I decided to give fixed limit a try again after a few months absence from the scene. Boy, do I regret my decision. It started off well. After a hundred hands or so, I was up $50. But then the bad beats and suck-outs started happening big time. A few hands:

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Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero raises, 5 folds, CO 3-bets, 3 folds, Hero caps, CO calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) , , (2 players)
Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls.

I was down to the felt. I had bought in for $60 on this table.

Turn: (6.75 BB) (2 players)

River: (6.75 BB) (2 players)

Final Pot: 6.75 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has Qh Qs (one pair, queens).
CO has 7c 7d (straight, seven high).
Outcome: CO wins 6.75 BB.

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Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 raises, 4 folds, Hero 3-bets, 2 folds, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) , , (2 players)
UTG+1 bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.75 BB) (2 players)
UTG+1 bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 calls.

River: (8.75 BB) (2 players)
UTG+1 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.75 BB

Results in white below:
UTG+1 has Jc Ac (straight, ace high).
Hero has Qd Qs (three of a kind, queens).
Outcome: UTG+1 wins 10.75 BB.

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Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 6 folds, Hero raises, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (6 SB) , , (3 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: (4 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, BB calls.

River: (6 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, BB raises, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has As Ac (one pair, aces).
BB has Td Jd (flush, king high).
Outcome: BB wins 10 BB.

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Why does this ALWAYS happen at fixed limit? I can't believe people actually make money playing this awful game. You get outdrawn on your big hands - either that or you don't get paid off at all. I guess I'm going back to no-limit.

Results for today: -$142

I don't play limit, but it seems like big pocket pairs get sucked out on quite regularly.

Do you play flush and straight hole cards often? I would think that connectors and one-gappers in your pocket are gold when they hit. Do you get paid off well when you hit these?

I look forward to finding out if it makes you a more consistent winner.

My "saw flop %" is usually around 20 (15-16 if I don't play the small suited connectors and stuff like K-J and K-T from the Button). I do consider myself a tight player.

I'm just amazed how often my TPTK, two pair and set hands get beaten. The times I do make money are when I have an ace flush and someone has a queen or king flush (or when I make a full house against a set and so on).

The thing with fixed limit is that it only takes four or five bad beats for you to run bad the rest of the week. When I play no-limit and lose a stack, I buy in again and sit back and wait for a sucker to double up through. And more often than not, it will happen. It's less frustrating in that sense. I guess I'm not built for playing fixed. I'm not strong enough to handle the extremely frequent suck-outs.

Anyway, I'm whining. I'm still tilting from yesterday, so I'm taking a day off or two from playing poker. I will read that thread you adviced. Thanks.