Better at other game types instead of standard ring? (2NL)

I just got back into online poker after a few months haitus. Starting off with a bankroll of 15$. I took a dip, but changed a few things and am coming back up. The purpose of this topic is to inquire as to why I might be acceling in certain areas, but completely failing at others.

I've noticed that in standared 2NL 9 person ring games, I am loosing my rear end right out from under me. Chances are that when I sit down with 2$... I'm likely to walk away empty handed, or with only half my original sit down. Out of 5 sessions, I profited one, and lost on four.

I decided to change things up and try 2NL 6-Max Rings. I noticed right away that I was more at ease at these tables, making better calls, pushing what needed to be pushed, slow playing and maximizing value, and even succeeding at pushing bluffs. Out of 7 sessions I profited (.30$ or more) on 5 sessions, lost .15$ on 1 session, and broke even once.

I also ignored BR management (Not doing it again!) and played two types of games that I should not have played:
2$ Heads up: Out of 4 I seem to win 3. But plopping down 2 big ones at my BR level is idiotic for the time being.
1$ Double or Nothing SNG: I win about 80% of these (Playing turbo), but once again plopping down 1$ at a time is not smart at my BR level.

Now after playing some ring games, I decided to play some SNG's. I've played 3 SNG's, and monied twice:
1: 0.10$ Buy-in. 360 People. Placed 17th. Won $0.40
2: 0.25$ Buy-in. 90 People. Placed 3rd. Won $3.16
3: 0.25$ Buy-in. 90 People. Placed 19th. Didn't place in the money.

As We can see, I seem to be doing pretty good at 6-max, SNG's, and Heads up, but my 9 table is really lacking. Should this really worry me? Or should I just continue playing 6-Max since it seems to be doing well with me, producing a profit. Why would someone be decent on the other fronts, but completely suck at 9 Person rings?

I've even gone so far as to two-table 6-Max and still produce profit, feel at ease, and comfortable with it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm unable to provide statistics for 6-Max because my Pokertraker trial stopped a week ago. I think I might not calculate things as fully as I do on 6-Max... but then that would make no sense in the Tournaments where I'm sitting 9 at a table.
Cheers!
The Maverik.

I'm going to say you've got nowhere near a proper sample to judge whether or not your FR or 6-max game is profitable.

You can't judge profitability based on 5 sessions. Not even close.

The only two hands you've posted so far - you've played one extremely poorly, and the second one was ok-ish, but you didn't post either of them to get help - they were pure bad beat stories and should have been moved.

Stop posting hands where you got it in with the nuts and lost.
Post a couple of interesting hands along with reads and history and stuff.

You're not loosing because you're playing the wrong game. You're loosing because you suck at poker.

Well sorry that I didn't jump into poker playing every hand right and raking in the big bucks. If you did, that's great for you, but if I'm not mistaken, the reason for this forum is for tips and tricks.

I'm coming here asking questions. Asking advice. If I played hands poorly, cool, but tell me WHY, WHAT, and HOW they were played poorly. WHAT way should they have been played?

Simply telling someone "You suck at poker" does absolutly nothing. That's like me telling you that you suck at life because instead of being useful and helpful, you're basically raggin on me.

Seems getting a little help from people is asking a little much now a days....


AND before you say "Go read the fucken guides noob!" I've been reading the guides, watching movies, looking over the lingo, etc... But you can only learn so much in a day, put so much into practice each day, and tweak your styles. I used to have a problem playing too many hands, but because of some helpful people, learned a few tricks, and it's done me good in tournaments.

Update: Played a quick (30 min) session. Played one table 6-max. Proved profitable, coming off the table with +$1.05 .

Another good six max table... adding to my total sessions.

Originally Posted by TheMaverik91

I used to have a problem playing too many hands, but because of some helpful people, learned a few tricks, and it's done me good in tournaments.

Thats probably your answer. The fewer the players then the more hands you can and should play. Assuming everyone is equally skilled at 9 player table, then you will win 11% of hands on average. So, if you are playing 50% of your starting hands, you are going to lose. But if you are playing 1 opponent HU, you should probably be playing at least 50% of your hands. Playing 11% of your starting hands HU is unlikely to mean success.

You also have to be careful about small sample sizes. You have made the money twice in tournaments with 90+ entrants. Congratulations. But you have been lucky. I doubt even Phil Ivey could sustain a rate of 66% ITM in a 90 person tournament SNG even at a 0.25c buy in, because people suck out on you.

I would not recommend playing 90+ entry tournaments with a small bankroll because they are high variance. They do look like a good way to buld a bankroll. Everyone tends to think: hey I get $10 (or whatever) for winning, if I win a couple then thats a big bankroll boost. But if you are an average player compared to the others, you should win one about 1% of the time and that figure won't increase a huge amount, even if you are better than average. (See Phil Ivey comment above). While it is possible you might win 3 of the first 10 you enter, it also very possible that you get nowhere in 50 tournaments and lose most of your roll.

Its pretty obvious to say that HU, 6 max, FR, SNGs, DONs, MTTs are all different, but nonetheless true. Its probably best not to jump about between them, until you understand the differences and maybe not even then. If you like 6max then maybe you should concentrate on learning that.

Originally Posted by TheMaverik91

I'm coming here asking questions. Asking advice. If I played hands poorly, cool, but tell me WHY, WHAT, and HOW they were played poorly. WHAT way should they have been played?

You weren't looking for advice, you were looking for sympathy. Obviously if you got it in with the absolute nuts... what's the question? You obviously played it right for that exact situation.
I'm not commenting on hands where you flop the nuts and someone else backs into a better hand and you post the results. Simple as that.
I'm not going to tell you how to play those hands better, but I will tell you that you'll have to stop being a whiny bitch looking for excuses if you want to get anywhere in poker.

If you remember my title to that post it was "Bad beats or just plain stupidity?" So obviously, I was asking a question: Was it just a bad beat or was I playing something stupid. And if I was playing something stupid, then where exactly did I fuck up?

You said I got in with the nuts, so apparently I played that hand well and just got a bad beat. Understandable.

But then you also mention I played another hand poorly. Could you explain?

Now, maybe we just started off on the wrong foot, and that's why we're raggin into each other. I didn't come here looking for fights. I didn't come here for sympathy. I came to play. I came to learn. So let's throw this shit behind us, and start off a little better? Deal?

Linaker: So your saying I'm probably still playing too many hands? My last check was roughly 1-2 in 28-32 hands. It would seem to me that its too low, and almost playing.... ok nvm... AM playing like a nit. Or do ya'll even average less hands than that for 9 max?

You might be on to something.... because I know I'm playing more hands in 6 max.... and I know there's some hands that I play there that I normally wouldn't play in 9 max (and later regretted). Thanks for the heads up information mate.

I'm saying that the hands you were playing may have explained why you were more successful at different formats than others. But it could just have been luck/variance.

Playing 1 or 2 hands in 28-32 is 3 - 6% which is nitty for 9 handed.

If you can't afford to deposit at least $40 to your acct then don't play 2NL. Stick with the play money tables.

You need to be properly rolled to make an honest effort at the game. Then it isn't a big deal if u lose 4/5 sessions right away because u can afford it, that's WHY u have the BR.

I think that is your first problem. Even if u lose at first, if your putting in the effort, reading, analysing and trying to adjust your game then u won't lose at 2NL for very long and you'll start to at least break even or turn a profit.

Get the money in there, play at least 10k hands, post some interesting hands along the way, then post some stats in here and ppl will help you with some problem areas. Then u can work on 1 or 2 things and see how it goes.

Nonofyobis - this is retarded. It doesnt matter if you redeposit or if you have the Money in your Bank Account. If You're asking me your bakroll is how much you won minus what youve cashed out, so You're ytarting with à br of 0 nö mAtter how much you deposit.


OP: post some proper Hands, and ill Be happy to comment.

Ps: the Auto correction and completion System of my phone Males my Head esplode.

You have phone males?

Originally Posted by oskar

Nonofyobis - this is retarded. It doesnt matter if you redeposit or if you have the Money in your Bank Account. If You're asking me your bakroll is how much you won minus what youve cashed out, so You're ytarting with à br of 0 nö mAtter how much you deposit.


OP: post some proper Hands, and ill Be happy to comment.

Ps: the Auto correction and completion System of my phone Males my Head esplode.

how is it retarded? He's scared of losing all his money instead of just being able to get the money in where he should and auto reload if he loses. If you deposit 50 bucks then u are committing that money to poker and less afraid to play with it/ lose it. Show me a successful play on here and only keeps 5 buyins in the acct?

I put in 100 originally and i considered that my BANKROLL. doesn't matter where it came from.

my opinion.

I've built a 15k BR from 2 buy-ins: $10 deposit on party - 5nl was the lowest stake. I wouldn't recommend to anyone to deposit more than the minimum. The vast majority of players will end up loosing money one way or the other. The less you put online the less you're risking to loose. There's about a 95%+ chance that you're going to dump those $100 to either the rake or at a higher stake along with your profit.