Handling the inevitable slide!

[wahooriver]

Over the previous 2 weeks I slid. It was not a slide worthy of complaining, but did approach 200 BB. The problem with slides is the effect on your self confidence, your belief in probabilities and other conspirary theories.

I am quick to give advice to posters worried about slides, so I took my own advice. I studied my own stats, examined my losing hands, and did some rereading of key books and chapters. I read some key posts on this forum.

Why did I slide? Probably for all the classic reasons. I was clearly running bad. Normally I win almost 80% of all AA hands (210 hands spread over 1/2 and 5/10 - mostly 5/10). During my slide I lost 7/12 AA hands - often on the river to classic suckouts.

I had classic bad beats - my favorite was an AJ hand which as raised preflop. Flop is perfect KQ10. I bet out. A 4 comes on the turn - no flush possibility. A 10 on the river, beaten by the idiot who saw all the raises with 44!

But I also played less well. My VP$IP started to inch up. I made bad preflop, postflop turn and river decisions.

So I did some self talk, and reestablished my personal playing style. Over the past week my play has return to its former level.

Now I am running good this week (something about bonus play seems to stimulate me - first Empire $200 and now Poker Now $100). Nonetheless, my VP$IP is back where I want it. I am doing a better job of folding good not great hands to preflop raises from good players. I'm aggressive without being silly.

So I write this as a pep talk to myself and perhaps to help at least one reader. When all is going bad, quit railing against the Poker Gods, or Party or River Stars, but rather look inward for answers. The sites do not control your success, only you control your success. We all run bad, but we should strive to never accentuate the bad luck with dumb play.

[Grisgra]

Crap, Empire had a bonus this week? I didn't see anything in the zoo . . . is it over?

[wuarhg]

Good post!

[Grisgra]

You mean my asking about the Empire bonus? Yeah, thanks . . . I'm sure others will be interested too . . . [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Gazza]

I activated my empire handle for the first time earlier in the week to take advantage of this bonus (I saw it in the zoo). And also because of all the dataminers and fish who get up and go when my Party personna takes its seat.
If I recall correctly the code was FEB150 and it was 25%, max 150. Don't know anything about a 200 or if it's still going

Gazza

[Gazza]

Oh and sorry Wahoo if your thread has been hijacked. It was a good post.
Back to the basics when things are not going well.

Gazza

[AAmaz0n]

[ QUOTE ]
Crap, Empire had a bonus this week? I didn't see anything in the zoo . . . is it over?

[/ QUOTE ]


http://www.empirepoker.com/offers/reload.html

The 25% Deposit Bonus will ONLY be applied on your first deposit made between 00:00 hrs EST, February 3rd and 23:59 hrs EST, February 8th 2005. You must use the bonus code "Feb150" on the Deposit Screen where you enter the amount of the deposit. This deposit code will award you with up to $150 bonus.

It was in this thread

It ends tonight, so you need to move soon

You can tell that I spend waaaayyyyyy too much time in the z00. One of my new years resolutions is to hang more in the strategy forums and spend less time trying to be a better bonus courtesan.

Shauna