Do i need lessons??

[suzanne]

PMSL @ 'people were actually being rang up when I turned up at my local casino cash game'  
I think like you said Adam I am at that middle stage where I have some knowledge of the game but not enough, then I suppose that will only come with experience and learning by my mistakes.
The reason for originally asking this question is because I have a friend who did a poker course and his bankrole has increased considerable by playing very aggresively which he considers to be the best way to play. I have tried but dont feel comfortable bullying the table but it does seem to produce results. Other people have also commented that i dont play aggresively enough. So im thinking I need to 'learn' to play differently or stay a mediocre player.
I will do as advised and read up as much as I can. I like reading the 'how would you have played this hand' threads and think I have learnt a few tricks from them and yes the next time I feel I have played a hand badly I shall be asking for your advise  

[ACE2M]

Be sure to ask for advice, i've been playing for a long time but still make plenty of mistakes. I posted a thread about whether an opponents semi bluff was good or not today and have found several things to think about in my game raised by the blondites. You cannot get better advice anywhere else. Up the forum.

[tikay]

Quite. Up you too Ace2Mouth.

[AdamM]

playing styles are largely speaking defined by your natural character. If you try and force yourself to be loose aggressive when you're actually a patient quiet person you'll fail. if you try and play tight but you're actually a loud, extroverted type, again, you'll fail. develop your own style and learn to play in a number of gears within your style. I personally approach the game from a tight perspective and become more aggressive when either blinds are biting, my stack is large or my stack is getting too small. I might also up the gears if I feel I have a significant edge over my table of we're short handed.
aggressive players will say 'tight' or 'rock' like it's a bad thing but the opposite of 'maniac' isn't 'rock', the opposite of 'maniac' is 'skillful' 

[tikay]

Spot on Adam. as I said to suzanne, "play your own game". You simply cannot be what you are not. Read a book by someone who has a different psyche to you, & you are all sizes & sevens.

Be yourself.

[tikay]

Here's another analogy.

Me? In life, I'm cautious by nature, look for the dangers all the time, measure the downside, look before I leap. (Yeah, boring old fart). In the main, THATS how I play my poker. I don't have much of a game, but it's the game that suits ME, & I do the best I can with it.

Now take, say, Jac Arama. He plunges in where others would fear to tread, looks at the upside, not the downside, & has no fear of failure. THATS the game he plays. Because thats the person he is.

Suzanne - be yourself.

[ACE2M]

If when your moving over the top of some one with your 72o and you are absolutely quaking and shouting fold fold fold fold at the screen. It is probably best to tighten up a little.

[TightEnd]

if you are quaking and shouting "fold fold fold" and it's a live game, definitely tighten up a little

[suzanne]

Hahaha ok i will keep that in mind. Taking Adams advise I would say my normal play is much like yours tikey (does that make me a boring old fart too...mmm) so what book would you advise to read??

[tikay]

Dunno. But keep away from hand-specific stuff, go for "tells", "psychology" type of thing. IMO.

[TightEnd]

Try "The Psychology of Poker" by Alan Schoenmaker Phd

[suzanne]

Thanks Tightend I will give that a try

[TightEnd]

PM me your address, I'll send it to you

[AdamM]

 recommend that book too. I've heard it slated elsewhere but I personaly found it had a huge impact on my game and player reading skills

[TightEnd]

I found it helped me recognise what my natural game was and how I could deal with my natural weaknesses, and player reading skills