[torsken]

I'm a fairly consistent winner at small stakes (0.25/0.50 to 1/2) no limit holdem, i.e. roughly +5BB/100 at most online poker rooms.

But I have a really severe problem. Time after time after time I get very bad losing streaks that burns up most or all of my hard earned bankroll.

During these streaks I usually push 70/30, 60/40 and 55/45 edges very hard. It seems to me that I always lose the close gambles when I'm off balance.

Probably real tilt is part of the picture, but how can you explain my ability to actually predict those semi-bad beats that are going to happen to me when I'm running badly?

For some reason I'm particularly prone to lose big pushing set against flush or straight draws, and small two pair against a big pair. My opponents draw out in those large key pots far more often than their 5-7 outs suggest, and it's driving me crazy.

It feels like I'm working my a*s off to create a small edge, but at the end of the day it's all eaten up by pure variance and by paying way too much rake compared to my tiny edge.

I'm extremely frustrated. Time to stop playing poker for good?