My first downswing(No Content)
 

I'm going crazy these last 4 days. I have never had a downswing this bad ever 124BB. I feel like I have improved so much lately, and now this. Just had to post something about this, to try and make myself feel better. Sorry for the no content post, I hate them too.

http://img295.echo.cx/img295/4908/downswing3da.jpg

Heres a example of how my last 4 days have been going.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 max, 9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, BB folds, UTG calls, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises</font>, CO calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, UTG calls, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 caps</font>, CO calls, Hero calls, UTG calls.

Turn: (10.50 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG folds, MP3 calls, CO calls.

River: (13.50 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises</font>, CO folds, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 17.50 BB

Results below:
Hero has 7h 8d (straight, nine high).
MP3 has Kh 9h (flush, king high).
Outcome: MP3 wins 17.50 BB.

Feel free to post your big downswings if you have any so I don't feel like the only one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I am currently in my second substantial downswing. Had a 110BB episode about two months ago, recovered up 300, and dumped 60 in about an hour tonight. Add that to the 45 from yesterday and ugh..... Still clearing pokeracenow, so I'll be playing thru this one as opposed to taking some time off like I did last time.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I'm in the midst of a 100 bb downswing at 3/6 and 2/4. It really sucks, and you start doubting yourself. Just make a special effort seek out good tables as you run bad, that way you don't cause yourself too much stress over your level of play, knowing that it has to be due to a bad run.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

coming out of a 150BB downswing. Whiffed on everything the last 3 weeks.

last couple of sessions my pocket pairs are making sets and my draws are panning out so it's turning around now.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

Just completed a 165BB downswing and it was great. Really. Actually very educating. I became interested to see how long it would take to break out of the fall. Every time I got another big hand cracked it didn't seem to effect me in the slightest. I can honestly say that my play did not at all suffer during this period. I became somewhat detached, looking at what was going on from the outside.
All of this I can only attribute to this forum. So many players who are so much better than me have posted of hedious downswings over very long periods. If it can happen to them it is going to happen to you. The best thing is to use it as another educational tool. You don't want to come out the other end an emotional wreck. You want to come out stronger for the experience.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

My downswing from today while clearing BONUSJUN:

http://img291.echo.cx/img291/4287/ds9xh.jpg

You can tell I was running pretty cold by the fact that my VPIP was only 16% for 6max. I don't know what was going on, like someone else said you feel like you're completely losing it, and you know nothing about the game. I thought I was getting a firm grasp on 6max, and then today happened, and I have no idea what I'm doing now. You start to question if you really know how to play, and maybe you have just been running hot for the past 20k hands.

Atleast with my bonus I finished $13 up [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]


Edit - I just noticed my W$SD is pretty high, combine that with my low VPIP and that probably means I was playing weak-tight, and running cold. Ugh...I really need to start my 6max game over after today happened.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

My first encounter with 3/6. I did a cashout near my peak here as a "paycheck" then went on a nice downswing. My bankroll was fairly damaged after that (120BB = $720) so I had to move back down to 2/4.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16.../downswing.jpg

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I've already experienced a 60BB and an 80BB downswing. The variance of limit hold em is absolutely tremendous. But of course for a player with a high winrate like me, the swings won't really ever get bigger than 100BB. Some of you are obviously losing players, you call losing 100BB a downswing? I think you need to get a day job, you obviously aren't steadily beating the game if you experience swings like this.

A graph of my winnings since I started $.50/$1.00 back in '92 (measured in thousands of dollars of course):

http://www.macquarie.com/hk/cn/image...t_graph_cn.gif

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

You have surpassed droolie and YOU are now my favorite micro limit poster. Long live the mastah.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

Yeah Im running cold right now, only down about 80BBs over the past two weeks...I play 5/10 full and I have a VPIP of 10 percent. Im usually up 18-20 percent hands played. Its getting a little insane. Im not even getting hands to draw with.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
... combine that with my low VPIP and that probably means I was playing weak-tight

[/ QUOTE ]

My PFR is higher than your VPIP. Not that this is the best play but playing weak tight in 6max is not profitable. And no fun!

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have never had a downswing this bad ever 124BB.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what you think until you hit the 200BB one. I'm told 300BB comes up once you've been playing long enough too...

http://img293.echo.cx/img293/3624/graph12mg.jpg

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
My PFR is higher than your VPIP. Not that this is the best play but playing weak tight in 6max is not profitable. And no fun!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya something was definitely wrong yesterday, and I know the cards were running a little cold. Looking at my PT stats I had AK nine times, and did not ever catch a single pair with them. I lost a huge 25 BB pot with a set of nines to some donk catching a runner runner double gutshot straight. Things like that were not unusual.

I think what happened is the bad cards had a huge effect on my play. I started playing weak-tight, and like you said that certainly is not profitable.

So my game is gonna take some serious tweaking. I better to get on over to the HUSH forum.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
My first encounter with 3/6. I did a cashout near my peak here as a "paycheck" then went on a nice downswing. My bankroll was fairly damaged after that (120BB = $720) so I had to move back down to 2/4.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16.../downswing.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Your stick figure graphics just made my day!
walkdoc

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I just moved up to $1/2 at Party. I'm down 50BB in the first 4-5 days. I've never had so many TP's and two pairs cracked by rivered Flushes, gutshots straights, and runner-runner flushes.
Fortunately, I've almost reached a state of serenity a la Adsman, and I can at least not scare my family w/ my language! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Oh well, I was doing 5BB/100 at .5/1, I know I can do at least 3-4 at $1/2. Keep on keeping on!
walkdoc

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

My last 25,000 hands have been a mess of crazy, spiky nonsense.

http://www.fitcouture.com/images/poker-spikes.gif

Yesterday I dropped 90BB at 6max in 300 hands, only to end up at +60BB for the session. (Granted, the session was 1200 hands, but still...)

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

Scotty my first 5k hands at 2/4 look almost exactly like that graph, except the peak isn't as high. Annoying, isn't it?

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I just lost 105 bets in a 20 hour B$M session at 8/16. That is like 700 hands.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I had a 200BB one at 1/2 6max, and a 100BB one at 2/4 at the beginning of may .. the thing is, a good chunk of it is always from bad play, not variance, at least for us non-experts

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

yea I know everyone has experienced downswings. I agree with adsman that it is educational. It is a good test if you are psychologicly fit. I'm surprised I didn't throw something or beat some holes into my walls. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Nice graph scotty34 I like the little stickmen impaled on the spikes of variance. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

A few nights ago I was tearing up this one table- catching runnner runner and backdoor crap like you wouldn't believe. I quadrupled my buy in at the table.
Sad thing was, I typed :Man, tomorrow I probably won't be able to catch a card for my life.
Next day I play and immediately bust out my 2 tables that I was playing. I think AA KK QQ all lost to undercards making two pair or better. It was sick!

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I had a 200BB one at 1/2 6max, and a 100BB one at 2/4 at the beginning of may .. the thing is, a good chunk of it is always from bad play, not variance, at least for us non-experts

[/ QUOTE ]

I concur.

I think 6-max though has decent exeptions to this rule. But I agree if we are talking full ring here. Like my 80BB downswing, I know at least 25-35 of that was bad play at the tail end there. (just went on a 65BB upswing today though at 5/10....yessssssss). All said and done if I kept my composure and played my best game Id only be down 45-50BB if that, not to bad.

Also Id like to point out, in the new issue of cardplayer Roy Cooke states hes never been anywhere near a 200BB downswing. Although. if you are pushing marginal edges u will have much higher variance.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

Here is a link:

Roy Cooke on BR requirements

Pushing marginal edges or not, this man is golden at the poker table. Hell he's supported himself 16 years at the tables.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Here is a link:

Roy Cooke on BR requirements

Pushing marginal edges or not, this man is golden at the poker table. Hell he's supported himself 16 years at the tables.

[/ QUOTE ]

So what style of play is roy cooke talking about where the variance is lower. Does this mean he plays more weak tight? Do you think not pushing marginal edges is better for a pro since it has less variance?

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I definitly do not think he is weak tight. I think he might forgo pushing more of the tiny marginal edges and exploits and pushes the big ones more than anything. Read his book Real Poker II -- or just go through some of his articles on where he plays his hands.

I think I might email him and ask actually, to be playing 16 years and never have a 200bb downswing is impressive either way.

Re: My first downswing(No Content)
 

I think he does say in his book, that he knows when to push and such, but there are situations that are very marginal that he will in fact forgo, his statement was "I didnt build my bankroll pushing small edges, but by pushing big ones" I think thats what it was, its been awhile since i went through it.