Is this what I should expect from poker?

Hi.


I'm going to write about losing streaks. This may be long, I'm not sure yet. Anyway, I've been playing on paradise beginning June, and have won $3200 by mid August playing about 75 hours of 0.50/1 HE, 200 hours of 1/2 HE, about 100 hours of 2/4 HE, and about 50 hours of 3/6 and 5/10. However, since August, I have been in a 170 hour losing streak playing mostly 2/4, and I have lost $650 in the process. I actually was down $800, and then got back even, and yesterday, I went completely berzerk and lost $600 (mostly on 3/6 5 handed, and full tables). I lost $200 of it playing 20/40 like a complete idiot. During my losing streak, I had this tendency to jump to the 3/6 heads up tables after some bad losses. I'm either up like $20 or down $20 playing heads up. I know this is not a unique experience, but I was just wondering how common losing streaks are. Do you guys win for a couple hundred hours, and then lose for another 100-200? Or do losing streaks occur once every one or two years? If what I've gone through is common, I'm seriously considering quitting this game. Also, how adversely will my win rate be affected by this $600 loss, of which I think $300-400 were in mistakes? Anyway, thanks y'all for reading my story. Would really appreciate comments. Thanks.

Well, this is obvious, but you have a leak in your emotional control! You've got to control yourself, you're your worst enemy.


For many people their worst enemy in poker is themselves! I know I can't control my emotions too... Just blew $200 at 10/20 playing too loose!


- Tony

BTW, congrats on your winning record! /images/smile.gif - Tony

By the way. This is the first time I've ever went out of control like this. Usually, I'm pretty good at keeping my cool.

Fireegg,

This may be the first time you've lost control, but let me tell you it is very easy to do, and at 3-6 online you can literally blow through $400 before you blink. You have a winning record, so my guess is you are a decent card player. You must remember that losing streaks on Paradise will be long and brutal; you must be prepared for the worst kinds of bad beats, and when you are in a losing streak they will come in rapid succession and make you question everything you know about the game. But REMEMBER: Online poker is always available. You didn't drive 3 hours to your casino, and there is never pressure to play; just turn the computer off for awhile if you feel the slight bit steamed. The game will always be there for you. Also, don't play headsup...........ever. Never play above your bankroll either, and you willl be fine. Good luck.


Jeff

Due to the much higher number of hands that are dealt per hour in online poker, your financial swings per hour will often be greater than what you'd normally experience in real/live play. In addition, it has been my experience that the speed of play and the relative lack of visual and auditory cues make it more difficult to maintain concentration and avoid tilt.


It sounds like you have tilt issues which need work. Why do you like to play heads-up when running bad?

You have played for enough hours that is most likely that you are a winning player at the limits you are playing. Playing $20-40, which is not one of your regular games, in the middle of a losing streak, leads me to concur with another poster that you have tilt issues. The fact that you back away from the $20-40 after losing so little means that there is hope for you.


There are no quick fixes for a long losing streak. If you are stepping up to get even then stepping back down after a win that gets back what you lost a lower limit then you are just whistling past the graveyard, hoping nothing bad will happen to you this time.


Depending on your skill level, compared to your opponents and the number of hours you play per month will determine how often your losing streaks will come around and how long they will last.


I have a tendency to pay off river bets, during a losing streak. This of course makes it worse, but I do get to show my cat how I was leading till the river card. Lately, he has not been interested in my oh-woe-is-me pay-offs. He can be replaced.


I tend to get 2-3 100 BB and maybe one 200 within about 90 days. They bite. Don't let them get you down. We have a fellow poster here who went through a 600 BB losing streak in 33 days. He called it "33 days in Hell". Gives me the creeps just thinking that something like that is waiting for me also.


If you have a winning heads-up game, continue to play it. Don't dig the money pit any deeper than the cards demand. You are just going to have to fill it in later.


Have a nice day.


MS Sunshine

I've played with you on the 2-4 tables and I think you are a solid player. I've watched your play and ran you stats.

You can definitely get into down swings but you *MUST* keep control. A winning player can turn into a losing player very quickly if you don't keep your control.

Losing can feed on itself if you let it and it sounds like you do. When you lose you should not be thinking "How can I get this back quickly?" That's what I hear when you say things like you played 20-40 and heads-up matches. That sounds like desperate attempts to quickly make back the money you lost.

You will make the money back much quicker and not loose your entire roll if you keep a level head and keep playing a solid game at the level your bankroll can afford.

If you start losing too much (Half your bankroll or more) it could be just fluctuation, but it probably is a loss of control at some level. In these situations sometimes the smart thing to do is take a break for a couple of days, then go back to the tables and drop down a level. You'll have a good size roll for that level and should be feeling confidence that you can win. You know you've already dominated this level, so you have it in your mind that you are just playing here to pick up some easy money and build your roll back up.


Poker is a game of the mind. You must have a strong mind to succeed. The moment you let your emotions muddle your mind, you will not be playing your best game.


One final piece of advise would be to grab some of your hand histories from recent down swings. Look at the hands you played. I bet you will find you played some pretty crappy hands that can look "good" at the time when you are frustrated and trying to get even. I know I'm guilty of losing it every once and a while. I try to quit as soon as I realize what's happening. I'll play a hand with a marginal holding, get my butt kicked and lose 6-10 BB in the process. I'll then smack myself, realize I'm and idiot and quit for a while.


Good luck and keep a level head. You'll get back on your game.