Advice Needed.

[Lavitz 0]

Hey. I don't really post here much and usually just lurk and browse the No Limit strategy area and such but I figured I need some advice concerning this.I have been playing online poker for about a year. (Also, I'm apologizing for the lengthy post ahead of time) I would mainly deposit 50 dollars, bring it up to a few hundred then overstep my boundries, have a few bad sessions and then go broke. I've done this 3 different times. However, around Februrary I deposited 50 dollars at Full Tilt and up until yesterday I was sitting at almost 4000 dollars. After hitting 3500 I moved up to the $200NL games. I expected bigger swings but managed to handle it for about a week until yesterday. Yesterday I had a critical day in which I basically got every major hand I had cracked. I lost a 500 dollar pot when my flopped set was beat to a higher flopped set. However, strangely I felt fine, realizing these things happen from time to time. Variance. However, today I logged on to play my normal two hours (trying to qualify for the "Ironman") and lost my first hand, costing me a buy in after I turned two pair with AK and the villian rivered a flush. I went on tilt a few minutes later. I don't see a problem with my play. I am pushing my hands hard when theres obvious flush draws or I believe I have the best hand. However, the river always seems to bring the dreaded scare card and I'm forced to call his remaining stack which is usually equivilant to about 50-80 dollars into a 200 dollar pot. Maybe I shouldn't be calling these pushes when the flush card hits but I've seen the same people pushing bluffs and its usually a huge pot by then.It is to the point where I am starting to fear pushing into some monster or to get too involved. For example, after a few of these disgusting hands I pick up KK and get a limper to call. 467 board. He bets the pot into me and he is a typical LAG. Normally I don't get cute here and would push for my 150 dollars or so but instead I reraise his 25 dollar bet up to 70ish. He calls with A3 and catches his gutshot. If I had pushed he would have had to have folded (unless he was a TOTAL fish)However a few hands later, in a mixture of tilt and wanting to raise up my agression, I push over a half pot continuation with the flush draw and OESD and some guy calls with top pair K kicker. His KQ holds up and looking back I think most people lay down the KQ when I push but of course the way things are going for me he didn't.I suppose what I'm trying to say is nothing is working. My sets are getting cracked, my overpairs are getting sucked out on, and my semi-bluffs are failing miserably. My bankroll has decreased by a little over $1000 in the past 2 days. Should I just take a break or move down in limits or both? I need some help. I apologize for the lengthy post once again.

[cdddc75 0]

Search the forum and/or internet for "bankroll management".It seems you have the ability to win...now you have to find the discipline to hold on to your winnings.

[throwemaway 0]

Variance blows...but it happensYour overextending your bankroll though, like cdddc said..Take a few steps down to lower limits and start the building process again..

[woodfrog 0]

Yeah whenever I'm getting beat in my normal game due to variance I usually just move down or play some sit and gos our something, or just stop playing poker period and do something else.

[Actuary 3]

drop down limits or go brokeyou aren't that good yet.

[ripptyde 0]

the guy is doing fine. dont listen to the bankroll management nerds. you just got outdrawn a few times with your money in as the fav. it happens..all part of the game. if you turned 50 bucks into 4 grand you are clearly a decent player. Playing 1/2 is NOT outside your bankroll provided you understand there will be swings.There is being conservative then there is being TOO conservative with your roll.What was the line from Grinders..."If you're not careful...your whole life can become a ****in grind'If you are prepared to accept the swings at the level you are playing...then I say go for it. But take a lesson from your last experience.... be careful of boards like that (4/6/7) with an overpair especially if you are playing against a LaGG. He can be on any two cards and you have to give him credit for a least a strong draw or a made hand if he is betting into you on the flop

[jcdoerre 0]

My advice is that if you feel uncomfortable with the way things are going then move down in limits.Sometimes it can be frustrating because you feel like you are trying to "win back" the money you had, or get back to where you were. You can't think this way, it will only make it more frustrating for you and increase the chances that you go on tilt.However much money you have now IS your bankroll, not how much you had yesterday. Play within this bankroll and you'll have alot less chance of going broke.It seems like you're just hitting a bad run of cards, but it can easily cause you to go on tilt and lose alot of your bankroll before you know what happened. To prevent this from occuring just move down a bit. Then, when you feel confident, you can move back up.You can't think of poker as being about winning big in the short term, because if you do you're basically just hoping you get lucky, and then you might as well be playing craps.j

[joelav128 0]

stick with it... everything will turn for the better if you keep playing solid and they keep calling with gutshots...gl man

[Actuary 3]

What was the line from Grinders...

not sure. Didn't see it.**************the OP went on a great rush..it doesn't mean he's good enough to playHis posts suggest a poor understanding of varianc and the mental/emotional strength it takes to play 200NLno offense.