Newbie Problem: Playing too long

I've been playing online at Paradise Poker in their $10 max buy-in$0.05/$0.10 blinds and sometimes a 5+1 SNG for about a month now. I'd say I'm between a break-even poker player and a profitable one. I keep having a recurring problem where I will win money (sometimes go from $10 max buyin to $20-30 after a few big pots), yet not know when to leave while I'm ahead.

I'll play really tight agressive at the beginning and try to get a few reads on the people at my table, during which I'm camping out a premium hand. Once I feel comfortable at the table, I start playing a wider range of hands with position. I'll try to take down some pots if I think I can push someone off a hand. Then after 30 mins or so I finally hit my draw and go all in, and I win a $20-30 dollar pot. Since my BR is like $110 right now (started with $50) I'm real content with this. A voice inside me tells me to sit out and go watch TV or something, but I'm trying to become a better poker player, so I will stay at the table and try to win more money, or even just learn how I can play better.

After awhile, my stack will start to dwindle and I might lose $5 or so on a bad bluff or may even get outdrawn. Sometimes I'll lose my whole stack in a tiltish manner and be pissed that I just wasted my time and money.

I'm wondering if I start playing poorer poker once I am bigstacked, and thus relaxed now that I have made a profit. I'm also wondering if anyone else has had these same or similar problems and how they have gone about fixing it. I'm assuming you guys don't play for 30 minutes until you win $6, $10, or even $20 and then just take a break for awhile, but this seems to be the only way I make money. Could it be that I'm on a semi-lucky streak and I'm not making decisions that are beneficial in the long run? How do I know if a decision I make is +EV and -EV? (I can consider pot odds when drawing, but I'm not quite sure how to use expected value). Thanks in advance.

Be patient.
Read FTR.
Review your hand histories, and post some if you want advice.
Realize that short term results are irrelevant.

Originally Posted by johnny_fish

Be patient.

Realize that short term results are irrelevant.

:)

Also, try limiting yourself to 1/2 hour at a time. If you want to spend a few hours playing poker, play a half hour at a time, and take 15 minute breaks, and switch tables each time. If you're new, which I assume you are, the limits you're playing at are full of fish, but your reads are terrible and you've read too much rippy so you're trying to make crazy moves. Just play your game, the fish will play along.

You're going through what I went through in my ring games. Get a big stack and piss it away. Just because you have chips doesn't mean that you can loosen up and play like a madman. Keep playing the way that gave you those chips and you'll be fine.

What I'd like to say to you master is watch out. You're playing out of your bankroll but there's not much you can do about that at paradise. Because of this I'd make some special rules. After suffering huge swings and realizing i was playing out of my bankroll I set a rule for myself. Lets say my B-roll was at 100, my rule was if i went down to 75 I'd play $2 buy in until i get to 100 again. It was annoying as hell but i never suffered through many swings. however back then my poker was not as good, now im the shit and im steadily building up my roll, it's about 440 right now.

You just need to practce discipline. You can see yourself what your problem is, you said it in your post, now you just need to get determined and do something about it. Keep playing tight and steady when your stack gets big.

Thanks for all the replys!

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

What I'd like to say to you master is watch out. You're playing out of your bankroll but there's not much you can do about that at paradise. Because of this I'd make some special rules. After suffering huge swings and realizing i was playing out of my bankroll I set a rule for myself. Lets say my B-roll was at 100, my rule was if i went down to 75 I'd play $2 buy in until i get to 100 again. It was annoying as hell but i never suffered through many swings. however back then my poker was not as good, now im the shit and im steadily building up my roll, it's about 440 right now.

Ya I can definitely tell I'm playing outside my bank roll. The only thing that seems to save me is the bonus I get closer to when my AA gets busted by QQ and I'm all-in preflop. Awhile ago i had $100 bonus and $100 real money.... Now I'm at like $70 bonus and $110 real money. But after playing $10 tables the $2 tables are so slow, but I can see how I need to set rules for myself.

How long did it take you guys to start playing better poker? I've heard stories where the training has cost people $500-$700 before they started making money again. I've lost $100 on other sites, and as of now I'm up $50, so I'm wondering if there is more money to lose.

Originally Posted by iRICHeyes

You just need to practce discipline. You can see yourself what your problem is, you said it in your post, now you just need to get determined and do something about it. Keep playing tight and steady when your stack gets big.

I finally have learned to play tighter and stay tight.

Thanks for the all the help, especially iRICHeyes and IowaSkins Fan.
With the help of your posts and through recently downloading poker tracker, I was able to plug some leaks, and start playing opponents more than my cards.

Update: One month after posting this thread, my bankroll is finally at a safe place for the limits I am playing: $210 (which is above a500lbgorilla's recommended 15-20 buyins)
May not seem much to you seasoned professionals out there, but to someone who has busted 2 or 3 small deposits on other sites, I have accomplished my first goal of playing winning poker.
Thanks to FTR.

It takes time. I can't even say if I'm a winning player yet and I've been playing for two years.

No limit hold'em is an extremely complex game and while you may think it is easy to play, it really isn't.

T.

Originally Posted by ThelVlaster

Update: One month after posting this thread, my bankroll is finally at a safe place for the limits I am playing: $210 (which is above a500lbgorilla's recommended 15-20 buyins)
May not seem much to you seasoned professionals out there, but to someone who has busted 2 or 3 small deposits on other sites, I have accomplished my first goal of playing winning poker.
Thanks to FTR.

Congrats! You'll probably never bust again!

I began practicing the LHE side of br management and never went bust again.

On topic: I leave the table when one of two situations occur. 1. I feel that I lost any edge I have (not able to win as easily) or 2. I get tired. Learn them, embrace them

Its already been covered, but the first thing I did when I read your post was cringe at that bankroll you had.

You're moving well now Master, congrats on that. Remember that if you want to play higher stakes, its okay to deposit more into your BR from your "real job". Just never go and play prior to actually putting that money in your BR.

Congrats man. That's awesome to hear.

side point I thought of while reading this thread:

Poker newbs often bust quicker and more frequently than male virgins. Slow down, have patience, breathe.