High Limit: Am I playing too tight? Downswing like this?

I am on the worst SnG tournament losing streak of my life. In the past week or so, I have dropped about $4000 in $200 and $100 Sit N Goes on Empire Poker. Very Rarely when I lost did I have the worst hand... I know it's easy to blame it on it just being a horrible streak, so I'm trying to figure out what I can do to improve this.

I am thinking I may be playing TOO tight. My flop's seen percentage is usually around 12-15%, and most of that comes from big blinds that I see. This number may be misleading, because I try to steal a fair amount of blinds in later stages of tournaments, and when the blinds fold it does not count as a flop seen.

For the 1st 2 levels, the only hands I play are AA, KK, AK, JJ and 10 10 and AQ in certain positions. After that I losen up a bit, and usually come in the pot for a raise with hands like AJ, QK, A10, 99, 88, 77 and such in good position. When the blinds get to 100, I start making steals.

Another problem I may have is making too many plays late in tourneys. The few times that I have lost without having the best hand, it has been on a dumb all in bluff that has been called. I have also made several dumb calls. Usually these don't happen until at least the 4th level.

I have felt that I have been playing well, and I am usually very good in SnG tournaments... has anybody ever had a downswing like this that is just part of the game? Should I worry too much, or just shrug it off as a normal downswing?

It sure seems like I've been getting screwed almost every time... I hope this is a normal downswing for these limits. (By the way, I have almost exclusively played $215, until today when I've been playing $109s, and ive placed in about 2/12 today)

[sahala]

Have you played enough that you're sure it's not just variance. I know it's a boring thing to say, but that's probably what most people here will ask.

If you're bleeding cash have you tried moving down a level or two?

[ClaytonN]

Believe it or not, 20 buyin drops aren't that uncommon.

[lastchance]

A 20 buy-in downswing is nothing. If you're not willing to lose $10k on poker, you really should move down, IMHO. Having a bad buy-in could trouble your sleep, and that's not good.

Also, learning to multitable the $55's or something may be more profitable than playing the $215's, plus the downswings aren't nearly as bad.

But I would say you are playing too-tight.

Not limping 22 (or most PP's) early on is a terrible mistake. Behind limpers in LP, you can limp a lot of hands.

And stealing is simply position, stack sizes, and hand ranges. 2+2 is probably has the best pushbots in the world, who know the above down cold.

[The Yugoslavian]

If dropping 4k is difficult to deal with playing the $215s (and even the $109s) is a very bad idea. The very active $@15 players have 4k downswings like every other day (and Raptor has them like twice/day /images/graemlins/grin.gif).

Also, your post really doesn't offer *any* information from which one can help you. If you could post specific situations or specific psychological quandaries then perhaps the forum could be of some use to you.

Yugoslav
PS Also, stop whining like a little batch and suck it up if you are going to play $215s and $109s....no one here likes a whiney No0b.
PPS 2/12 is nothing....even the most winning player will have much worse streaks if he/she plays many STTs consistently.

[ChrisV]

Earlier this year I lost 17 $200 SNGs in a row.

$4K swings are not unusual at that limit at all.

[curtains]

Relax man Im down about 5k the past few days. Its normal. Although if you don't realize this is a normal swing, you LIKELY shouldn't be playing so high right now.

[FieryJustice]

How can you be down 4k after lucksacking me every time we are in the same sng???

as for Fee, I'm sure everyone here has had their downswings and all, but sometimes the actual money you are playing for is just too much to handle. I know when I first started playing the $215s, I would get really mad at losing $1000...It took me having a $7500 downswing to understand that you have to have huge bankroll and lots of patience for these things. About a week ago, I dropped $4000 in one day. Since them, I am up $15000. Crazy things happen in these things and there isnt a whole lot you can do about it besides play through the bs. I would agree with everyone else here though, that you might should take a step down...maybe to the $55s.I played like 20 the other day with a friend and just wrecked them. They are like free money! Best of luck to you. Hit me up on AIM if you ever need anything. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Isura]

[ QUOTE ]
For the 1st 2 levels, the only hands I play are AA, KK, AK, JJ and 10 10 and AQ in certain positions.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're folding QQ? I think we found a leak. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Scuba Chuck]

Have you considered this (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=singletable&Number=2934542 &fpart=1&PHPSESSID=)? /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Interesting first post.