Why does it seem like I never hit the flop?

[LockLow34]

Ok, NEVER is a very strong word. But I'll play fairly long sessions where I maybe hit the flop 4-5 times. I had a game like that the other night, in fact. The same one where I had 0 pp in about 100 hands I also only had top pair on the flop twice.

This isn't an uncommon thing for me, either online or in most of the games I play. And sometimes it can be quite frustrating when playing a soft game, not getting ANYTHING with which to punish the fish. It does sometimes put me on tilt. (I end up playing MORE hands, missing the flop MORE often, tilting even worse. One of my 'tilt signals' is that I start playing hands like T9o aggressively from EP or MP.)

What I'm wondering is how much of what I've explained more my own perception than reality? Or is this somewhat accurate and if so is it the reality for most other players?

[bernie]

Remember this feeling when the deck is hitting you square in the face and you can't miss anything.

b

[SampleTOOSMALL]

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The same one where I had 0 pp in about 100 hands

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That's poker. I've been in plenty of home games full of people who didn't even know all the rules, and my cards were so cold I couldn't do a thing. Usually, someone else will hit just about every flop and take home half the money...and it's their second time playing.

But remember, not hitting flops is much cheaper than getting two or three river suckout bad beats thrown at you. And remember, as pointed out before, remember this feeling when the cards are running over you and you can't miss.

My natural reaction to not hitting flops is to tighten up, not loosen up. If you loosen up in search of hitting a flop, you're just giving your chips away IMO.

ScottieK

I played in an SNG the other day where I drew A-Q eight times, A-K twice, A-A twice, and K-K once.

I try to remember these sessions when I'm running badly.

Oh, and I placed 3rd. I suck.

[bernie]

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My natural reaction to not hitting flops is to tighten up, not loosen up.

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There's no reason to tighten up. If you're playing right, tightening up can cause you to miss so great opportunities.

Tightening up could be considered a form of tilt in this situation.

b

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Why does it seem like I never hit the flop?

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Because most of the time you don't.

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I had 0 pp in about 100 hands

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There are 169 starting hands and only 13 of them are pocket pairs.



Don't worry about the deck; you can't control what comes out of it. Folding terrible cards and terrible flops are the easiest decisions you have to make in poker.

Feel free to sit out if you are on the verge of tilt. Anything else would be bad for your bankroll.

[chesspain]

It's a good thing that I'm a moderator and a learned man--or else I would have had to hunt you down and strike you.

[coffeecrazy1]

Because you don't. I don't have the exact probabilities(hey...it's the psych forum), but think of it rationally: only six cards in the whole deck will pair one of your cards. If 20 or 21(burn before deal) go out to a 10-handed table, you have 31 or 32 possible cards to come out on the flop. At best, only six of them pair you up. Obviously, there are other draws to be had, and more ways to get them...but what it balances into is that there will be days, nights, weeks, and months where the flops are always where you ain't. It's part of the game.

[chesspain]

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If 20 or 21(burn before deal) go out to a 10-handed table, you have 31 or 32 possible cards to come out on the flop. At best, only six of them pair you up.

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You do realize that it is irrelevant how many players are dealt cards.

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My natural reaction to not hitting flops is to tighten up, not loosen up. If you loosen up in search of hitting a flop, you're just giving your chips away IMO.

ScottieK

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agreed. also, that will make it seem even more like flops are not hitting. just ride it out. if your opponents aren't very good, try to see a cheap flop in position. nothings better than holding rags and flopping a monster. but only if it's cheap and you have position.

[coffeecrazy1]

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If 20 or 21(burn before deal) go out to a 10-handed table, you have 31 or 32 possible cards to come out on the flop. At best, only six of them pair you up.

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You do realize that it is irrelevant how many players are dealt cards.

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The specifics of the numbers or table size are irrelevant, yes...I was merely trying to make the point that it is more statistically likely that you will not hit the flop.

[AceofSpades]

Have you checked the "hit flops" button? That could be your problem right there....

Joseph

another poster said this while playing and the other guy actually was looking for it.

[NDHand]

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I start playing hands like T9o aggressively from EP or MP

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It's a good thing that I'm a moderator and a learned man--or else I would have had to hunt you down and strike you.

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Give him some tough love man, he'll thank you later.

It's not the low times that make you feel bad that are defining, it's whether you can control your loses whilest it's going on. Statsically, every single player at the table will be dealt an equal number of wins and an equal number of loses. While you're losing, minamize you loses, and while your winning, earn that buck!

[bernie]

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Statsically, every single player at the table will be dealt an equal number of wins and an equal number of loses.


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In a hot/cold sim, sure. I think the winning players actually get shorted on their # of winning hands a bit compared to worse players. They will fold more hands that would've won than the other players. It's just that they make more than enough on those hands they stay in for (in comparison) to make up for it. Along with minimizing the losses.

Remember, the one who wins the most pots is usually a losing player.

b

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If 20 or 21(burn before deal) go out to a 10-handed table, you have 31 or 32 possible cards to come out on the flop. At best, only six of them pair you up.

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You do realize that it is irrelevant how many players are dealt cards.

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The specifics of the numbers or table size are irrelevant, yes...I was merely trying to make the point that it is more statistically likely that you will not hit the flop.

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It changes how you define "hit".

[coffeecrazy1]

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If 20 or 21(burn before deal) go out to a 10-handed table, you have 31 or 32 possible cards to come out on the flop. At best, only six of them pair you up.

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You do realize that it is irrelevant how many players are dealt cards.

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The specifics of the numbers or table size are irrelevant, yes...I was merely trying to make the point that it is more statistically likely that you will not hit the flop.

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It changes how you define "hit".

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What am I, a statistician? If I don't have a valid point, please explain. I realize that I'm butchering the math...but my point is that it is more likely you will not hit the flop, under the OP's definition, than not. Jeez.

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It changes how you define "hit".

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What am I, a statistician? If I don't have a valid point, please explain. I realize that I'm butchering the math...but my point is that it is more likely you will not hit the flop, under the OP's definition, than not. Jeez.

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Sorry, I guess we're referring to different contexts. Yes, it is more likely that you miss the flop than hit it. By my comment, I meant that "hitting" the flop in shorthanded games is slightly different than hitting in a full game.

[coffeecrazy1]

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It changes how you define "hit".

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What am I, a statistician? If I don't have a valid point, please explain. I realize that I'm butchering the math...but my point is that it is more likely you will not hit the flop, under the OP's definition, than not. Jeez.

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Sorry, I guess we're referring to different contexts. Yes, it is more likely that you miss the flop than hit it. By my comment, I meant that "hitting" the flop in shorthanded games is slightly different than hitting in a full game.

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Oh...well, sure...as in...Middle pair is no good in full ring, but might be good in SH? That sort of thing?

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Sorry, I guess we're referring to different contexts. Yes, it is more likely that you miss the flop than hit it. By my comment, I meant that "hitting" the flop in shorthanded games is slightly different than hitting in a full game.

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Oh...well, sure...as in...Middle pair is no good in full ring, but might be good in SH? That sort of thing?

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Yep.