After initial weak of success at 5/10...

[odawg09090]

Hey guys, this is my first post. Let me tell you my problem.

After reading SSHE, I started playing 1/2 and and moved up to 2/4 then 3/6 (in a span of a month). After a month, I was feeling pretty confident as I was able to destroy those tables. I played on pacific poker where the preflop% is around 55-60%. I made about 1000 a week for a couple weeks choosing tables based on how many fish are there. Then I moved up to 5/10. I played about 8 hours a day for a week and made over $5100 (510 BB). I won about 600, 700, 300, 1350, 600, 1450 On the eighth day, I would've finished the day at -$40. I was following an idiot on my buddy list and he wwent to 10/20. I follwed him there and lost 500 in 32 minutes (46 hands). I lost $200 more and finished down 700 that day. The next day, I finished -800. Then the next day - 150. Then today - 300. That's a total of -1950 in 4 days. I'm not sure what the problem is. It seems like draws are hitting more against me and mine aren't hitting... or that I might just be playing bad (but I don't see it). People are making really stupid plays against me (I follwed idiots around) but they seem to be winning everytime. I don't know what I can do to break out of this slump. Has anyone ever seen this?

Maybe I should keep what I have left and move down a level back to the 2/4 3/6 tables? I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong so I'm seeking your help. Thanks for any advice.

[Harv72b]

Welcome to the forum! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

What you're getting right now is your first taste of variance. It sucks, but it's a fact of life in poker. What sucks worse is that you really did move up in limits far too quickly, and so you're losing a ton of money as the law of averages catches up with you.

Put it this way...I moved up in limits too quickly, and I started playing 4 months ago and have just begun to try my luck at 3/6. If you understand the concepts in SSH, can put them to use effectively in a live game situation, and have the bankroll to do so, you can breeze through the lower limits, but I would definitely not recommend it. Even if you understand the theories, you need the experience that you gain from playing 10K + hands at a given level.

I would greatly recommend dropping back down to 2/4 for a while and brushing up on your basics while rebuilding your confidence. Also, post some hands that have given you trouble on the forum here; you'll get some great feedback, even if sometimes the truth can hurt.

No matter how good a player you are, you're always going to have cold spells in your game. All that being a good player does is make sure that you win the maximum amount when you're getting good cards, and lose the minimum when you're not.

[billuhbong]

worst downswing i've experienced is 100BB at 5/10. I was shortstacked in my Bankroll too which made it hurt more. i recommmend having at least 300+BB to play at a level u want. so for 5/10 have around 3000 bucks. to move up to 10/20 have at least 6, i currently playing at 5/10 and im not gonna move to 10/20 until i got around 7 to make sure i feel comfortable. I'd advise you to do the same. keep hacking away at those tables, tighten up your preflop standards and maybe u wont get burnt as much.