How stuck is too stuck? (May be too long)

Last night in a 20-40 game I got stuck 3 racks. Yikes. But, here's the thing, I don't think I was playing that bad. Two sample hands...


I have QJo in the big blind. 4 limpers, the SB and me see the flop which is Q82 rainbow. I bet out, get 2 MP callers. Turn is a J. I bet, get one fold, and then get raised by the other MP player (this guy could really have anything - quite frankly I thought J2s was most likely - he's shown down a wide variety of hands). I make a crying call there and on the river and lose to, of course, T9o.


I have ATo in the small blind. 3 limpers, I call, BB checks, 5 players see Ten high flop with 2 hearts. I bet, BB and UTG+1 call. Turn is Tc. I bet, BB folds, UTG+1 calls. River is a heart, I check, UTG+1 bets, I call, get shown Q7h.


I also had two instances of flopping a set and having a bigger set hit on the turn, and one instance of getting the nut straight beaten by a flush on the end.


So I'm driving home thinking about the session. I re-bought twice because there was a LOT of money on the table, there are a LOT of any suited, any K, and A being shown down on the end. I mean, I'm getting beat by people playing T9 and Q7 early (there was an ugly one involving 32s that I won't go into). I wasn't tired, I wasn't on tilt, I wasn't drunk, I wasn't playing the same trash as everyone else because "obviously you have to play trash to win in this game", and I wasn't getting "out played" in my opinion. And yet, I got my butt kicked.


I try not to think about how much I've won or lost, but rely more on the game and my playing status, and I don't really believe in lucky or unlucky days/seats/decks/dealers. But once you've gotten yourself stuck a couple of racks do you have to just say this isn't my day and get out? Or, maybe these two sample hands were played badly and I just don't know it?

You played fine. How often were pots checked around on the flop? You could've check-raised the flop in hand 1 as you likely have the best hand (no PF raise). In hand 2, I wouldn't recommend this though, as a heart or face could take you out behind the woodshed.

Shit happens. Regardless of how good the game is there is no

guarantee you will win and you can even be a big loser. I am not a mathemetician, but this is not such an unlikely mathematical

event. Quit when you are no longer playing well, when you lose

your focus and concentration, or when the game is bad. Keep in mind when you are losing the bad players are aware of this and

they will play better against you. There are also subtle forms

of tilt that good players exhibit when losing. As a rule I will

usually quit when I am no longer able to concentrate and I begin

to lose my competetive nature or I find myself no longer playing

my A game. There is always going to be a game tomorrow so there

eventually comes a point in time where you are just better off

going home, resting, getting some sleep and trying again.


Bruce

300 racks (37.5 BB) in a 4-8 game isn't all that much if the game is aggressive (esp. loose aggressive). I assume you are asking at what point you should start questioning your judgement about if you should continue. I don't believe in any hard limit but I usu. take a walk around 50 BB and do some serious thinking away from the situation.

Sounds like you just wanted to tell somebody your bad beats. Your play didn't change any. Did it? Doesn't sound like it.


Its time to leave when you start basing your decisions on how stuck you are. Rather than is it the right play.

The point of putting a couple of hands in was just to see if I thought I was playing well but ten people respond and tell me I played badly - then I know I'm just an idiot.


I'm just wondering if you get to a point where even if you think the game is good and you're playing well, maybe you are just plain wrong. I guess it was a stupid question - kind of like asking for a stop loss limit or something. But I wondered if anyone had thought about how really big losses affect your standard deviation or something - or how your standard deviation might predict for you a loss limit that is within the bounds of your "normal" game so that when you get there you might decide to quit regardless of what you "think" the conditions are because something is obviously out of whack even if you can't identify it.

All such questions are relative. I know players who have a lot of money, who get stuck 2K at 20/40 and continue in the game for HOURS. I've seen guys get stuck a couple hundred, then quit. If the (loss of) 3 racks has an effect on your judgement, you must quit the session.

I don't think its a stupid to ask about stop loss limits. I do think its useless to tell bad beats.


As far as a stop loss limit. I think if you have a stop win limit on your wins, then you should probably have one on your losses as well. Meaning if you hit and run alot and never stay to have really fat wins, but always stay when your stuck. You should have one. Especially if the big loss either affects your play during the session, or if they affects your play for future sessions. As the loss where's on you mentally, questioning your plays and wondering in the back of your mind. Why did I decide to play poker again?