What to do when you run bad???
 

Little background.....


I have been playing constantly 1/2 and 2/4 for about 8 months now and have consistently been winning and paying a couple of our household's bills with it. Along with being a little bonus whore it has been good.

I entered a tournament for $240 that was a live tournament and didn't cash, which was probably a mistake there cause that's such a huge amount of my roll. Anyways i went on a skid through the month of november and lost about 150-200BB during this month. Mostly on bad luck from what i can tell.

Anyways i put my last 100 for now in Pokerstars and am playing the .50/1 tables and still running into rediculous luck there as well and down to $40 and ready to quit all together.
The sample size on Stars is only about 2000K hands so i can't' tell anything off of a sample size that small.


Im sure alot of guys have had similar experiences with something like this..


Any suggestions or ideas for me to get back on track??

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

When I run bad I play above my limits and lose 90% of my bankroll, then have to start over. No joke, it really sucks.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

link

Krishan

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

Playing without adequate bankroll is definitely something to avoid - whether you're running good, bad, or average. If you're properly bankrolled for 2/4 it means your starting roll is at least $1200. Assuming you were there, then yeah - playing one live multi for 20 percent of your total roll was pretty bad.

At the moment, playing .5/1 with only 100 BB's is not great either. Get adequately rolled...then every little thing that goes against you won't feel like such a big deal. That's Step 1. Step 2 is to examine your game and study hard to fix leaks. Step 3 is to make sure your head is right. I was recently put on a four-day weekend by my pyschologist girlfriend because I went into each set expecting ridiculous things to happen to me and I had been playing every single day for four months straight. After the four-day weekend, many of my problems were solved...certain things still did go wrong, of course (NL SnG's can have funny things happen on preflop all-ins), but after what was, for me, a protracted break...each incident didn't seem like such a big deal to me.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

you didnt have enough to start with

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

Interesting that everyone tells you that your BR was too small but, for the most part, fails to offer any suggestions.

FWIW, the times I've run bad for any length of time ultimately came down to poor play. On my part.

Not bad luck friend. Poor play.

Dr. Al has a series of archived articles related to this topic. Take a look.

For now, take a brutal look at your game.

Take a look for these leaks:

1. Playing too many marginal hands from EP
2. Getting cute with vulnerable hands.
3. Chasing too many FL & ST draws without proper odds.
4. Over valuing large pp in multiway pots.
5. Becoming a lover of Ax
6. Prone to tilt
7. Becoming money blind
8. Playing too long each session.
9. Fixating on results rather than decisions.
10. Playing w scared money.

The quickest way to break a "bad run" is to take an honest look at how you're playing.

Limit yourself to playing cheap SnG's until you get your house in order.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

The best thing you can do for yourself is take a break from actual play. This is what I do when I am running bad. Try reading books on small stakes holdem and try to see what you are doing wrong. 2000 hands is a good estimate to tell you your play is not great. Try to tacke these problems by touching up on your game. As far as your BR is concerned, it is going to take a while to get it back up. I know everyone wants to get rich quick, but build your BR. Do NOT take anything out of it unless you absolutely need that money.

i can say that a little easier though, because I am a recreational player who never takes money out of my BR. I am grinding my way up the limits and cant wait to see how far up I can go.

GL

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

play less. Read some poker books. Remember to breathe. Breathing is important. Its more important than money. Everyone here has been through what is happening in your game. Not everyone has handled it well. Its hard. I know, because I recently lost most of my bankroll. Thankfully, I'm already on my way to a decent recovery.
Going broke would be a very bad thing for me because most of my income is from poker and I don't have another job. Hopefully, your financial situation isn't as grim.

Best,
Snowball

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

Im playing Limit, not NL so 100-200BB is enough to get going according to everything I have seen on here.

Last 3000K i am up 35BB so I guess that is progress.

Is it me or is Stars .50/1 alot harder than crypto or party .50/1. Im thinking of taking my money out of here and going back to party.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

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2. Getting cute with vulnerable hands.

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Guilty.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

when i run bad i just go buy a new pair of sneakers. that usually fixes things.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

Book a win. Even a small one and leave the game. This will help to get your mental edge back. One of the consequences of running bad is that you unconsciously change your playing style. For example, if you are a TAG and running bad..you might find your self becoming more passive. Your brain says..."I have been sucked out so many times....let me see what happens". Then you lose more.

When you book a small win and analyze your play after it helps to build confidence in your game. The next time you play....DO THE SAME THING. If you keep losing then you are either missing some key holes like kyzerjose says or you're just running bad. Try and minimize your loses. Set lower money max lose per session.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

When you are running bad there is only one thing to do, stop playing for a while. Maybe a long while.

My play changes dramatically when I'm running bad, I become a wild maniac, splashing chips around and calling down everything. This 'running bad' state can last for days, you can blow your stack before it finally goes.

It pays to be aware of the Jekel and Hyde nature of my game and just stop when necessary.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

Here is what I do when running bad online....

Switch games from limit to NL or sit and go tourneys. I know you are probably running bad from unpleasent cards but that can cause someone to misplay their good cards as well.

I know many people oppose switching games from limit to PL, NL, SNG etc but remember the point of poker is to win chips and who says that you need to stick to one variation of poker anyways?

I always come back to my main game (limit he) better and fresher after doing this

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

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Switch games from limit to NL or sit and go tourneys. I know you are probably running bad from unpleasent cards but that can cause someone to misplay their good cards as well.

I know many people oppose switching games from limit to PL, NL, SNG etc but remember the point of poker is to win chips and who says that you need to stick to one variation of poker anyways?

I always come back to my main game (limit he) better and fresher after doing this

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This is exactly what I've done. Slow down for a few days, then come back in a different venue (I tend to switch from cash to SnG's, and then back).

Also a book like the Tao of Poker (or the Zen of Poker) can be helpful...

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

1. leave Stars
2. look for a few good bonus, and play only within a bonus a few weeks

3. 240$ should not be a BIG PART of your roll

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

I hope your luck turns around... just fyr, 2000k is 2,000,000 hands, 2k is 2,000.

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

I think we've all been in this situation a few times. Obviously bankroll and tilt management are crucial.
Thru having made some of the most common mistakes, I've developed my own management techniques.
Bankroll management: I NEVER keep any significant portion of my bankroll in my poker account. I've noticed the more money I have (especially after a good run) the more loose and carless I play. I tend to play my best when my backs against the wall and have been very successfull at building a bankroll out of next to nothing. (I turned 3 'free' $10 bonus' at empire into $650). I know the games I have the best edge in, and just pummel those games.
Titl management: I've found that the 300BB rule for bankroll mgmt is too low for me. The more a beat hurts my bankroll, the more it puts me on tilt. I want like 800-1000BB for any level, then the suckouts don't hurt as bad. Imagine losing a monster pot at .50/1 where your opponent hits his 2 outer on the river. If your bankroll is $1200, it's gonna affect you a lot less than if the same hand happens at a 2/4 game. I'm a big proponent of being OVER bankrolled, but not keeping it all in the site.

I also have the benefit of NOT being a full timer(I have a job as a musician that pays the bills and I enjoy very much), and poker is supplemental income and a fun hobby. Takes the pressure off, and I can't imagine how much more pressure I would feel if it was my sole income (and how much less fun I'd be having doing it.) Getting a job will do 2 things for u:
1) take the pressure off the poker income, thus making you more relaxed, and playing better.
2) get you AWAY from the tables for the bulk of the day. You'll probably spend a lot of time daydreaming about poker stuff, and that's good (for your game at least). Burnout is a real thing....it sneaks up on you and is BAD for your game, and ultimately, your bankroll.
Hope this helps.....it's worked for me and I've been where you're at more than once.
Best of Luck
REDDRED

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

haha now this is a topic i know a lot about...usually i just cry and curse and curse and cry and tilt like a little bitch

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

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haha now this is a topic i know a lot about...usually i just cry and curse and curse and cry and tilt like a little bitch

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Well, at least you have a plan! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: What to do when you run bad???
 

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I entered a tournament for $240 that was a live tournament and didn't cash, which was probably a mistake there cause that's such a huge amount of my roll.

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Given this, you're underrolled for 2-4. Unless you don't mind rebuying once you bust out. If that's the case, then it's not really an operating roll.

You're also short on your roll for .50-1.

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Anyways i went on a skid through the month of november and lost about 150-200BB during this month. Mostly on bad luck from what i can tell.


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Why don't you make sure of that? Go through your game, street by street and make sure it's bad luck. Luck is the last thing to cross off the list. And I mean you go through it with a fine toothed comb. Be brutally honest with yourself about your game.

If you really think it's just bad luck, the game is good and you're playing well, you stay and play through it. But given the tone of the post, I'd say it's your game. BR management included.

b