Loosing the first couple of hands...

With couple I mean like 200-300 hands of a session. I always tend to do this and since I have done it alot I really doubt its because of "thats the way poker is". Whenever I am starting a playing session (my sessions is somewhere around 1k hands) I go a few BB's back in the first 200-300. Not that many BB's but enough to make me go damn. Let's say on average 25-30 BB. Then as time move along I usually end up on a +50bb for the session. After reviewing alot of my latest sessions I find this to be the case in alot of them.

Loosing early, winning the more you play... Am I just a really bad player in the beginning when I am not "warm" or is there any psychological thingy behind this? Have this been talked about earlier? I see this as one of the things I would like to improve the most of my game and would like to know if there is any background to it or if I just suck when I am cold /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thank you for your time

[Chillout]

Would you rather win 20BB on your first 200 hands and end the session -30BB?

There might be reasons as of why you win towards the end that requires you to lose in the beginning... I don't know, just a thought (but you've probably thought about this aswell?)

[kiddj]

Does it take you that long to identify the donks at your table(s)?

Does it take you that long to establish your profitable table presence?

Do you join a new table and immediately begin betting aggressively and bluffing before you've shown down a decent hand?

Do you start out playing so tight that you wait multiple orbits to play a big pair?

Do you seem to be card dead when you start? (Sample size?)

[soko]

[ QUOTE ]
"thats the way poker can be"

[/ QUOTE ]

[Songwind]

sounds like you have the opposite problem from me. I play well when I start, usually up a few BB in the first 10 hands or so, but the longer I play, the mre likely I am to get foolishly loose. I think it's do to losing focus.

Do you play more loosely in the beginning and then tighten up after you lose a couple dozen BB?

[ QUOTE ]
With couple I mean like 200-300 hands of a session... (my sessions is somewhere around 1k hands)...

[/ QUOTE ]

Am I misunderstanding?

200-300 losses in 1k = 20-30% played and lost. What percentage of hands dealt do you play?

/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[AlanBostick]

How good are you at doing tricks with your PokerTracker database? If you're good at writing SQL queries, you might want to compare your stats from the first 100-200 hands of a session over many sessions to the last 100-200 hands. That should nail down whether or not you're actually playing any different.

[Pog0]

[ QUOTE ]
I go a few BB's back in the first 200-300. Not that many BB's but enough to make me go damn. Let's say on average 25-30 BB. Then as time move along I usually end up on a +50bb for the session.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you can tap into the secret of how you average 10 BB/100 over your last 750 hands of a session, you'll be in good shape.

Does it take you that long to identify the donks at your table(s)?
Not really that long but this sure could be one of the reasons.

Does it take you that long to establish your profitable table presence?
Nope

Do you join a new table and immediately begin betting aggressively and bluffing before you've shown down a decent hand?
Nope, I start off slowly playing good cards and getting a feeling for the table

Do you start out playing so tight that you wait multiple orbits to play a big pair?
Nope, as above. Playing good cards (not only premium)

Do you seem to be card dead when you start? (Sample size?)
For some sessions yea but this has been going on for a few months so thats not one of the reasons.


Nut4Dawgs : I meant loosing in the 200-300 first hands. not loosing 200-300 hands totally /images/graemlins/wink.gif

AlanBostick : I have no idea how to pull those things off but that sure would be interesting.

Pog0: Ok, may have exagerrated a bit but you get the point /images/graemlins/smile.gif

This is somewhat similar to my pattern. I begin slow and lose, in the middle I also lose some, but at the end I usually finish with a big flurry of losing.

Unless you've already established that 1k hands is your perfected length of session, then start playing with your session size a little bit. Try playing a single table 50-hand session. Then try a two-table 200-hand session. The fact is that you have to concentrate on every hand as if it your only hand of the session.

If you are habitually spending the first 200 hands of every session "getting used" to solid poker, then you are sacrificing EV on these hands. Instead, spend this time away from the tables putting your head into the correct playing mindset. Review some hands, browse 2+2, observe a table before you sit, etc.

On top of all this, you likely have a small sample size and selective memory regarding this issue. I've heard you can download a program called tilt-blocker that prevents you from seeing your stack size at the table. Another option is to always buy in for random amounts, making it harder for you to recognize whether you are up or down, or to continue adding chips to the table until you are no longer sure of how much you are up or down.

My "standard" buy-in at 1-2 is $60, but sometimes I'll buy in for $42, or $67, or $80. Sometimes when I drop below $60, I'll top off with another $32. This seems to work for me.

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
I meant <font color="red">loosing</font> in the 200-300 first hands. not loosing 200-300 hands totally

[/ QUOTE ]

You have proven that this is not a typo and that you are indeed retarded.

Analyze the psychology of that.

Merry Christmas!

-ZEN

[xxx]

[ QUOTE ]
This is somewhat similar to my pattern. I begin slow and lose, in the middle I also lose some, but at the end I usually finish with a big flurry of losing.

[/ QUOTE ]

At least you have found a low variance style. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Thanks for the reply. I will try a few of your suggestions instead of reading 2+2 after a session which I usually do and getting used to the table before I actually sit down. I will have to play a few thousands of hands using this and I will report back if it works.

Zen: WTF?

[Pog0]

[ QUOTE ]
You have proven that this is not a typo and that you are indeed retarded.

Analyze the psychology of that.

Merry Christmas!

-ZEN

[/ QUOTE ]

It's probably just the avatar, but I really like this guy!