You have no idea how bad poker is going for me at the moment

Foldarama_City · #1 10-05-2003, 01:16 PM

You have no idea how bad poker is going for me at the moment. Actually, many of you probably do.

Nothing is hitting for days. And when I hit someone else has something better. I hit two pair someone has a set. I hit a set, someone will hit a flush. I'm starting to go crazy... I've had enough - need a serious break. I just keep losing to losers - crazy people who play anything, who call any raise. It seems I'm always the tightest person at the table but the one losing the most money. I know, I know, these are the people that pay me off. But I have no confidence that I can win a hand anymore. I used to win - I don't know what's happened.

...

tdiddy · #2 10-05-2003, 01:39 PM

maybe crying about it on a public forum will help.

Adde · #3 10-05-2003, 01:39 PM

Happened to me too. In fact, I'm in it right now. My remedy is to step down from 2/4 to 1/2, maybe even 0.5/1 if I'm running particulary bad. Also, I go down from 3 to 2 or 1 table only. Then I grind it out. If this still don't help, I'll have a day or two off and read some poker books or do something not related to poker. I find it important to not try to win back some or all of what you lost before you take a break or step down, this will only increase your risk of going on tilt. Good luck!

jasonHoldEm · #4 10-05-2003, 01:58 PM

Take a break, before you:

A) Go on tilt and start playing badly.
B) Go on tilt and decide to move up to a higher limit to get away from the "idiots"
C) Go on a killing spree.
D) All of the above.

Take a week off. It's what I did during my last cold streak. Don't think about poker for a week, don't read any books, don't read the forum, etc. Walk away from it. Come back in a week and get back in the action.

The lesson you learn is worth it. Although I can't say for sure in your case, but at least in my case, my negative attitude and subtle tilting were what was causing the problem. You can only beat the fish if you're not playing like them.

jHE

Mike Haven · #5 10-05-2003, 02:00 PM

oh dear

memo to Packerfan1

take your tracksuit off and and start warming up for the Challenge Tourney, Pack - i think Foldarama_City might be suffering from a cudgel on the back of his head when he goes into the parking lot tonight

Foldarama_City · #6 10-05-2003, 02:20 PM

Thanks for the encouragement and tips. I think you're right Jason and addde - I probably am on a subtle tilt. I'm so keen to win a hand I keep calling when I know I should fold. It's like, "nah... he wouln't have 58. He couldn't have. I made it 3 bets before the flop. No one would call that raise with 58. Oh no, he reraised me.... nah... he's bluffing but just to be safe I'll call. I'm sure I've got him beat with my AAQQ. Boy, he sure looks keen though... GRRRRRR!!!! He had 58!" (and this is at 3/6 - the beats don't get any cheaper at that level)

Having a whinge felt good actually. And straight afterwards I jumped on a site to cash out and thought why not have a quick go of .25/.50 PL - and I did pretty well actually. So I feel a little better. It doesn't make up for the hundreds I've gone back this week, but maybe its a start.

It's good to have friends to vent to from time to time. Thanks. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

And don't worry Mike- I'll be back in form by tourney time.

Cyndie · #7 10-05-2003, 03:19 PM

Try low limit tournaments...there are sites that have freerolls with thousand dollars added, or three plus zero entries. Some even have money added by the sites.

Many of our props who are going through dry spells have survived...oh yes and prop pay helps make the dry spells less bleak.

ZeeJustin · #8 10-05-2003, 03:24 PM

Taking a break and playing lower stakes both certainly help.

I like to switch to lower variance games when I'm running bad. For me this means low stakes no limit.

Graham · #9 10-06-2003, 09:51 AM

Lots of suggestions here so far, but I'll tell you what I do.

1) Realise you're in a bad spot fo poker results.

2) Acknowledge this may be affecting how you play.

3) Either take a break, reassess (read 2+2 books or Ciaffone's) or - if you have to play poker, like me sometimes - go play a different game. This has the effect of making me play tighter as I get settled into the different gaem. You mentioned PLO - that's a good game to play very tight and do some nut-peddling to ensure a win (certainly you'll do ok that way in the online world). Never seen an ojline PLo game that couldn't be beaten that way (outside the big mon night game on 24hpoker).

G

Redleg7 · #10 10-07-2003, 06:01 PM

I'm right there with you.

My two favorites are finally hitting a good hand about to rake in the pot and then it's split. The other one is getting a great hand hitting all the flop then everyone folding. Of course prior to that the betting is capped, 6+ are seeing the flop, etc. But when I caught the good hand the table dried up and all the maniacs fell asleep at the keyboard and woke up on the next hand, of course this time I'm holding 32o, instead of the two bullets I had in the last hand.

I slid from 1k down to 73 bucks in a couple weeks time, which means I slid from 3/6 all the way back to the .5/1 pond swimming with the minnows. For a micro-roller like me that's a big slide. My slide was due to a number of things, I figure 500 in bad decisions caused by tilt and stupidity, bad luck, and just plain inexperience.

Right now I'm on the comeback trail determined to improve my game. I did learn a lot from this little setback, so it wasn't a total waste. I fixed some leaks, filled some gaps in my knowledge, toughened up psychologically, and matured as a player. What more could you ask for from a tough poker lesson?

Well enough rambling.

Good Luck.