Confused and Frustrated

[ShortBus]

[ QUOTE ]
The key I think (as long as you are playing correct, winning poker) is to not change your game.


[/ QUOTE ]

Um, I don't agree with this advice. Sometimes you have to adjust your game to the cards you're getting. You can go on playing the same way and lose everything. Something needs to change so you can adjust accordingly. Poker is a game of change. You change based on your table and based on your selection. There WILL come a time when you need to change according to your cards. I think a cold deck is the perfect time to start exploring other forms of playing (IE: Not always Tight).

My 2.

[skoal2k4]

changing based on table conditions is part of playing correct poker... When I talk about game, I don't mean how you play the next couple hands, but rather how you play overall... calling an all-in bet for half your stack at a full table with 34s because you feel the other guy is full of [censored] and you're frustrated because you aren't getting good cards is not playing winning poker and isn't part of any good game.

[ QUOTE ]

I think a cold deck is the perfect time to start exploring other forms of playing (IE: Not always Tight).


[/ QUOTE ]

changing gears is also important, and you should be doing this anyway.

[ShortBus]

With a little more detail added to what you meant by "don't change your game", I agree with you. Basically, don't go on tilt. lol.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
I think a cold deck is the perfect time to start exploring other forms of playing (IE: Not always Tight).

[/ QUOTE ]

No offense but this is not good advice. See my post in this thread:
Dealing with a 'cold deck'

[ShortBus]

While your post was great, I don't think playing a TAG game is always right. There are other ways to win at poker and sitting and folding your life away isn't always correct.

Perhaps I should say, exploring other ways to win... instead of what I said. I think the majority of people blame a cold deck when they themselves have changed something mentally in their game. The mind is a crazy thing and if it's not at it's top.... your game can suffer. So the bigger question is how do you spot a cold deck, and how are you sure it's a cold deck and not you? Your post helped answer these questions to a point, but I really don't think your "first cold deck" can be realized until long after it's gone.

I could be way off... but thank you for the link to the post. Very good.

[Radio]

Do you only play SNGs?

[Mike Gallo]

Do you only play SNGs?

I do not play SNGs. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

I play live tournaments and ring games. I do not play online poker.

[AviD]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you only play SNGs?

I do not play SNGs. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

I play live tournaments and ring games. I do not play online poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mike helped rig online poker, so he's smart enough to stay away! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[IndieMatty]

Unfortunately, its probably God just hates you.





Im kidding. Take a break and read some books. Don't play for 2 weeks. It will be ok.

[jtr]

[ QUOTE ]
As an example: I played a 5 buck sng a couple of hours ago where the highest card I saw the whole game was a jack!

[/ QUOTE ]

How many hands did you play in this tournament? Let's say you lasted about 5 orbits (but if it was shorter than this, let me know). 5 orbits means something approaching 50 hands, times two = 100 hole cards. Let's say 90 to reflect a few people getting knocked out. The chances of seeing nothing better than a jack over 90 cards is about 1 in 16 billion, so I might have to call BS on this.

[ QUOTE ]
Another: A few days ago I had 8 decent openers in a row and never even floped a pair!

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, this is believable but not really remarkable. About a 3% chance that all 8 openers will fail to hit a pair.

[ QUOTE ]
One more: Last week I counted 12 times I flopped 4 cards to a flush and never hit one of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

About 1 in 200. I guess you can whine a little bit about this, but not too much. And preferably not in public.


[ QUOTE ]
I understand the idea of variances and downswings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure about that?


[ QUOTE ]
I guess I'm looking for feedback from anyone who's gone through this kind of thing and come out the other side.

[/ QUOTE ]

Play more hands, focus on playing well rather than winning money, and play at a level where you're very adequately bankrolled. Play in this manner for long enough and the money takes care of itself. That's about all anyone can offer you.

I don't mean to be overly harsh in this post, but it's important for you to realize that there really is no anti-variance elixir to be had out there. You just have to push on.