THE SLIDE - is it over?

[fyodor]

Beginning last Monday I went on the slide of my life. At it's peak early this morning I was off for over $6000 which amounted to 444 Big Bets at a combination of 10/20 & 5/10. (There was a little 2/4 and some NL thrown in but not much)

This morning I just won 26BB back in a short session.

[aslowjoe]

You must be young or new to the gambling world. After 20 years at the racetrack the most important thing I learned
"DONT ANGER THE GAMBLING GODS". So quick make a sacrifice and get your but back to winning!
Joe

[ctv1116]

Geez, and I thought my 200 BB sllide on 5/10 was bad...

[fyodor]

The slide continues. That small win this morning was obviously a mild aberration. Just gave it all back and a little more.

Slide now stands at -468 BB

Now it's possible that the actual aberration was my first 16 months online where I steadily won at every level I played and now my true strength (or lack thereof) is showing. It's also possible that I have simply forgotten how to play.

The only silver lining in all of this is that I am pretty sure I have exceeded strip's whine threshold.

I would post some hands but there is nothing to see. Just plain getting sucked out on over and over combined with actually being beat to begin with (KK v AA and the like) along with some guys accidentally backdooring a hand when they had another reason to be there (AA vs QJ flops a Q to call down and backdoors the flush)

I don't doubt I made some bad decisions during the slide but nothing that would have added up to almost 500 BB.

I think I'll just play some 1/2 for awhile even though I still have enough of a roll for the 5/10.

OK that's the end of my whining such as it is. You will hear no more from me untill I win at least 200BB back.

[stripsqueez]

excellent losing - i bow before you as the loser king - i could only manage a 380BB downturn - can you get to 500 ?

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[DrGutshot]

Sweet lord....I thought my 220bb slide was a sure sign that I suck at poker. Maybe I should stop pussying out of 5/106max with this 3/6 trash and move back up...

Then again, maybe I suck at poker.

-DrG

[Jeff W]

I think this is the largest downswing reported on 2+2. You might want to make a post on the Texas Hold'Em General forum to see if anyone can beat you.

My worst downswing was 300 BB at 5/10 6-max. I can only imagine the crushing emptiness that comes with losing >400. Players new to shorthanded play should have to read this before starting. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[joker122]

how many hands did you have at this limit before the slide begun?

[tempest7178]

ouch, you win fyodor.

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
how many hands did you have at this limit before the slide begun?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thas the question. Could be an upswing ending, instead of a downswing starting.

Freakin

[TJD]

380BB - what level strip? Did u ever feel completely at a loss as to why? Did u begin to doubt your own ability?

T

[fyodor]

The good news is I am sure I now have the record and have exceeded Strip's expectations.

The bad news is I am sure I now have the record and have exceeded Strip's expectations.

Went off for another 47 BB at 1/2 SH last night to push the mother of all downswings over the 500BB mark. Now stands at 515BB!!!!

For those of you who questioned whether I had moved up too soon I had over 90,000 hands in PT at 5/10SH. I know that's not enough but it should give a pretty good indication. And even with this big loss that number is still positive.

I freely admit that during the last week I did come to doubt my abilities. But then I just looked at some of the hands and played some more and saw the same beats again. I don't doubt that if I sat at a table of serious pro's I would be a loser but against the bunch at Party 5/10 I am easily, easily, easily in the top 25%.

[kiddo]

After 900 hours (90K hands) your winrate should be 95% right +- 1BB.

99.73002% it should be +- 1.5BB

You have to play about 4000 hours (400K hands) to be 95% sure u are +-0.5BB (99.73% +-0.75BB)

[Guy McSucker]

Don't worry fyodor.

We're only talking about $10,000 here. A dollar isn't worth very much nowadays. $10,000 doesn't even buy you a portion of fish and chips once you've converted it into pounds sterling.

But seriously...

It seems like this heavy slide business is more common than we'd like to believe. I've had one (although mine is down to sucking more than bad luck), Jeff W, you, strip, balkii is breaking even or something for 35k hands (apologies to balkii if I misunderstood his post), and if you check back to Schneids's "60k in 60 days" malarkey you'll find him dropping a large number of bets, well over 200, in just a couple of days.

This is kind of scary. Just how big a roll do we really need, and how much tolerance of horrific slides is healthy?

Anyway, fyodor, keep it together old bean. Money lost is money lost; it doesn't matter that much unless it makes you or those around you miserable in one way or another. If the loss of funds by itself isn't hurting, and it sounds like it isn't, then don't let the losing-at-poker make you sad, either.

Guy.

[aslowjoe]

Take a week off and regroup watch some hockey (oops)and then try something a bit different play some O8 or try to win 50BB at each lower level. Even though you are taking lots of bad beats you are probably not at your sharpest and your confidence is not high which leads to the wrong decision in marginal situations, you haven't lost your skill you have lost your edge.

Life cycle of a succesful gambler
Studies and reads a lot, 100% focus, wins a bit.
Works even harder wins even more
Gets on roll, makes inspired decisions wins a lot.
Gets sloppy, playing with 95% focus makes a few bad decisions takes a few bad beats pushes marginal or -ev situation because he is due and begins to lose. He must now go back to step 1 if he wants to resume his winning ways otherwise he crahes and burns.

Good luck Fyodor it will turn around soon.

[naphand]

Hockey is played by girls, and so is "rounders" (sic) (aka baseball), in the UK we play rugby "football" without the need for all that pansy protective gear, in the mud on real grass, in the rain. We may be 3rd-world by living standards, but we are a lot harder than the soppy "I need a gun for personal protection" yanks who appear to be obsessed with "protective equipment" of some kind or another. Jings, just look at those dumb atronauts, what is all that gear for? If GB ever get enough money to build a rocket, our boys will be up there in y-fronts and a 2nd-user aqualung. Entertainment? I weep with pity.... /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[TazQ]

I've exchanged quite a few hand histories with fyodor. He is definitely a winner at 5/10 and 10/20.

I mean, you just need to play tight at 5/10 and you'll win at least 1 BB/100.

Just amazes me how big swings can actually get...

[Guy McSucker]

[ QUOTE ]

Hockey is played by girls

...

but we are a lot harder than the soppy "I need a gun for personal protection" yanks who appear to be obsessed with "protective equipment" of some kind or another.


[/ QUOTE ]

At my school we - the boys - played hockey. I wish I had had more protective equipment. It definitely hurts when that ball hits you between the eyes, and when that stick hits you in the back of the legs. A lot. I had a seam-shaped scar on my forehead for a very long time.

That said, the catching mitts used in baseball are a joke.

Are we off topic yet?

Guy.

[naphand]

It is supposed to hurt, it is ritualised combat, after all. Scars are the badge of the hard nuts, and define you as someone who has mixed it. Wearing protective gear to stop getting scratches, and going to your local surgeon to have scars removed is just plain backward. While it might be nice to think of playing sport "without pain", that kind of thinking may be reposnible for all sorts of dumb a$$holes getting elected, who know nothing about pain and suffering and combat, but who are quite happy to have others carry out their dirty work "in the name of God and Country".

Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori (http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/Dulce.html)

What a load of bollocks.

[fyodor]

Well Nap, the way I play hockey I would make you proud. I used to play in a pick-up game at Moss Park Arena at midnight on Tuesday. Some guys wore full equipment. Some guys just gloves, a helmet and shin pads. Me? I had skates on.

And there wasn't a man on the ice that wanted to go into the corners with me.

[Guy McSucker]

[ QUOTE ]

And there wasn't a man on the ice that wanted to go into the corners with me.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ice? ICE?

When I was a kid, the game was called off if there was ice on the field.

And frankly, wearing skates to a hockey game just sounds dangerous.

Guy.

[naphand]

I must confess I am a bit of a closet fan of ice hockey, but I like it slapshot style, you know, lots of fighting. They still wear too much kit, so yeah, good for you dude. They must have been thinking you were just way too hard to take on.

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
380BB - what level strip? Did u ever feel completely at a loss as to why? Did u begin to doubt your own ability?

[/ QUOTE ]

a mixture of 10/20 and 15/30 - it was around $10,000

being human, the other answers are yes and yes

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
Hockey is played by girls, and so is "rounders" (sic) (aka baseball), in the UK we play rugby "football" without the need for all that pansy protective gear, in the mud on real grass, in the rain

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm with you naphand - not too sure about rugby union though - any game where you have to tape your ears to your head in order to keep them seems a tad much to me

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[chezlaw]

I like that game where they bounce a rock, specially designed to bounce awkwardly, at you at up to 100mph.

This post is just an excuse to repeat, yet again, the fine quote:

'American football - like swimming whilst wearing a canoe'

[TommyO]

I'm just starting to come out of a 250BB slide. In one two hour session I flopped three full houses and lost all three hands. It never ceases to amaze me how unbelievably cold the cards can get sometimes. Hang in there.