[heartbreaker]

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!

thanks,
chris

[quickie]

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.

[DeepBlue]

That should in theory be a fine way to play early on in your "career" - later on, you will learn when you can play less valuable hands, when a bluff may be appropriate, how to raise and steal pots without having to show your cards and so forth, but for now you should be keeping things tight as you are.

I think you are being a little conservative early on - why not pay to see the flop if it's cheap (i.e. no raises)? Yes it will cost you a few chips regularly but hands are often made or broken on the flop so I would be tempted to dig in a little more now and then and seeing the flop even without a "premium hand".