Poker has made me bitter today

Yep, I lost 50BB today. One thin dime.


Although some say this should happen to me twice a week with my skill level, I really can't remember the last time I had a day like today.


I feel punch drunk, that losing fog feeling has settled over me, where you can't wait to call the river, knowing you no longer have a winner, but you just want to see what miracle was needed for the player with no draw and no pair on the flop to win.


When I start talking like this, I know it is time to put the mouse down before someone gets really hurt.


I can't see how bad players take this feeling all the time. I want to dismantle my computer piece by piece and chuck it into the fireplace.


On the plus side the cats haven't bothered me all day. Smart cats, with survival skills, is what I have.


MS Sunshine

Ms Sunshine,


I have checked your profile and you had the same problem as PPPPP. I have corrected your player efficiency setting and put you back to the maniac/loser setting. Please feel free to log back in and play "ANY TWO". You are assured to get your money back in a very short period of time.


No Thanks necessary,


(formerly an) Evil Programmer

Really? I had just sent a fruit basket to support, in the hopes they would reset me to the anytwowilldo setting.


MS Sunshine

Hi MS Sunshine,


Ouch, 50BB, that sucks! That's not too bad though, I'm down 100BB+ in the past week (played a session yesterday where I got an amazing string of beats). Though I play low limits. Anyways, here's a bad beat story from yesterday that will make your bad beats feel like nothing. /images/smile.gif


I was playing yesterday online, $2/$4, and got JJ. Raised preflop, and got 5 or so freaking cold callers!


Flop AJTr. WOOOOHOOOOOOO. I don't want a straight draw to make it, so I bet the flop. All call except one, I think. Turn blanks, and I bet the turn. More callers. River is a Q. F@#$#$!@%#@%@#%@##%@#@#@#@#$^@$#&^##$&!!!!!!!!!!!


I check, one person bets, EVERYONE now folds, and I call. Turns over K7 OFF-FREAKING-SUIT! And she wasn't in the blinds! CALLED MY PREFLOP RAISE! She played a lot of hands but seemed to fold maybe 50% of the time. I guess K7o is one of her "playable" hands, even to a raise. Another thing I noticed, she tended to call whenever there were already several callers. Guess she likes big pots.


I previously won about 70BB in that session, but lose about 60BB of that to beats like this towards the end of the session (ended up 10BB or so). Towards the end, I got an AMAZING string of AA and KK. I think 5 AA and 1 KK within 30 minutes (playing more than one table). NONE of them won!!!!!!!! One lost on the flop, two on the turn, and the rest were rivered, I believe.


Lost once to T5o who called my preflop raise with AJo, flop TJx, and rivered a 5. Anyways, I cashed out $3k, and am taking a one month or so break from poker. I play for fun, so I can do that, I guess that idea may not work for a professional like yourself. Anyways, best of luck, and just remember, it happens to all of us, being able to handle it is what seperates the winners from the losers (I'm working on "handling" it myself, that's my biggest problem).


- Tony

Well there's your mistake. It's been pointed out on these forums several times that all on line poker sites are actually located in my garage. Of course I deny this since as Gary Phillips would tell you I only keep an old junky car in there. However, just to be safe, don't you think you should send that fruit basket to me. Just sent it to:


Mason Malmuth

C/O Two Plus Two Publishing LLC


PS: Please do this quietly. I get tired of David coming over and muching an apple or an orange.

that JJ rivered gutshot is a routine loss..last week I had 3 runner gutshots beatings in a single day. That kind of thing belongs in some sort of hall of shame. Good beats my ass.

MS,


I see that other player (R) from your town in the "big" game instead of you the last day or so.


I bet she won't go off for 50 big bets.


Abe

A few days ago I lost 70 BB in one session and I thought I was playing well. When you are running bad, there is nothing you could do. Good thing there's always tomorrow.

Hi MS,


Guess you suffered the madness of Pokerstars 10/20 and 5/10 the last few days. I bought in for $500 in 10/20 and soon was down to $150, being suckered out by *anytwowilldo*. Built it back up in same session to $750 and quit. That sort of variance (17.5 bb loss in 60 minutes up to 12.5 bb profit in 2 hrs) was sure sign game was too wild, or my play was!. Hell at one point 57% of players were seeing the flop. I decided to take a low profile and avoid the ring. Seems you might have been casualty of the midsummer madness.


I'm sure you'll be back and in profit soon!


redsimon

70bbs=70hours=two weeks of playing.


When I have a day like this I usually get smaller, play lower limits and play one game at a time. so, it usually takes me longer to recoop, but it protects against tilting a BR away.


I had just taken my WCOOP winnings and paid off the last of my credit card debt.


i hate poker


MS Sunshine

Yep, but I'm like a farmer and I try to make hay while the sun shines. One of the few things I have felt that was true about poker is that most of your win comes from a couple a games a month where the the players, for whatever reason have gone nuts. This is also the most danagerous time.


MS Sunshine

MS:


One of the reaons why hold em is not my best game-

is that i run worse in hold em- than in any other game. Does it have something to do with the fact that im less skilled- and put my self in MORE situations to run bad? I have no doubt. But just so you dont feel like the only one- let me post three hands i played yesterday.


I was playing 20-40 HEM on PP. These three hands occurred consecutively.


#1. Button raises. I three bet in SB with 5-5.

BB folds. We take the flop heads up.


9-5-2


We put in four bets.

J on the turn.

We put in four bets.

4 on the river.

I check and call.


Button shows JJ.


#2. Im on the button and raise with J-10s. SB and BB call.


Flop comes J-J-10.

Checked to me- and i bet- SB raises- and we put in four bets.

Turn comes 2.

We put in four bets.

River comes Q.

We put in four bets.

SB shows J-Q.


#3. Very next hand im in BB. Button folds. SB raises- I three bet with J-10s.


Flop comes Q-J-6.

BB leads- i raise-- BB calls.

Turn comes 8.

I bet and get called.


River is A- and I call the BB when he bets his A-9.


Ok. So three hands in a row- and I lose appx 20 BigBets in a little less than three minutes. This happens to me for hours at a time- days at a time- weeks at a time- when i play hold em. Am i running bad? Do i just play bad?


Ms- this happens to me all the time. I guess it depends on your understanding and perception of the game- as to whether you think im running bad. I didnt have the best hand pre-flop in ANY of those examples. Does that matter in analyzing whether i got unlucky? You can decide. But this is a typical day in my life- playing hold em.

After this happens to me- do my wheels come off?

Damn straight they do. Does it cost me money in the long run- that after getting hit with a two-outer- three-outer- and three-outer on three consecutive hands that my wheels come off? Damn straight it does.


But what can i tell you. Im human.

"70bbs=70hours=two weeks of playing. "


Well...if you're reasoning that way, then don't worry. You'll gain time when you're winning ;-)

After this happens to me- do my wheels come off? Damn straight they do.




ROFLMAO


But the difference between a good player, and the next step up, is the number of times the wheels don't come off, under the usual poker stress. I know we both know this, but felt I should repeat it for myself.


MS Sunshine

"But the difference between a good player, and the next step up, is the number of times the wheels don't come off, under the usual poker stress. I know we both know this, but felt I should repeat it for myself."


Yeah. Do you know the number of times- ive seen the winning players at that level on PP- handle those types of beats with composure? Pie's like one of the only guys. Everyone elses wheels fly like birdies. And you know what- the deck proceeds to save them- and calm them down.


For whatever its worth. Of course your comment makes sense. But- that being said:


One of the best players ive ever played with- whos largely regarded as one of the best players in the world-- and who i happen to be friendly with- told me once- that if you never tilt- youll never become a great player. Its not advice id offer to the poker newbie- but its an interesting comment- and makes a world of sense. Thats NOT to say that tilting is the way to overall profit- mind you.

He maybe right. How many times have you seen new players to a higher limit take a few beats and crawl into a shell and not come out until it's time to go bust.


MS Sunshine

Another thing to consider- for whatever its worth.


Those type of beats have happened to me every day for a year and a half now. Trust me- im not asking for sympathy. It should be the worst thing to happen to me in my life.


I just wonder if some of these other 'winners' ran like i did- for a week- what would happen to their games. Cause they lose one hand like KK to AQ and their wheels fly off- anyway. What happened if it happened to them consistently for a week? Or a month? Or longer? I think most 'winners' convince themselves that it could never happen to them. That when they see someone run bad for a long time- that it must be something the other player is doing wrong- and thats why they're so superior.


Someone asked me the other day why a lot of 'winning' players dont like to talk about strategy.


I told him cause if they did- the discussion would go something like this.


Student: "Do you have any tips for me?"


Winner: "Do you steal on the button enough?"


Student: "I sure try. When its folded to me on the button- and i have Q-J i raise-- but it seems like i always run into a bigger hand- likes aces- and flop a Q- and get trapped. Or when i have the aces- they have Q-J and flop a queen- but always make two pair- or trips."


Winner: "Well thats your problem. You're the one thats supposed to be making the five outers- not your opponents."


Point is- when you lose the ones your supposed to win- and lose the ones you're not-- how you gonna end up ahead? Maximize- and minimize i know.

Thats true when the cards break even. How about if they never do? You think it cant happen? /images/smile.gif

Fortunately for most of the winners the proverbial "long run" is much longer than ones' lifetime on this earth.


Jimbo

I'm sure that there really are unlucky players, but for 99% of us, given a few hundred thousand hands, it all comes out in the wash. Everything that is going to happen, happens, for and against us. It is what you do with those hands, that count.


MS Sunshine

I was not referring to a player being unlucky Ms Sunshine. You could have a bad beat streak of 2 years and that not be an abnormal occurance. Your few hundred thousand hands would probably never happen under these circumstances. After 6 months to a year most people would just figure they had no chance. (or begin posting conspiracy theory threads) /images/smile.gif


Jimbo

Today's word is volatility. Can you spell "volatility" ?


I never won on Party, and to be honest with you, have never trusted them to protect the game when they couldn't determine if that young college student was cheating with his dormmates. I'm still waiting for a public apology from them, guess I better not hold my breath. I pulled my money out there a long time ago.


I have been even on Paradise for 90 day intervals at a time, I saw it as the game being much tougher and some players improving their skills. In any case, I have gone on record recently as stating the toughest everyday game is a tossup between the Bellagio 30-60 hold'em and the Paradise 20-40. You may be playing in some softer spots, but I promise you it isn't as soft as you might think.


I play part time, sort of as an experiment to see how much these games are worth. I play multiple screens and sometimes a little sloppy because of that (blame it on my acquired case of ADHD!). but if this is your first time losing JUST 50BB, you have been very, very fortunate indeed.

No, this is not my first day.


MS Sunshine

Sorry, I had a mistake, it was roughly about 40 BBs, not 70 BB in one session. And it took me 2-3 days of playing to get those back. Here was the brief summary of bad events/things happened during the session:


-had AA and disconnected during the hand

-flopped set 9 lost to AA rivering an Ace

-AQ top pair lost on turn to trip 7

-nut str8 lost to boat when river board paired

-set 4 lost to flush on river

-AKs lost to AQs

-AQs top pair plus turn nut flush draw and lost to J8o two pairs on turn

-KK lost to J8o two pairs on turn again

-set 9 in SB but ran out of money on turn to bet with

-76 in BB, flop comes T84, opponent has 97, turn comes 6, and river comes 5. 2nd best hand again.

I'm surprised a 50 BB losing day would be such a concern. I win alot of money at online poker and I lose 50 BB in a day frequently. I would guess that I win or lose over 50 BB in a day 50% of the time. I generally play 2 games at a time and they play twice as fast as live games so for live players this would be about 4 days of play if live folks are trying to compare.


FuzzyWuzzy (and the rest of his online aliases)