How do I beat myself?

What a frustrating game! Actually it's not the game that is flawed, it is the bonehead who thinks he can play that is the problem. I'm the bonehead, in case anyone was wondering. All three of my losses at .05/.10 limit have been this way. I was up early. After about 30 hands, I got pocket cards that I could play and I won 2 hands in a row. The first one, I was dealt AA and I ended up winning $1.00 againts JJ. The second hand I won was Jacks over fours against sixes over fours. Then a couple of hands later when I had TT I gave more than half of it back. I should have folded that one after the flop when an A hit the board. Two people ending up splitting that pot. One of them had a pair of aces to beat me and the other had sixes over dueces. If I had folded they guy with 2 pair would have won the whole pot. After that it was a downward spiral. I started out with $11.08 and end with $8.50.

I played on three different tables that night. The first two started out as full tables then people began leaving and they both emptied out. I probably only played on each table for about an hour.

The rest of the night I would win a little bit and then lose. I don't think I loosened up my starting hand requirements, but I did tend to give them more credit after the flop. I didn't pay attention to what other people were playing when I was not involved in a hand. I need to learn how to keep notes on people while I am playing. I don't really know what is the best way to do that yet.

I need to spend more time analyzing my mistakes from this session and learn from them. I need to learn to be patient when I am up and not get to caught up in winning. It seems that when big early and then give it back I get impatient and try to get back up. How do I beat myself? I really need to figure out the answer to that question or I am not going to be able to play poker much longer.