Do you alter your play when running bad?

[DarkForceRising]

Just wondering if it is best to cut back on the tricky plays, bluffing, marginal blind stealing and defense ect...

Or do you keep the heel to the steel?

[shant]

Nothing should affect how you play. If you find yourself not playing your A-game for a specific reason, you need to take a break until you're back to your normal game.

[tytygoodnuts]

What he said.

[onegymrat]

[ QUOTE ]
Just wondering if it is best to cut back on the tricky plays, bluffing, marginal blind stealing and defense ect...

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, keep the riskier plays to a minimum when you are truly stuck. Sharper opponents will know when you're stretching it because you're down and will take advantage of it. The main reason to tighten up and stick with the basics is that everyone is susceptible to tilt and you won't realize that you're reaching too far until it's too late. Before you know it, you'll start finding reasons to push marginal hands and ridiculous bluffs when you should be doing the opposite.

As others have maintained, it's best that you play only when you're sharp, but if the game is fantastic and you are still able to play tight, then have some patience and hang in there.

[istewart]

I fold aces UTG from time to time to keep my image.

[einbert]

If people see that you are running bad they will take more shots at you and make more marginal calls against you, I believe.

I tend to naturally become tighter and more passive if I'm running really bad, I think that this is a mistake.

[miajag81]

[ QUOTE ]
I fold aces UTG from time to time to keep my image.

[/ QUOTE ]

Make sure to fold-and-show for full advertising value.

[Dave5511]

[ QUOTE ]
Nothing should affect how you play. If you find yourself not playing your A-game for a specific reason, you need to take a break until you're back to your normal game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll go w/that. But what do you think of the idea of changing tables? Not because it's just "this table" or "this chair" or "this deck" or "this dealer", but simply because people WILL play you differently if you're running badly. It doesn't matter if you flip up AA on every river, if you lose every time, that's what the suckys are going to remember, not the AA.

[jjacky]

if the sucker play different against me and that means even worse than normally it won't bother me at all. the only reason for me to change the table when i am losing occurs when i think i don't have good +EV because the table is too tough / tight.

[mtdoak]

tricky plays are for trick whores. In all seriousness, I usually sit down, and remember the reasons why I do certian things, make sure its good, sound and reasonable. Pick up SSH, read through it, maybe take a day break from cards, if you've been running really bad, clear your head of all your nasty beats, and get back to the table.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
Just wondering if it is best to cut back on the tricky plays, bluffing, marginal blind stealing and defense ect...

Or do you keep the heel to the steel?

[/ QUOTE ]

At no point in time can you say "I'm running bad". That's not something that can be predicted. You can say "I have run bad over the last # of hours/hands". However, that should not effect your current play or psyche. The only difference it makes at all is if your competitors have taken note, adjusted their play, and you haven't counter-adjusted (i.e. image). Depending on where you're playing and who you're playing, I don't think this will happen with any sort of frequency at say Party 2/4. Most players won't even notice, and the ones who can are playing multiple tables.

[Jeff W]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you alter your play when running bad?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not on purpose, but my game suffers when I am running bad.

[J. Sawyer]

[ QUOTE ]
Nothing should affect how you play. If you find yourself not playing your A-game for a specific reason, you need to take a break until you're back to your normal game.

[/ QUOTE ]