How long does the loosing streak last?

[TheArtist]

Lately(this month), I have been getting my ass kick at the tables. No matter what I do I would loose(not every session but many). In some sessions, I feel like I play some of my best poker and still lose. I have made so many correct laydown on turn and flop that if i add up all the money that I saved I can probably use it to go to Disneyland. I have took so many retarded beats and I think I am going mad.

Everyday, I would read HPFAP and focus on playing solid and I still keep loosing. I even read over articles about fluctuations, variance, and loosing streaks. However, running badly for this long is destroying my confidence regarding my ability. Particulary, when the worst players in the history B&M games is making me look like a chump with his brilliant plays and there ain't a thing I can do but fold. It make me ponder if I just plainly suck and should just quit now.


Any words of wisdom for me?

TheArtist

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

It happens. If you are playing well and the cards are going against you, keep playing well. Roy Cooke's article in Cardplayer this month mught help give you some perspective. Even the best players have losing streaks.

Meanwhile, post some hands if you can.

[Al Mirpuri]

Do you keep records? I do. I've played in a home game for the last four years. At the start, it took twelve sessions before I showed a profit. At the start, we only played 7stud. Everyone was new to me. It took time to figure out playing standards, psychological types and use this info to get 'reads' on people. Yet, some of these guys had never played poker before. I had. Most were drinking whilst playing. I didn't. Some were smoking marijuana. I didn't. I should have been beating these clowns! In time I did and big!

The time came when I reached 900+ big bets off this game. Then the first slump hit. I lost back nearly 300 big bets. Some nights I played the best poker of my life just to lose a little. I began to doubt my ability. The lunatics had taken over the asylum. I reread the books in my poker library. It did no good. Then just as it had come, it went. I started to win again.

The day dawned when I had reached 1800 big bets off this game. Momentous. Then a losing streak kicked in and I lost around 300 big bets. This lasted many sessions. Some nights I played the best poker of my life just to lose a little. I began to doubt my ability. The lunatics had taken over the asylum. I reread the books in my poker library. It did no good. Then just as it had come, it went. I started to win again.

Later, there was a six month period in which I won only 20 big bets. Pitiful. That poor streak came and went.

I milked the game like an Albanian peasant milks a goat. And I have carried on milking it.

Your losing streak will end. When will it end? No one knows.

It will not be the only one you will ever encounter. As Mason Malmuth has pointed out there is a huge amount of variance in the game of poker.

If you are better than those around you then you will beat them over the long run. Do not doubt your ability. This will only hurt your game. Do not steam. This will only hurt your game. Do not let anyone at the game know how you are feeling. This will only hurt your game. Let the fish enjoy their moment of triumph. If the illusion of success did not exist for them then they would not play.

Never Surrender.

Adapt as the fish adapt. Learn their foibles. Congratulate them when they make dumb plays. Also ensure that you are applying what you have read. Also ensure that you are applying what you have read. (So important, I typed it in twice.)

As someone has pointed out, the long run is very long indeed.

Go back to the game with (metaphorical) baseball bat in hand.

[SoBeDude]

Great Post. Thanks. It actually makes ME feel a little better.

Sunday, I played for 7 hours and won 3 hands. Ow. My bankroll hurts.

And signing off and heading back there again right now. Wish me luck.

-Scott

[TheArtist]

Wow, I can't imagine what loosing 300 big bets is like, or 6 months and only winning 20 big bets. Loosing 300 BB in a 4/8 game is loosing $2400. This really put my loosing streak in perspective. Thank you Al for the perspective.

I did read the Roy cook article, and I am in a very similar situation. In February, I was red hot and I couldn't do any wrong. This month is completely opposite where I just can't win.

Of course I experienced the common bad beats like AA loose to 42off, or flop a flush and loose to a full house on river, or flop a straight and loose to 4 flush on river in pots that are so big that if I win any of them I be rich right now, and so on. In addition, here are 2 examples that best illustrate where I know that I played well but I just can’t win.

Example1:
I limp in late position with K9s, one caller from early position and the blinds call. Flop comes 3d8h9h

EP bet, I raise, everyone folds, EP re-raise, I just call. In this instance, based on the fact that EP is a new player and he likes to go crazy with his flush draw and the not so scary looking flop, I know he is on a flush draw so I called. Turn: 6s
Ep bets, I call. River: 2h. Then, I told EP nice river card, EP bet i fold, EP show me A5h.

Example 2:
A tight player check raise my awesome hand on the turn with callers in the pot, and I fold, and then he later shows me a monster.

These 2 laydowns are examples of the many laydown that I made. Sure it does feel good to make the right laydown but after every good hand that you get someone is fed a monster; it's gets so dam frustrating. If you get involve in monster pots, and can't win them over days, it puts a dent in your BR and your confidence. If I had to suffer this streak until I drop about 300BB, I think that will seriously destroy me.

I think I will take a little break and come back fresh. How did you guys dealt with your loosing streaks? Do you guys keep playing until the cards fall back to normal? Because if I keep loosing like this, it will take no time before I become a -EV player. Do you guys ever felt like if someone had put a spell on you?

TheArtist

[mobes]

i GOT KILLED IN fEBRUARY, NO MATTER WHAT i DID, MY HAND WAS SECOND BEST. i TOOK A FEW WEEKS OFF JUST TO CLEAR MY HEAD SO THAT i DIDN'T SLIP INTO WEAK-TIGHT MODE WHICH IS SO EASY TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T WIN A HAND. i JUST STARTED AGAIN THIS WEEK AND i AM DOING GREAT. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, i JUST LOOKED UP AND AM TOO LAZY TO RETYPE

[brad]

honestly i feel if you play stuff like K9s in a raked game at the very least the variance will kill you.

if you play mid limits then you know never mind and stuff.

stuff to try: a different game, play at a different time, try another casino, go in with a game plan (say tonight you determine to just play weak tight)

[Mikey]

These losing streaks happen, and I'm glad they happen.

I'm glad they happen because they only make me stronger and more disciplined. Also not that many people can deal with the downs of the game and then begin playing inferior hands and for this I'm thankful because I know that everyone can't possibly exceed in this game simply by reading a book and applying principles.

These losing streaks and dealing with the them are "the other underlying factors" of the game.

Keep your head up and maybe drop down a limit and tighten up your starting requirements. Also trying shortening your sessions.

[bernie]

with the other responders, it helps to know youre not the only one who's experienced this. ive posted bad streaks before and found it therapeutic.

that said, your streak could be worse. my worst one was 7 weeks. playing about 20-30 hours a week. it sucked. but as one responder said, making it through makes you much stronger. IF you make it through. many players, much better than me, have had longer streaks than that.

remember, anyone winning is an expert, no matter how many bets they miss on a good streak, but it's how they play through the bad streaks that tell just how good a player is.

good idea about taking a break. let the cobwebs and bad karma (mindwise) leave, and come back fresh. analyze the hell out of your play. and remember, nothing may be wrong with youre play. dropping down in limits isnt a bad idea. basically youre trying to remember what it's like to win a session. (limit shouldnt matter for this) a couple good sessions and you should be back. but every bad streak will leave you a little more jaded to the game. after awhile, nothing will suprise you in what beats you.

good luck...

this can be a very tough hurdle to overcome

b

[BruceZ]

If you're making a lot of tough laydowns, you're losing, and your opponents are showing you big hands after you fold, you have to make sure they aren't taking shots at you (with the hands they don't show you). Sometimes when your opponents pick up that you are reading hands and making tough folds, the game degenerates into a garbage game, and if you continue to play solid once you are in, you will get killed. Don't play marginal starting hands when this is happening. K9s needs more than just one early limper, you want more like 5 opponents. Also, if you knew he was on a flush draw, why didn't you raise him on the turn?

[TheArtist]

I knew it was the right decision to post about my bad streaks. I was looking for insights that can help me become a better player. I got more than what I came for. Thanks guys. Mikey, what you said make so much sense. Ofcourse, thanks Bernie, AL and everyone else too.

P.S Brad, K9s will kill me in the long run if I play that against a table full of rocks. In my opinion, it's a monster hand for one bet in late postion against a table full of calling stations (Although, it didn't appear like it was that kind of game based on that particular play).

TheArtist