A lesson to be learned from my recent losing streak - Page 2

curtains · #11 04-23-2005, 06:12 AM

The last time I ran badly I'm almost sure it was due to overaggression, especially around the bubble.

Elektrik · #12 04-23-2005, 06:52 AM

The last time I ran badly I looked at my game, realized there were a few minor changes I could make to slightly increase my ROI, and made them, chalking nearly all of it off to variance.

We normally like to have some sort "problem" to blame for our bad streaks - overaggression, underaggerssion, etc - but normally it's just us running bad, pure and simple, and our ROI is the same as it always has been. Hopefully a bad streak can cause us rexamine our game to increase our quality of play at the base level, but chances are it has not diminished significantly if at all from what it was before.

Bad streaks are a good thing for a serious player. If you never had one, how motivated do you really think you would be to improve your ROI at any given level? Some will, who knows, just something to think about.

john_ · #13 04-23-2005, 07:35 AM

You need motivation to improve your game?

When I lose I'm not content unless I've lost as little as I could. When I win I'm not content unless I've won as much as I could. You should always evaluate your play and look for ways to improve regardless of whether you're winning or losing. Or, at least, that's the way I look at it.

Elektrik · #14 04-23-2005, 07:45 AM

For many the desire to win is the motivation itself, and of course improvement stems from that.

What I am more refering to here is the player who has learned a good deal, and has become comfortable with his or her current ROI and doesn't seek to improve a great deal. There are many players like this out there, who show good results but could still learn, although they choose not to. They simply play. A bad losing streak can cause one to question the fundamentals of one's game, and return to learning.

Apathy · #15 04-23-2005, 09:31 AM

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For many the desire to win is the motivation itself, and of course improvement stems from that.

What I am more refering to here is the player who has learned a good deal, and has become comfortable with his or her current ROI and doesn't seek to improve a great deal. There are many players like this out there, who show good results but could still learn, although they choose not to. They simply play. A bad losing streak can cause one to question the fundamentals of one's game, and return to learning.

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Very true. If it wasn't for this forum I really don't think I would do much work on my own SNG game to be honest. As it is I am spending more time improving limit cash and Big bet shorthanded then I am in SNGs. Maybe I am too 'content' with my current results. Maybe I need a good losing streak to straighten me out [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

dfscott · #16 04-23-2005, 10:26 AM

I had a similar experience related to a small change in my game. I was a trying to be more aggressive in the mid-game in order to build a bigger stack prior to getting ITM (looking to get more 1sts). What I neglected to account for was the fact that getting aggressive early reduced my fold equity later, and I ended up getting called a lot more 3-handed.

The gist of what I'm saying is that a small change in one place can often effect another part of your game in an unanticipated way and you have to be prepared to make multiple adjustments.

Scuba Chuck · #17 04-23-2005, 10:38 AM

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Bigwig · #18 04-23-2005, 01:05 PM

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As soon as I adjusted back to my old strategy--BAM! The winning started again.

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Problem is that correlation isn't always causality. There can be much more mundane explanations for you ending a tough streak and starting to win again. Such as luck.

We all know that even winning players can have long streaks of losing, even though they are playing winning poker.

But I agree with your point that trying to force yourself into building a stack too early is like walking in a minefield. I don't like playing AQ in raised pots early on, for example.

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I understand this, hence my second post in the thread. I'm sure that it's not just 'luck.' Sure, I've gotten good cards this week. You can't win that much in 14 hours of play at the $50's without cards. However, it's also a 'feel' for the game. I 'feel' in control again, whereas I had lost it before. Now the answers are clear. I'm not worried about borderline decisions as much, because I'm simply not in those situations as often.

curtains · #19 04-23-2005, 04:38 PM

I highly doubt that your "aggressive" play earlier had a signifigant effect on your folding equity later in the tournament.

dfscott · #20 04-23-2005, 07:59 PM

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I highly doubt that your "aggressive" play earlier had a signifigant effect on your folding equity later in the tournament.

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Maybe you're right and I've just been running into a lot of loose players lately, but I seem to be getting called a lot more with marginal hands these days.