as your W$@SD indicated.

I mean my only advice is don't think the players are any better or the game is any harder because its really not.

I'm in your position too, Will. Trying heavily to stop this shit.

stop paying people off (learn when to save an extra bet), stop calling pf light and study your turn play for weakness

Post some hands for review. Partner up with another low stakes grinder and do session reviews.

pull up a chair, boys, because i was just there...AND FIXED IT.

i was the consummate "cent pro." i played 10NL for most of 2007. i refused to move up, even though i am rolled for 50, almost 100NL. i like to murder the games. and was at 10NL for over 12 ptbb/100 for over 40k hands.

when i decided to move up, i got HAMMERED, and for a long time. i went on a 12 BI downswing in a matter of 3 weeks!! and it didnt right itself for good until about 22k hands at 25NL.

first, i thought it was the poker gods "getting even" for running hot at the 10's. then, i thought i needed to be more aggressive. then, i thought i needed to be even more aggressive. i got so out of control, i started contributing to my slide.

i thought about quitting. i thought about a lot of things that werent positive. i was extremely frustrated, to say the least.

but heres what i found...

I DID NEED TO CHANGE MY GAME TO FIT THE 25'S. but, not more aggro, i needed to tighten up.

the 10's had "opened me up" without me knowing it.

what worked for me? and i stress...for me.

- stop raising "trap" hands from ep.
- stop calling raises with "trap" hands.
- stop cbetting in multi-way pots.
- stop cbetting oop w/o a read.
- stop trying to blow people out of pots.

i moved down from 25/18 to 15/10 for a couple weeks. it was the hardest damned thing i have ever "forced" myself to do.

- start chasing a bonus, if possible. it helped me stop thinking i had to win every pot.
- start raising your pp's, if you dont.
- start calling more. i know that sounds silly, but i was raising when i should have been calling. i was getting floated. i was being 3bet light. and didnt know how to deal with it. so, i started calling and playing for "pot control" with relatively strong hands......for awhile only. i did this until i got a handle on what they were doing this with.
- start becoming ANAL with your note-taking.
- start reviewing your sessions in PT.
- start getting maniacal about finding the best seat at the table. if you dont know how, watch TJ's video on table selection.


abc poker works. stop trying to play fancy for awhile. that shit will disguise poor play at the 10's because you will keep winning. but, people at 25 dont pay off as readily.

make sure you are getting the money in good. you wont be doing it as often, but it still gets done.

and, most importantly, watch what they are showing down. these guys suck, too. they just have learned not to pay off as frequently.

Originally Posted by Deanglow

Partner up with another low stakes grinder and do session reviews.

such a good idea! I'll hopefully have time for that next month sometime. Right now I'm playing very occasionally on Pacific (no PT/hand history capture) and am short of time. But I'm going to remember this adviced for later

yeah i think right now i am playing kind of like a cowboy, paying a lot of people off with TP on drawy boards, and shit like that. I have royally fucked myself on two occasions where i thought i had straight flush draws and i thought i hit my flush and shoved and opp shows TP and takes it down and just...

Thanks for the advice chopper. I appreciate that you took the time to give some good advice.

that's a really good post Chopper! These things have helped me a LOT and I'm sure it will help others too

Originally Posted by daven

Originally Posted by Deanglow

Partner up with another low stakes grinder and do session reviews.

such a good idea! I'll hopefully have time for that next month sometime. Right now I'm playing very occasionally on Pacific (no PT/hand history capture) and am short of time. But I'm going to remember this adviced for later

Daven

Find the Pacific HandGrabber at idleminer.com it gives you Pacific HH's as soon as the hand is finished, which can then be imported into PT.
You get a 1000 hand trial before you have to buy just like PT

Originally Posted by Taxi

Originally Posted by daven

Originally Posted by Deanglow

Partner up with another low stakes grinder and do session reviews.

such a good idea! I'll hopefully have time for that next month sometime. Right now I'm playing very occasionally on Pacific (no PT/hand history capture) and am short of time. But I'm going to remember this adviced for later

Daven

Find the Pacific HandGrabber at idleminer.com it gives you Pacific HH's as soon as the hand is finished, which can then be imported into PT.
You get a 1000 hand trial before you have to buy just like PT

LOL. i bought it 2 weeks before Pacific shut its doors to US players. obv, havent needed it since.

Originally Posted by Taxi

Find the Pacific HandGrabber at idleminer.com it gives you Pacific HH's as soon as the hand is finished, which can then be imported into PT.

cool. Thanks for this! I had heard that the latest pacific upgrade meant this no longer worked, but if it's free to confirm that then I'd be stupid not to. Good thing about playing there has been no HUD and having to watch players more closely - I'd got a little lazy on that front...