[pritz]

I have been playing for about six months. I understand the rules and how to play the game. I have read several books of Texas Holdem and consider myself a tight and semi agressive player.
I play about 10-15 hours a week. I am winning about 50/50, breaking even. Here is my problem and I am sure it is one that has been asked a thousand times;
What do you do when you don't get enough playable cards to open with. I will open or call with only premium cards thus the problem. I don't get enough good cards to be able to call and win enough to off set the cost of the blinds. I play in low limit games as I consider myself a learner at this point. This past weekend I played for seven hours and never go a pair or connectors and lost $150 to the blinds cost. Can someone give me some advise with this problem?

[lork]

Hi Pritz,what limits do you usually play? Do you play at a full table? or short handed 6 or less?

[johnf]

I always play 1-4,4-8 at the Grand in Gulfport, MS.

The problem I have outlined has been going on for as long as I have been playing. Something is causing me, contray to what they teach in the books, to play to few hands in order to stay ahead. I can win a hand, get ahead 30-40 bucks then lose it back over a period of time because I never get a hand that is strong enough to play.

Help!

[chris]

At low limits you usually face a lot of loose and weak players that will play suited connecters and call you down to the river hoping to catch their cards. Heads up you will win most of those battles but against 4-6 callers and about 2 of them calling you down to the river more often then not one of them will catch their straight, flush, set, or two pairs or whatever else they're chasing. At a table like this I would do very little pre-flop raising from the late positions with 4 or more callers ahead of you the reason I say this is because they will still call you, you won't narrow the field at all and with all those callers if you don't hit the flop you might as well throw it away. With pocket Aces and Kings I would raise from UTG the reason I say this is hopefully you will get all the weak and loose players to fold because now they have to deal with putting down 2xBB and if they're any smart they'll know you have a decent hand for you to raise from that position.If you still happen to get 5-6 callers then I would not raise from that position again.

Also, when playing at tables where pretty much everyone is seeing the flop I wouldn't put to much value in big Pocket pairs unless you flop a set. I would put more value on playing suited connecters. Try playing suited connecters and see how that works out for you . I went to a live casino about 3 times I ended up doing pretty decent and thats the strategy I used. So when I give you this advice by no means am I an expert on the subject. This is just my personal playing style at loose tables where you get a lot of callers. I would appreciate any feedback from the more experienced poker players out there. Hope this makes some sense.

[pritz]

This is a spread limit game.
The early round you bet from $1to $4 and the later rounds it is $4 to $8.

My problem is, and maybe it just bad luck, I don't get pairs or connectors. Most of the time I get one big card and a small card rainbow. I may sit down and win a hand immediately. Then I will watch the puck move completely around the table 3-4-5 times without getting a playable hand. I am calling a playable hand premium pairs,
or in mid to late position connectors or Ax suited.

If I hang with this program, I lose my winnings before I get another playable hand.

It really seems that the only person at the table that comes out ahead is the dealer.