Bad beats & Running bad

[WalleyeJason]

So whats the longest streach that you have endured while running bad?

So far in 2 weeks I have donated $1000 back to the NL50 & Nl00 tables.

Bad beats seem to multiply and when I finally get the good cards they get squashed by big drawing hands.

I'm on perma-tilt right now, as I started bad last week, took the weekend off and started back up on Monday feeling refreshed and ready to play solid poker.

Well, yesterday I got crushed and again today seemed to have the same ole bad beat flavor.

So do I take a few more days off, or do I try to keep at it?

My Bank roll has dwindled into 1/2 of what it used to be. This is my second bad streak since I started playing regular in November. I'm sure that this is all about the numbers just balancing out.

But still, its very painful!!

[TomCollins]

Bad beats and playing bad seem to happen together. I am in the middle of such a trend. My advice is to take a day off (or more!) when running bad. I start to play bad and angry, and usually end up losing more than what I was chasing in the first place. Sounds like you need some time off. Play a game that you are a HUGE favorite in just to get back the confidence, and you will play a lot better when you return to your normal game. I plan on playing some 1/2 today and not worrying about making up what I have lost the past few days. After I take the day off of course [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Al Schoonmaker]

You may not enjoy what you read, but I encourage you to read a two part series of articles I wrote, "Running bad or playing badly?" It's on cardplayer.com. Click on magazine, writers, and my name.
One point you and others will almost certainly dislike is that bad beats are almost never the cause for a significant losing streak. They just seem to be the cause.
Hope the articles help you to cope and to learn from this painful experience.
Regards,
Al

[WalleyeJason]

Al,

While I do agree that bad beats are not the sole reason for running bad, I know that I have taken a few extra bad beats this week. Add that with the extra bonehead plays Im looking at a real bad couple of weeks.

Wishing I was fishing

WJ

[Joe Tall]

You just have to learn to Enjoy a Bad Beat (click here).

Peace,
Joe Tall

[CrisBrown]

Hiya Walleye,

First, I wouldn't read anything into a two-week downturn. While skill consistently prevails over the long run, in the short term luck does play a significant role.

Ironically, if your game selection is close to "profit-optimal" (i.e.: the highest stakes at which you have an edge), the short-term luck effect will be greater, because your skill edge will be narrow.

At a weak table, dropping 20xBB on a tough beat is a minor setback, as your opponents will give that money back with their mistakes. At a tough table, a 20xBB tough beat can wipe out your profit for a session, or even a week, because opponents won't give their money back as readily.

At a weak table, you may be able to outplay your opponents on marginal cards, so you can play through a cold deck. (I call this "outplaying the dealer.") At a tough table, it's a lot harder to do that, and a cold deck can leave you very helpless.

Put it all together, and the narrower your skill edge, the more susceptible you are to short-term luck. So you have to expect longer and more frequent slumps, even though your long-term hourly expectation may be greater. And you need a bigger bankroll margin to cover the swings.

If your slump goes on for awhile, though, your game may well have sprung some leaks. That's where PokerTracker -- or a tactful, expert friend to critique your play -- is so invaluable. You can't be objective during a slump, so you need an outside source to help you identify and plug those leaks before they become hemorrhages.

Cris

[Al Schoonmaker]

Cris,
You've made lots of excellent posts.
Thank you.
Al

[PuppetMaster]

[ QUOTE ]

I havent lost money in the last 27 weeks of online play when I played more than 7000 hands for that week.
I think its really important that you step back, play one table at a time, and make sure you got your "A" game going. If you dont have PT, now is a good time to invest in it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[bigpooch]

Worst streak: about $1700 in about two weeks of playing two
tables of 3-6 (5 max); fortunately, I was up almost $4000 in
the previous three weeks!

[RydenStoompala]

I actually do not think you are doing that badly. First of all, the 50% drawdown over two weeks playing 50 and 100 NL seems like a blip, unless your starting bankroll was actually 10 thousand. I have had exactly the same experience(s) in no-limit which is why I "grind it out" in 4-8 and 3-6 to maintain the account and play no-limit for the action and the chance to go toe-to-toe with better players. No limit is an entirely different game, so I view it like visitting the stud tables, on steroids.

I like the suggestion of using tracking software or a coach to help with potential tilt problems, but, my experience in no-limit tells me you are not tilting...it's just a blip.