I need some help

[Waggho]

As I wrote in the bankroll management thread, I used to play with less than max buy-in and was building up my bankroll. Then some of you guys convinced me that it´s best to always buy in at max, so I did. And since then, my bankroll has been decreasing every day.

It seems like I´m not used to having that much money and that I´m more likely to raise big without the best hand. Often I think people will fold and I raise big and get called down. In some cases, I keep betting big on turn and river to make the opponent fold, but he doesn´t and I lose a whole bunch of money. In other cases, I get scared when he calls my big bet and start getting cautious with my betting, only to see myself lose against second pair or some other shithand that probably would have folded to a big turn bet. I also have a hard time figuring out if the callers have top pair low kicker or a drawing hand.

Another problem is that I sometimes stop thinking clearly when I get excited. Today, I reraised quite big with QQ, two callers. I was last to act. Guy 1 bets pretty big on the blank flop (~pot sized after a good preflop raising), Guy 2 folds. I think "He´s got top pair (tens) top kicker" and reraise. Then he reraises all-in and this is when I stop thinking. Instead of folding I call and one second later I realize that he probably has a set so I find myself begging to the gods for a queen on the turn or the river. Of course it doesn´t come and one whole buy-in is lost.

I seem to be winning slowly and then losing big in one or two hands. Next time I play, I play pretty well, win a couple of dollars, write notes on everybody and feel like I´m the best and then I lose my head again on a single hand.

What is your advice? How many buy-ins will I lose before I learn? Should I have some rule of always waiting ten seconds before I call/raise a big bet? Has anyone of you experienced something similar?

I´m currently -4 buy-ins this week.

Thankful for advice,
W.

[marshall]

Short answer? If you used to be winning when playing with less than maximum bank roll, go back to doing that.

You can't argue with success.

At some point, you'll want to progress and buy in with the max, but for right now, you're not there yet.

[Jason]

In a general sense, it sounds like you're playing with too much emotion and you seem sensitive to lose the amount of money you're playing with. This is a bad combination. Are there lower buy-in tables you can play @? I've heard of sites that offer $1, $2, $3 SnG's which would give you a relax free environment to improve your game and pick up some money when you do well. You need to be comfortable and have a strategy that will stand the test of time. You're trying to feel your way around as you go - apprehensively to boot. Start small and move up at your own pace. If you have long term stumbles take a step back and a step down until you regroup and fix the problem.

[SteveO]

You have to be prepared to lose 2-3 full buy-ins on bad calls and suckouts alone. Make sure you have the BR to absorb that swing. Negative 4 buy-ins is not too unusual so long as that occurs while you play your best.

The point to buying in with the max is that assuming you are playig as well or better than the majority of your opponents, you are maximizing your gains as well as your potential losses.

What site are you playing w/ max buy-in? Party cripples your buy in while other sites let you buy in for huge amounds relative to the blind structure. If you are playing at the latter sites feel free to decrease buy-in to a comfortabe level.

NL ring games are a funny monster. The majority of your time is spent folding and picking up blinds and small to average pots. Every once in a while you are going to double, tripple or quadruple your stack, while at the same time trying to avoid going broke yourself. It sounds to me like you have the small winning part down. You just need to be more aware of self-preservation and avoid getting busted. Sorry, but I don't think anyone can tell when you will learn that lesson.

[UncleBuddy]

I need som help

Sure. The "e" comes after the m and before the h.

Glad I could help

[Mony B]

I went through the same thing you did. Yes you should allow your self at least half the allowed time before you make any kind of decision, clear your head, and if at all fails you dont know what to do, fold and wait till you are for sure. Also try playing some smaller SnG's, right there is a good hour of play time to where you can work stuff out, get a feel for the game. What I am doing right now is bonus whoring, and just worry about clearing the bonus and not making a (MONEY MAKER) a lot of money. Even though we play poker to make money sometimes you need practice and cant play the game all the time!