How long to stay away?

[Zez]

Just need some advice -

Background: B&M player, mostly 4-8 with kill or 3-6 with kill. Been playing seriously for 4 years, trying to learn as much as a can and trying to move up in limits. Only get to play once or twice a week because of the scarcity of card rooms in Oregon.

I did well until recently. The graph on StatKing was jagged , but trending up. My bankroll hit it's peak in January -- then the plunge. Losing session after losing session. No more up and down jags, just down, always down. StatKing now says I've been on a downswing since September 2003.

I strive to play tight and aggressive (the way i've learned from these forums). I don't ask for deck changes, think there are hot seats, wear lucky hats/socks/shirts/nose rings. I don't believe aces always lose. I'm a rational, skeptical, math geek -- yet I'm truely feeling cursed. So I know it's time for a break.

The question, how long a break? How will I know I'm ready to go back? Should I take a break at all? I mean, the downswing isn't going to reverse if I don't play.

I play regularly with another (frequent) poster on 2+2. We've been studying my play and can't come up with any major leaks. Sure, I'm make mistakes (mostly by being overly aggressive), but not enough to explain this disaster. I want to tell myself to ride out this stretch and wait for the cards to improve, but I was telling myself that 3 months ago . Now it's really starting to get to me.

So anyway, just looking for some ideas and maybe some advice from people who have been in a similar situation. Thanks for listening.

[SnakeRat]

Maybe buying and reading Ed Millers book will improve your game.

It may also make the game more fun and interesting since you may be making plays you dont normally make, and thinking thoughts you dont normally think.

My 2 cents, mostly speculative at this point though.

Oh and remember you arent cursed, and try your best to think positively and find good games.

[Zez]

Yeah, I've been looking forward to Ed's book. Maybe I'll stay out of the poker room until I've read it.

Thinking positively has been a problem lately. Finding food games has not, which makes the situation worse. I sit there thinking, "How can I be losing to these people?"

Z

[Chah Ngo]

[ QUOTE ]
Finding food games has not

[/ QUOTE ]
Come on up to Washington. We have money games. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[playerfl]

Try learning another type of poker.

[playerfl]

that probably didn't sound right. What I meant was holdem is hot, but its not everybodies best game. Also you might just be burned out on holdem, and playing something else for a couple months could un-fry your brain.

[jim grass]

Zez only you can decide what is right for you. Every player has unique needs and one size does not fit all.
When to come back is when you have calmed the storm within.Taking a break as in all things brings clarity and getting recentered.

jim grass

[Warren Whitmore]

Consider putting your hourly results on a statistical process control chart. This will tell you if it is random or real. If real it will tell you when. If you record other factors it will tell you why as well. Delta T is not a variable of relavance.

[Zez]

Thanks for the advice, I'm looking into this right now. Any good web sites you could point me to regarding control charts?

[Zez]

This good advice too. I need to get 7stud h/l and Omaha 8 in my repertoire. That way I can work on my general poker skills while taking a break from HoldEm.

Getting hard to find these games though. The closest card room is all holdem all the time. My other option, 90 minutes away, usually has one table of stud or Omaha, seldom both.

[Zez]

This is true. It's just hard to tell when the storm is calmed. Right now, I'm itching to get up to the card room. It's Friday and the place will be packed with gamblers just throwing chips around while the good players collect them in huge stacks. I feel tanned, ready and rested to play. But the question nagging me is how will I feel if I have yet another losing session? This is really what's getting to me. Instead of just shaking off losses as I used to, this cold streak is making me angry. After a losing session, I seethe. Until I can look at losses objectively again, I need to stay away.

[Zez]

Yeah, but food games are great when you're hungry. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Blarg]

If losing makes you mad, you definitely need to stay away for a while. That happens to me sometimes too.