Cold streak or just playing bad?

[AQheartbreak]

I like to say I'm a pretty decent middle limit player (lower spectrum 10-20). For the first 6 months of this year, I was on a tear, and felt like I was playing the best poker I've ever played. But after a short visit to vegas, where I won, I came back and things fell apart. I've been on a long downswing since. I first came to the conclusion that I was too cocky since the vegas trip, and was falling into the FPS (Fancy Play Syndrome) trap, so I tightened up my game. Still lost. Then I thought I was playing too timid, due to the long losing run. Every so often, things would be better, but I would end up being a long term loser (at least it felt like it). I wasn't sure if it was one of those "long cold streaks that hit" or if I never played well at all, and was just on a long lucky streak. I would ask my poker friends (You know, the guys you discuss strategy and analyze problems with - like a study group) and they said things would turn around. But those guys are my friends and may just be trying to console me, or are missing my mistakes. I've re-read the poker books that got me to where I was trying to re-learn anything that have gone away in my game. It's like nothing works, and I keep questioning my play. ANYWHO....

I really am asking for indicators of a cold streak and/or indicators of losing play. I'd like to catch myself if I'm playing bad and would like to change that, so I'm looking for ways to find the holes in my game. It seems like the losing sessions have gone on for too long for it to simply be cold cards. As far as I know, I am not playing too loose or tricky (the game I play in isn't very tough; as in, few tight aggressive players, plenty of loose passive) and I am staying tight. Although I could be wrong. Any type of help would be appreciated.

[MasterShake]

It sounds like you are playing at a live game? Do you log your sessions? If you are playing online, do you use software to track your hand history? I have found it helpful to record what happens in a session, and then go back and look for leaks.

Hope that helps

Master Shake

[jack spade23]

I had a friend who is a really by the book player, one of thoe guys who never chased a flush when odds werent correct, etc. He went on a real bad cold, streak, (we play a .25/.50 nl home game, most of the players are not disciplined, me a little more so.) The last hand I played against him, where i was up to about 70, and he about 15:
me in small blind with 2 /images/graemlins/club.gif 4 /images/graemlins/club.gif, and him in the big. i limp for .50 because thats my style, pretty loose starting hand requirements when im up a lot. any way, flop comes Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif, 5 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. He checks, so do I. turn brings a rag, we both check again. The river is the 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. I bet 2, and he raises me to about 7. I push all in, he deliberates for about 2 minutes, then calls. He turns over Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. this is where he started to go downhill for a bit.


So anyway, he was down about 50 over two sessions. So he gets really angry, and then he comes up with like a new varriation every session to play. The only time he started playing better was when he cooled down, and got back into is routine. He knew that he was better than most of the other players, so he got back in his zone. I guess what im saying is that maybe you should just chiil and take a step back from the game for a week, and when you get back, dotn think about the way you played before, just play the way youre supposed to. If you do that eventually things will turn back around. (by the way, both of us have learned a lot since then and would play it differently now.)

[dogmeat]

You have to look at the long run! I've been playing online for 13 months, 9 months of that 125 hours per month and almost never booked a losing week. However, from August 15 to Sept. 21 I played even. That would represent almost a half-year of live play. No win.

From Sept. 22 to Oct. 4 I never booked a loss. I'm down $700 today. ($5/$10)

Who could possibliy tell if you are a winning player or not from your post? If you are, it will turn around. If you are not, it won't. Better luck to you.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif