the unbelievably horrendous session

i just finished my most awful session to date, i dropped almost 400 dollars over 6 hours of playing 5-10 hold 'em. have you guys ever had a session like that? where you couldn't get a piece of a flop or hit a draw to save your life? my big pairs and big cards couldn't stand up all night, and as i became more frustrated i played them even more aggressively (i.e. recklessly) but to no avail, at one point I had flopped a set of Kings and almost wanted to show my sole opponent my hand so he would get the hell out of the pot, instead he called me down and won with a small straight. To say i was tilting would be an understatement, i was tipped over, but i got up for awhile and cooled myself down, but when i came back the cards were still falling as they had been all night. I should have left then. Anyways, what i want to know is, assuming this has happened to all of us at least once during our tenures, what do you guys do when it happens? take a long break? calm yourself down then enter the fray again a few days later? i'm going to have to take a break anyways to rebuild my roll, but any advice would be welcome. thank you.

Change seats, change tables, change games, change cardrooms, take a break, quit for the day...preferably BEFORE you go on full tilt.


You can also postpone or prevent tilt via attitude adjustment. A major reason players "tilt" is that they tell themselves their bad run of luck is unfair and should not happen to them. Wrong! We all have to pay those dues. The best players handle bad runs with acceptance, patience, and grace.


Regards,


Mike

1st off 40 big bets is alot to lose in one session. my max is around 25, some go to 30. thats if your playing well and your not tilting. id change cardrooms and get a little different scenery, or at the least take a couple days off and reevaluate my play. another way of thinking about it is this:

what if you went on a horrendous winning streak? what would you do? youd probably stay and maybe comeback the next day. well the opposite happened so try the opposite.


ya gotta protect yer roll. make sure your thinking clearly, then go back and try again. i had a streak like this for about 7 weeks. talk about hell. it was online and in cardrooms both. it sucked, but eventually the cards turned around. i kept analyzing my play to make sure i was playinig good. once i confirmed that i knew it shold just be a matter of time, so i played a little more defensively with my roll, til i saw my cards starting to hold up again, then got back to normal.


welcome to the world of swings...


b

triton,

We've all been there. Actually, yesterday I played flawlessly (i think) I punished draws and only drew with the correct odds. I varied my play, and disguised the nuts to get a few extra river bets. But to no avail, I got drew out by 10-5 offsuit and 2-8 suited all night, when i three bet pre-flop with A-A, and flopped a set. there is only one reason not to go on tilt. those players that drew me out are of the same breed that pays my car payment, and are putting me through college.

take a break, review your play; and when you're calmed down, go play some more. When I'm getting beat badly, i usually play SUPER tight,wait until my blind, excuse myself, and take a walk for a few. If you play correctly, you'll get them back. It doesnt have to be the next hand.

Here is the way i see it, if at any time you lose more than 30BB you should leave and come back another day.


-MJ

Triton,


I once had a similiar experience. I play 5-10 and I lost 30 big bets in a few hours.


I lost a few hands where I raised preflop and caught a set, only to lose a bigger hand. The main mistake I didnt make, was I didnt tilt.


I switched seats, switched tables and then I finally left when I realized it wasnt my night.


It takes discipline to walk away, especially when a player is stuck, however sometimes it is the BEST play. Tomorrow is another day. Remember poker is one long game.


Best Wishes


MK