I keep losing, help.

[Transference]

[ QUOTE ]
But I felt a lot better after studying my hands. For example, during this streak I flopped set 12 consecutive times without winning once (I even lost 4 sets in a row to runner-runner flushes) and I had 11 consecutive two pair hands where I lost to straights and flushes. Maybe I could have lost a little less on these hands if I had played better, but the hands mentioned (plus many others) convinced me that it was variance that caused this big downswing, not a sudden change in my play. And that was comforting.


[/ QUOTE ]

This may be comforting but it is not constructive and can in fact serve to conceal leaks.

There is unlikely and easy or obvious answer for while you are running bad. While it is tempting to say well look at all these bad beats I've had, or I've got this friend that might be influencing my level of aggression, its a mistake to say thats it right there, thats the problem.

There is no question everyones confidence is shaken a little bit during a downswing, but if your completely at a loss you have discovered a hole in your game that has in fact been there all along. If you don't know if you are playing differently then you are simply not consistantly and effortfully analysing your play. A bad swing is the result of variance, and variance cannot easily be pinned down, it is not attributable to a few bad beats but is a much more subtle combination of unlikely circumstances.

How do you seperate bad play from bad luck? The answer is simple but the process is hard. Rigourous self analysis and conciously reasoning the motives behind every decision you make at the table. Reading isnt enough, you have to apply EV decisions to your game and your thought processes.

Poker is hard work.

[olavfo]

Of course, there's more to it than just blaming the variance, but variance is usually what starts it. Then there's how you handle it.

During my 250 BB downswing I'm sure I wasted a few extra bets here and there by not playing my best game due to stress, but I think it's important not to panic and to keep things in perspective.

When you are a consistent winner, you don't lose 250 BB over a few days because of a leak or two in your game. Most of it is due to variance and one should not worry too much about it. It will only steal focus.

olavfo

[Cory Neely]

im going to defend this guy. for all of you who keep quoting "I really consider myself an excellent poker player, " then ask yourself what you think this really means. do you guys go into a game thinking, 'man i suck mega balls at poker and cant wait to lose my money to everyone at the table'? no you dont. the guy didnt say he thinks he is the best player ever he just thinks he is ahead of the game because he studies and fills holes in his game which is good. if you think you are equal with the fish then why play if you're just going to give your money to them then they give it back all through the session?

it seems as though you have done a good job in the past and you have adapted something alone the way that has hurt your game. i used to be pretty good at nl tournaments and could at least make the money in most of the tourneys i entered then i read a few books on limit holdem and now im lucky if i can cash in a tourney. its not like im trying to play the tournaments like im playing limit holdem, it just happens from me reading these books 2-3 times a peice. im pretty sure you may have picked up a habit in the past few months and just havent realized it and its probably going to be tough to find what it is but im sure you will since you keep up with your stuff.

[mungpo]

There is a difference between an excellent player and a player who thinks he is an excellent player.

[Stuey]

[ QUOTE ]
About half of my bankroll was from multis.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think MTT have the highest variance. I could be wrong I don't play them much they take to much time. I did win one though so I think a ton of luck is involved as I am not very good at NL.

Just stop the MTT and maybe it will turn around. If you must play MTT win a seat in the big ones in a sat. gl

[granny50]

You might be in the LAG phase of a player evolution. I believe as a good player everyone hits this phase and I think it really sucks (money-wise). You are tired of playing weak-tight and now you want to push everyone around. After a while of playing like this, I think you will figure out a happy medium of playing tight aggressive.

[reddred]

I agree with this guy....everyone who dogs this guy for thinking he's an excellent player, probably thinks they're an excellent player(to be telling this guy he isn't an excellent player). Truth is, you only feel as good about your game as your bankroll bottomline, or your last game played indicates.......and we've all felt both invinsible and incappable at different times.

[toots]

Oh, heck yeah.

When I'm winning, I feel like god's gift to poker, and I can do no wrong. When I'm losing, I don't know how to play the game at all, and might as well never play it again.

But, I do know better than come here and say I'm an excellent player. I mean, that's just painting a target on your back.

[Moozh]

You guys are so full of yourselves when you start ragging on him for claiming to be 'excellent'. Here's the truth: when you spend time every day putting in the effort to study and improve your game, then compared to the average player out there, you damn well are excellent.

The problem isn't him thinking he's excellent. The guy has 9 months of winning to his credit and you're ragging him because he thinks he's good? If you win for 9 months at the limits he played at, then I'd say you're pretty good.

I think the problem here is a downswing combined with a change in playing style. I think it's impossible to go from a ABC style to a more aggressive style of play without introducing new leaks into your game. It's also very hard to make a change to your game while going through a downswing because you have no real feedback on which changes are for the best.

I'd stay at the lower limits for a while until you start winning again and regain your confidence. Then, start moving back up to where you were before.

[IlliniRyRy]

If your friend's style of play is rubbing off on you, I guess you're playing more aggressively right? If that's the case, bear in mind that extra aggression typically leads to extra variance, i.e. more swings. You'll lose more on your bad days and vice versa. I've had to adapt to the extra aggression in the 5/10 6max game vs ring games and endured greater losing periods as a result. Get pokertracker if you don't have it already, and go back to basics. Figure out why you were beating the game before.