New Experience For Me...Could Use Feedback

[Dave H.]

I hope this is the correct forum for this. I've only been playing now for a few months. I'm still in the nano limits but have moved up steadily without investing a dime of my own money.

Beginning about 3 weeks ago, I hit a wall. I can't seem to get past point X. I'll hit it, drop 50BB, get back, drop back 30BB, get it back + a little bit, drop back 40, ad (what seems to be) infinitum.

I play according to SSH and play the "tight" charts or "loose" charts, depending on the table. Now I understand that essentially I'm breaking even and that even down 50BB is not that big a deal in a 3 week period, but what IS a big deal to me is the SLOP cards I've been dealing with over the past 3 weeks.

Excluding the big blind (when there is no raise), I'm going 3 orbits on a continual basis before I'm able to even call a bet, let alone raise. My "good" pocket cards are marginal at best...like J9s in middle position, etc.

It's horribly frustrating because I know that there is just no way to get ahead when you're getting so little to start with. I'm avoiding the temptation to start playing junk hands, but that's difficult when you see some of your opponents tripling their money with 64o, J3o, etc. starter hands.

I've experienced the "bad beat" nights and was able to write them off maybe because at least I was "in the hunt". But this is new stuff to me...I can't even get in the game with this slop.

Feedback anyone...even if it's to scold me. How do you folks deal with this aspect of poker?

[steamboatin]

This is where you learn discipline. 90% of all poker players are losers over the long term and if you can't fold the crap, then you will be destined to join their ranks. If you can maintain discipline and play the way you obviously know is correct, then you can be in the 10%.

FYI: The long term is much longer than a few months and normal variance can easily account for three weeks of crappy starting cards. I don't know how many hands you play a week, but if you have a job, a family and/or a life it might not be that many.

[Dave H.]

Thanx steamboatin (aka steamtroll?).

Yeah, I have a life...I'm single tabling about 3 hours per day, so I suppose that's roughly 3,000 hands over the past 3 weeks.

No big deal then in terms of variance, is that what you're saying?

[Grisgra]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanx steamboatin (aka steamtroll?).

Yeah, I have a life...I'm single tabling about 3 hours per day, so I suppose that's roughly 3,000 hands over the past 3 weeks.

No big deal then in terms of variance, is that what you're saying?

[/ QUOTE ]

Certainly no big deal in terms of variance. At *all*.

If you want my advice . . . add a table!

[kalooki45]

I know how you feel. It sucks when you get nothing but junk, and you goodies get cracked.
You've got 3 choices:
1. Quit playing this stupid game and get a life :P
2. Wait for better cards.
3. Play NL and steal them blind...lol (That's what I like about NL--you can make yr own luck..heheh [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm single tabling about 3 hours per day,

[/ QUOTE ]

Woh...*snore*. Mix in another table. It might be tough at first, but if you're playing only good starters your decisions post flop should be pretty easy.
Besides, if your just clicking the fold button, you can accomplish the same amount of folds in half the time. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
Other than that, just be patient. You'll have weeks where you can't make any progress and weeks where you feel unbeatable. Mostly though, you're just in-between.

Regards,
Jarid

[MicroBob]

This is what I suspected too (because it's so common).

3k hands and 3 weeks might FEEL like a long-time...but it REALLY isn't.

Over my last 3k hands I've been winning around 6BB/100 getting all sorts of great cards.
The previous 3k hands I was losing around 4BB/100 getting some tough beats and overall dreadful cards.

since I multi-table full-time...this has all taken place in the course of less than a week.


you need to learn to handle such dry-spells.

you can easily undergo a 10k stretch that is roughly similar to your 3k hands of nothing.

Hopefully just this knowledge alone gives you the proper perspective to hang in there and continue to grind it out.
The long-grind is usually MUCH longer than it feels like.


FWIW - I find I have to remind myself of this A LOT. Especially when I've been dropping BB's left and right over a 5k hand stretch of 3 or 4 days.
and it's sometimes even more important to keep the long-run aspect in mind when you've been picking up BB's left and right in a similar 5k hand stretch.
I'm always telling myself what a lucky SOB I am when I'm running well so that I keep myself grounded.

[steamboatin]

Oh No, I live in Southern In and SteamTroll lives nowhere near southern In, it is right there under his photo.

SteamTroll is a fat WSOP wannabe whereas I am a lean mean poker playing machine. That is obvious from my strecthed out picture.

[MicroBob]

yeah. even I knew that!!

steamtroll has specifically ripped on steamboatin's posts (why would he do this if he was the same as steamboatin?)

Also he OBVIOUSLY looks NOTHING like steamboatin.
I mean, seriously, they look about as different as Clark Kent and Superman.
How could you possibly even confuse the two?

[steamboatin]

Perxactly