Can't win a hand, feeling helpless [Archive] - Two Plus Two Older Archives

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Solovon

09-15-2005, 08:24 PM

I play .5/1 6-max on Pokerstars and I'm on a downswing. It seems as if I simply can't win a hand - I'm not getting many playable hands, and when I do I raise PF only to completely miss the flop or run into someone else's monster. When I limp with a marginal hand it's raised behind me, when I raise with a good hand it's reraised behind me. If I flop a monster everyone folds and I pick up a tiny pot. I've had several amazing situations with straights or full houses where someone has the same hand as I do and we chop a huge pot. I just can't run over the tables and win big pots over and over like I used to.

I know it's variance, I know every hand is independent of the next, but the current swing I'm on makes me feel helpless. I know I can beat these games as I have been handily winning for the past few months. I love playing poker but when you're losing all the time with your premium hands then it's tough to see how you can continue winning at it. I play an aggressive style and push my holdings to the max but it seems that's backfiring on me. I don't know whether I should take a break and study more, try to play through it, drop down to a lower limit, or cash out and leave poker behind.

I grinded out my bankroll playing nanolimits on up and I'm proud of my accomplishments. Before I hit this downswing I was getting ready to move to 1/2 because my bankroll was big enough. Now I have to make that money back and I know I'll be playing .5/1 for a while.

I don't have problems with tilt - I get angry after suckouts but then calm myself down and remember how I've sucked out on people the same way before. I play the same way as I always have but I can't win like before and I don't know what to do.

DrawDeadJed

09-15-2005, 10:36 PM

1) Re-Examine your basic game plan
2) Understand that you are now a target
3) Play tighter than normal
4) Make less marginal bets and raises
5) Bluff less
6) Don't complain to the table how badly you are running
7) Pretend you are winning and buy more chips

Before anyone writes the typical "DrawDeadJed is giving you weak-tight advice here," this was taken from Poker Essays Volume II by Mason Malmuth. He might know a thing or two about the topic.

Playing six handed, as you know, can be very volatile. If you follow the advice Mason gives, you might want to go back to playing ten handed tables for awhile. The ultra-aggressives are going to come at you on PokerStars when they see how predictable you're playing.

Solovon

09-15-2005, 11:37 PM

I decided to play full ring games again. First hand at my first 10 handed table in days:

PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif. Hero posts a blind of $0.50.
4 folds, MP3 calls, Hero (poster) checks, Button calls, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: (4.50 SB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif (4 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, Button calls, BB folds, MP3 folds.

Turn: (3.25 BB) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero raises, Button 3-bets, Hero calls.

River: (9.25 BB) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.25 (All-In), Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9.75 BB

Results:

Button: shows [3c 3s] (a full house, Threes full of Tens)
Hero: shows [4s Tc] (three of a kind, Tens) 

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

Edit: Opened up another table, this was the first hand.

PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif. Hero posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls, 5 folds, Hero (poster) raises, 1 fold, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (4 players)
SB bets, BB calls, UTG calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (6 BB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (4 players)
SB bets, BB folds, UTG folds, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, Hero calls.

River: (12 BB) 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 14 BB

He had a set of sixes. What. The. Hell.

tonypaladino

09-15-2005, 11:40 PM

I agree with these:

[ QUOTE ]
1) Re-Examine your basic game plan

3) Play tighter than normal
4) Make less marginal bets and raises
5) Bluff less

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't quite see how these apply:
[ QUOTE ]
2) Understand that you are now a target
6) Don't complain to the table how badly you are running
7) Pretend you are winning and buy more chips

[/ QUOTE ]

DrawDeadJed

09-16-2005, 12:03 AM

3) Understand you are now a target

Mason explains this is "extremely important and works against you in two very closely related ways. First your opponents are no longer afraid of you and will play back at you when least expected. Second, since everyone else is beating you, others will try and do the same."

6) Don't complain how badly you are losing

"May encourage your opponents to play more aggressively against you and take shots at you as well."

Also, and by no means my own original thoughts, but it looks a bit stupid if you're ragging about your crap luck at the table and then start sucking out on others.

7) Pretend you are winning and buy more chips

"It is important to appear you are winning."

-------------------------------------------------------

Of course, this was written pre-internet poker days, and it is easier to move to other tables on the net than at the casino, but I move a lot on-line when factors are running against me. And I always keep a fair bit of money in front of me at either b&m or internet.

sandsmarc

09-16-2005, 10:52 AM

He is NOT a target and I'm sure he doesn't complain.

Mason's advice is good if your table image is shot and there are no other games to play. At .50/1.00 Party you hardly ever play with anyone twice. There is no table image to worry about, you can move anytime. You need never be a table image target.

Solovon's problem is he's only playing his cards. He is not picking up on opportunities to win without a hand. When you are running bad you tend to get numb and miss the opportunities you see clearly when you are running normally.

Many times there is a pot just waiting to be picked up with a bet or raise. Solovon is not seeing these opportunities, he's waiting to win with the best hand. Nobody can win playing best hand, you have to pick up pots with nothing to show a profit.