[razor]

I know there are alot of posts on here looking for advice, and I appreciate your time in anwsering those as they have been helpful, but I'm stuggling and wondering what I'm doing wrong.

I'm fairly new to Poker. I've been playing online for about 5 or 6 weeks, played in a few home games, and have been doing a bunch of reading. I haven't been doing very good, so i'm guessing the stategy i've been using isn't too good. Please bear with me as I outline it and feel free to hammer me on any obviously stupid plays.

In early position I only play AA, KK, QQ, JJ or A-K or A-Js (s=suited)

In Middle position I play the above hands plus 88,99,10 10.

In Late position I play Any pair and suited A thru 2

When I say 'I Play" that usually mean checking what ever I need to see the flop, unless it's nuts what someone has been raising. I'll usually check if the raise isnt more that 2x the Big Blind.

Part/most of this strategy comes from an artilcle I read somewhere on this site.

After the flop I just try to play sound poker.

To me that seems pretty conservative.

I just seem to alway be getting spanked. Any advice would be helpful!

[lork]

This is just my take on it so take my advice with a grain of salt. It seems to me your playing way too tight. You are only playing premium hands from early position and good hands from mid position. Dont you think the players at the table will catch on to you? If I played with you and saw that you are playing a hand, id be like "damn he must have something good because he only plays premium hands"

How are you gonna make any money doing that?

you also said your checking to see the flop. I think you are saying you are limping in all the time. This can be good but you shouldnt limp in all the time. If you get a good betting hand, bet with it. If you get a crappy hand and they let you limp in, do it.

[chris]

I take it your playing no limit holdem the best advice i can offer is to buy a copy of David sklansky's guide to holdem and theory of poker. these will give you a good theoretical understanding of the game.
You don't mention betting in your brake down of your game. Its important to be aggressive when you feel you have either the best hand or a chance of improving to the best hand AND a good chance of making your opponent fold'
Also your starting hands are perhaps a little loose drop jacks and ace queen ace jack down into middle position also Ax suited is a money loser try just A-10 suited and A-5 suited that way you have a chance at a straight as well as a flush.
Always raise with big pocket pairs or if there are aggressive players who raise a lot of pots to your left check raise them.
Twice the big blind is not a large raise in no limit three or for times the big blind is quite normal.
The requirements for raising go down as you get towards the button so it becomes worth raising with jack jack down to 88 or even 87 suited if you think you can steal the blinds obviously the less people that have called the more likely you are to succeed and if there have been early position callers it might be better to just limp. This is by no means expert advice or a fraction of what you need to know but i hope it will be helpful

[razor]

Thanks a million for the advice you all! Tried playing a little bit looser in middle and late position this evening and did better! Actually won a pot by raising and everyone folded! I guess theres a first time for everything!

[ThomasR]

Your play is solid, but it's also very predictable. People will soon think right, he's in the hand so he's got a high pocket pair. This is all well and good for taking small pots unchallenged, but people will be intimidated to play against you if you've raised so you aren't maximising your hands.

Look at the situation, is the field narrow? Have people folded? In which case, is your hand enough to perhaps invest a few chips in to see the flop? You've got to think like that, and play the odd non-premium hand. After all, you could flop a flush or straight - it won't happen that often, but if it's only costing you the BB to see the flop then why not? Now and again it will pay off, and you won't be seen as a stiff, one-dimensional player.

[DeepBlue]

Sounds as though you're getting a little too predictable. There is nothing wrong with playing it tight and sticking to your guns, I admire that.

I just think you could win more by loosening up a little now and again to give people at the table mixed signals about how you play and what you bet with, as well as taking the odd chance and seeing the flop.