taking a break?
 

i have been getting some really bad beats lately usually coming on the river. this has been happening for at least 5 months and it is starting to hurt my bankroll.
i know everyone goes thourgh a stage of cold cards. So from some of your experiences is it best to play through the beats or take a break and coem back after a month or so and see how it goes from there? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

Re: taking a break?
 

If you think it's affecting your play... Only you can
answer this. I know from personal experience that a couple of days off from poker is a good way to break my downswings. Which implies that my play is affected by the beats.

Re: taking a break?
 

i think it would be pretty hard to be any significant winner and lose for a 5 month period.

Re: taking a break?
 

Since cards don't have any kind of memory (that's obvious), don't think that you'll encounter fewer bad beats if you take a break from the game right now. But if you think that these bad beats are affecting your game, and making you play worse in certain situations (i.e. you're making -EV moves, seeking revenge against certain opponents, not playing optimally), then "yes", you should take a break until you're ready to play solid poker again.

A majority of your profits will come from maximizing your opponents' mistakes. When a player chases and catches his 4-outer on the river to beat you, that's unfortunate. But it's also another one of the many mistakes that you profit from in the long run. Keep your focus on the big picture. Fish are g00t for the game.

ps~ Your OP is sure to get more & better feedback in Psychology forum.

Truth about breaks
 

If you arent looking foward to play in your next poker game then it is time for a break it can be for a day or a mounth what ever u feel is nessary. If you are scared to sit down at a table because you think bad beats are going to ruin your bank roll then id take a break if i had a real job. If u play poker for a living id take a day of too off spend some time not think about poker AT ALL! leave the game alone.

Some times I play so often live games and online, then I got read a poker book or some a magazine I start dreaming about hands. It drives me crazy. So inorder to keep my self emotionaly and mentaly stable I stop thinking about poker and money and focus on fun and relaxation. Just let the game go. Maybe spend some time talking to some friends that under stand the game before jumping back in. Reflect on your play and realize that you ARE a winning player and KNOW i mean <font color="red"> </font> KNOW that the more hours u spend at the table the more money in your pocket. Never focus on the short term results "play hours not results".

Method out [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Re: Truth about breaks
 

Unless you suck and deserve to lose then, you might want to
start playing in what ever games im playing in. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]