It Always Feels Like I'm Losing

[yellowjack]

I took a break from poker in December, but I've started playing again during the break. My endurance is pretty crappy, and none of my sessions have gone beyond one hour.

Every time I quit, it's always because I feel like I'm losing or getting frustrated. The thing is, I'm not losing. I've been running slightly above average, and my past few sessions have been winning ones. These are the same sessions I feel myself frustrated at.

I don't know why I feel this way. It may be because I'm multitabling so I don't see (and enjoy) the results. I may be getting fixated on the times I get drawn out. Not sure of what it is exactly. Has anyone here had similar experiences?

FWIW I'm playing shorthanded limit hold'em, which has a lot of variance in comparison to other games imo.

Yeah I have the same experience, I was only playing one hour at a time. I starting going from 1 hour which is about 50 hands to playing 200 hand sessions. I have been doing much better now.

[Pog0]

You need a lot of endurance to handle the shorthanded games. I probably didn't do myself a favour switching over to 6max after a huge downswing at full ring.

15k hands in, I'm up overall, but have experienced
1 100BB downswing
1 175BB downswing
8 50BB downswings

Hang on for the ride.

[JonPKibble]

If you feel you are on a bad run of cards and it is affecting the mental aspect of your game, I would recommend moving down in limit, and/or going full ring for awhile. It bites but it beats going broke out of frustration!

[raze]

[ QUOTE ]
You need a lot of endurance to handle the shorthanded games. I probably didn't do myself a favour switching over to 6max after a huge downswing at full ring.

15k hands in, I'm up overall, but have experienced
1 100BB downswing
1 175BB downswing
8 50BB downswings

Hang on for the ride.

[/ QUOTE ]

You've had all these swings in 15k hands ?? Just for comparison, in the last 12 months I've had a couple drops of -50BB and single -100BB drop over the course of about 3k hands. In my last 12k hands my worst losing streak (one 5 hour session) was -35BB. Maybe I've been very lucky all my 'career' but I don't see how you can drop so far all at once.

[AlanBostick]

I don't know if this counts as "similar experience" or not, but I sometimes feel just as unpleasant and ill-at-ease after winning a big confrontation as after losing one. Make no mistake: I'm better off having won than lost. But when this happens, I feel keyed-up, shaky, overexcited after a big confrontation, regardless of the outcome.

Maybe this is in fact the "thrill" of gambling. I don't like it one bit, but some people like it and get hooked on it. It's like the dextromethorphan hydrobromide in cough syrup: I hate the way it makes me feel, yet some people like it and wind up getting addicted.

[timmer]

Take some slow deep breaths through your nose into your lower abdomen and let them out slowly through slightly parted lips.,

yes it is an adreanal response.

the breathing will help change the pattern of your brain waves back to those more condusive to winning poker play that is calm objective and able to draw upon mental storehouses of knowlege with out restricting creative thought.

[raze]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know if this counts as "similar experience" or not, but I sometimes feel just as unpleasant and ill-at-ease after winning a big confrontation as after losing one. Make no mistake: I'm better off having won than lost. But when this happens, I feel keyed-up, shaky, overexcited after a big confrontation, regardless of the outcome.

Maybe this is in fact the "thrill" of gambling. I don't like it one bit, but some people like it and get hooked on it. It's like the dextromethorphan hydrobromide in cough syrup: I hate the way it makes me feel, yet some people like it and wind up getting addicted.

[/ QUOTE ]

I felt completely the same way when I jumped from play money to .10/.20 .. and then when I jumped to $3 SnG's. I felt it when I jumped to 3/6... but I never feel it now since I'm comfortable at my level. I imagine I will feel it again when I jump to 5/10.. I think its a normal part of adjusting to higher risk.

[ismisus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know if this counts as "similar experience" or not, but I sometimes feel just as unpleasant and ill-at-ease after winning a big confrontation as after losing one. Make no mistake: I'm better off having won than lost. But when this happens, I feel keyed-up, shaky, overexcited after a big confrontation, regardless of the outcome.

Maybe this is in fact the "thrill" of gambling. I don't like it one bit, but some people like it and get hooked on it. It's like the dextromethorphan hydrobromide in cough syrup: I hate the way it makes me feel, yet some people like it and wind up getting addicted.

[/ QUOTE ]

I felt completely the same way when I jumped from play money to .10/.20 .. and then when I jumped to $3 SnG's. I felt it when I jumped to 3/6... but I never feel it now since I'm comfortable at my level. I imagine I will feel it again when I jump to 5/10.. I think its a normal part of adjusting to higher risk.

[/ QUOTE ]

WOW, how do you jump from $3 dollar tourneys to 3/6 in a span of a week? The $3 SNG were only introduced very recently

[Dudd]

I feel the same way. Of course, that happens when you're on a 150BB downswing over 10k hands.