Need some guidance!!

[mrhappy333]

Well I dont know if this is the right place to post this, but anyways,
I dont know what I'm doing wrong? I've read like 8 book on NL holdem, I play a game every thurs night with the same group of guys, and I like to play the 10+1 SNG at Party Poker. I usually make it to 4th on PP, just out of the money, or thurs night, 3rd or 2nd, we pay 1,2,. I know without seeing all my hand histories you dont know what my specific problem is. I usually play a little tight in the beggining, and loosen up a little after the table is a little short. Any advice would be great!!! I'm getting a little down about this. I really want to be a winning poker player. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AHiltz]

Live poker is different. Blinds usually go up faster and/or you are playing less hands per blind. Using position becomes more important as does reading people. Look at people looking at their cards. Watch them watch the flop, then look at it yourself. Watch their betting patterns.

[boost]

on PP the sngs are ALL about the bubbles. you really need to play super tight, folding everything but AA KK and QQ and AK. If you get down to 6-8bb's youre going to need to start pushing (all in) in pos, when it is folded to you. This works because the players will typically pay you off on your monsters even in the first levels of the sng. Also they get scared to bust around the bubble, and will fold a lot to you. Sometimes they will get pissed and call you cuz they think they have to play sheriff. This is not a big deal, most of the time you are going to be no worse then a 40/60. Sometimes youll even be ahead. Like I said, PP sngs are all about the bubble, and you really have to terrorize the other players during bubble play.

[samsonite2100]

I know without seeing all my hand histories you dont know what my specific problem is.

[TLR]

For PP - post some hand histories

For live game - post the blind structure and the general 'reads' about the players

[biondino]

on PP the sngs are ALL about the bubbles. you really need to play super tight, folding everything but AA KK and QQ and AK.

Like I said, PP sngs are all about the bubble, and you really have to terrorize the other players during bubble play.

Am I being dumb, or are you contradicitng yourself? (I agree with the second para, not the first, fwiw)

[boost]

oops sorry I never really proof read my posts, something I should probably do more when I make such long ones..... I guess that made no sense, or just wasnt worded well. You have to play super tight until the bubble, is waht I meant by the second sentence in what you quoted. So you are pretty much playing the sng solely for the bubble play, and practically sitting out until then. Does that make more sense?

[Rondavu]

A general cry for help will generate this general almost obvious answer... You're picking the wrong spots to give action. Find out why you're placing chips in the pot when someone else has a winning hand they refuse to let go of. Is it a weak winning hand they have, and they're a calling station? Is it a strong winning hand, and you can't release second best?

The first step for any player is to improve the knowledge of knowing when and how many chips to put in the middle. The worst type of player will bet small (compared to the pot) when they have a hand, allowing draws to hang around. They will chase for a large amount of chips when they are behind with few outs. We call them fish. Is this you? I'm guessing you're better than this, but it's a spectrum. The better you get, the less mistakes you make. The answer for you is to identify mistakes, and become better at not making them.

The better you get at this game, the harder it is to identify mistakes, because they are smaller, and less obvious. This is where you are at. You're making just enough small mistakes, and perhaps an occassional big one, to kill your chance for victory.

[Sprayed]

A general cry for help will generate this general almost obvious answer... You're picking the wrong spots to give action. Find out why you're placing chips in the pot when someone else has a winning hand they refuse to let go of. Is it a weak winning hand they have, and they're a calling station? Is it a strong winning hand, and you can't release second best?

The first step for any player is to improve the knowledge of knowing when and how many chips to put in the middle. The worst type of player will bet small (compared to the pot) when they have a hand, allowing draws to hang around. They will chase for a large amount of chips when they are behind with few outs. We call them fish. Is this you? I'm guessing you're better than this, but it's a spectrum. The better you get, the less mistakes you make. The answer for you is to identify mistakes, and become better at not making them.

The better you get at this game, the harder it is to identify mistakes, because they are smaller, and less obvious. This is where you are at. You're making just enough small mistakes, and perhaps an occassional big one, to kill your chance for victory.

Well said Rondavu.

[aleksandr]

My advice is to lay off the bluffs, and value bet your aces/2 high cards, and show that you're more than capable of laying down to weakness and strength so people will give you more credit.