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View Full Version : What do people really do during a losing streak.?


KenProspero
03-01-2005, 03:41 PM
Let's say you're in a losing streak. You've examined your game, and to the best of your knowledge you haven't sprung any new leaks. So you determine that the cards are going bad.

I'm sure the RIGHT answer is that you should just play your game, if you're convinced that it's just the cards running cold, and not some leak.

However, we're all human, and what we actually do during such a streak isn't necessarily what we should do.

So, the question for the day, is how, if at all do you change your game during a losing streak?

Do you make any changes to your game to break the streak?

Do you drop down the level you're playing at?

Do you play more conservatively on the bubble?

Any other changes?

Since it's my question, I'll give my answer. I ride it out by playing more tightly (and less aggressively).

Reason -- Tight-weak is my natural style, and I have to consciously work at being appropriately aggressive. Despite the fact that I know it's the right +ev play, the frustration level builds as time after time, I lose. Though deep down, I know that this change is not 'right play' it increases the comfort level.

Anyone else?

Shorty35
03-01-2005, 03:50 PM
I took a different approach. If you think you are playing correctly; why tighten up? I just dropped down to the $10's and pummeled them until I was convinced that my "bad luck" had run out.

If you read the excellent posts from Ilya you realize that a bad run is simply a state of mind, and you need to accept it and let it run its course.

I just choose to do this at the $10 tables so it is less painful to my wallet.

(and at the $10 tables, a bad run still results in a high ROI /images/graemlins/laugh.gif)

The Yugoslavian
03-01-2005, 03:54 PM
I've reacted significantly differently during and after every 'losing streak' I've ever gone on.

Yugoslav

hyde
03-01-2005, 03:56 PM
1. I bitch
2. I moan
3. I drop down in $level a bit
4. I stop playing turbos which don't fit my style of play anyway, but sometimes you are just in a hurry.
5. Ice cold heineken doesn't hurt.(though more than 4 does)

ColdestCall
03-01-2005, 04:18 PM
Remind myself that for all intents and purposes, my poker time line is infinite, and, therefore, that a "losing streak" cannot exist.

Or do something childish.

Depends on the day.

Nick B.
03-01-2005, 04:29 PM
What people usually do in a losing streak is...

-Lose their confidence
-Start overanalyzing their play looking for a single thing that they are doing wrong, thinking that will make them a winning player
-Go on tilt
-Play bad

skipperbob
03-01-2005, 04:59 PM
I find some eastern-european pinko-commie-[censored] & remind him that without the Yanks they'd be goose-stepping around Red Square or driving their Yugo's the entire 10-mile life expectancy in one day. Then I get drunk /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The Yugoslavian
03-01-2005, 07:30 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I find some eastern-european pinko-commie-[censored] & remind him that without the Yanks they'd be goose-stepping around Red Square or driving their Yugo's the entire 10-mile life expectancy in one day. Then I get drunk /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

See, THIS is funny!

Nicely done.

Yugoslav
(I hear lap dance artistry can help during losing streaks too)

skipperbob
03-01-2005, 07:43 PM
TU/you're a good sport /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dionysiac
03-01-2005, 09:10 PM
I am in a bit of a bad streak right now. or so it seems having busted 15 on the trot.

Anyway, feeling badly done to, shortstacked (again) after a bad beat with my rockets vs his kings (again) I was ready to switch it off without even playing the stack out.

My wife then stepped in and demanded that I swap seats with her and let her play it out. She also promised me that if I did this then she would win the game.

I relented and gave up my seat and the last 400 chips (5 left next stack up ~2000).

First hand for her, 22 utg. All in. 2 on the flop. double up.
maybe 2 or 3 later QQ all in. called by AA. Bollocks muttered I under my breath. Q on the flop, Q on the turn - the crowd goes wild.

From there I chipped in every now and again, we took a concencus decision on a couple of tricky hands and she/we did indeed win the game.

Two things from this.

1) If you can step outside of your game in some way - like by talking someone else through the hands - it gives perspective and can stop you from freezing or making the bad play due to tilt.

2) If you want to attribute the downturn to "luck" it cant hurt to turn round three times and shake a chicken, or swap seats, or whatever to break the run.

D

PS. boyed by the success I went into another game a half hour later and got second. Now its time to win a further 3 in a row and I should be back where I started.