Need Help - Mental Problem with the Game

[imashyboi]

I was wondering if someone could help me regarding a mental problem I've been having with playing 15/30. For some reason since I cashed out about 180BB at the end of January I felt that all my hands were no good. Just today I lost 2 sets,1 to a quad and the other to a flush or straight on the river(the player made a bet on the river after the heart dropped and I just checked raised to see if he's bluffing or not, he 3 bets and I folded).

Anyways, the problem I'm having lately is that I'm feeling that all my hands are getting beat even if I flop top pair with good kicker. I haven't been catching anything on the flop lately either so I'm folding alot more hands on the flop even if I have two overpair(I'm also folding AQs if a K is on the flop and I don't hit). Usually I'll call and see the turn and probably fold if I don't hit or have a draw.

The problem I'm having is that I'll hit top pair on the turn and still get checked raised on the river. I have been checked raised on the river so much and have seen people chase their 2 pair against me. AM I PLAYING THE GAME OR IS THE GAME PLAYING ME? These are my stats 26/12/1.8.

[motorholdem]

Hi

Sounds like a matter of dealing with the swing. You cashed out 180BB, so prior to that I bet you took down a few good hands. I bet you busted a few high two-pairs with small trips, busted a straight with a flush, etc.

I don't know about you, but when catch a card on the river that improves what I already thought was a winning hand, and then find out - wow, I really did need that third 10, the other guy had pocket JJs..... I soon forget about my good fortune. We are all egocentric, so we figure we deserve it. And by God, we played the hand right, so what the heck. It's not like you dragged garbage to the river and won. Right?


But when we are on the other end, life sucks and we DON'T quickly forget our bad beats.

1. We remember our busted JJ angainst some idoit with 10s.
2. With think how fishy we must look when we keep leading into losing hands.
3. We start to play good hands defensively. We are not worried about maximizing pots, but minimzing the cost of a bad beat.
4. Maybe we even think we suck

Here's what I do.

I shut down and review the hands to see if I played poorly or just had some bad beats. I make sure I have not loosed up out of frustration.

I change tables lots so I feel like I can get a fresh image.

PS. I also have some hands saved in which I took down pots I should have probably lost. I go look at them to remind me that beats swing both ways.

If you are good, "long-term" is on your side...

Good luck

[imashyboi]

You can say that I was catching decent hands on the previous months. After looking it over I've had sessions where I'll hit 2 big pairs several times before even reaching 100 hands. I guess you can say that I excepted it to happen again.

How long does bad swings usually happen? Its been a month now and it seems like I'm still losing alot of my better hands(AJ-AK). Funny thing is that I can't seem to win a big pot, I'm always splitting it with another player who has the same cards as me.

Another thing I've noticed is that I'm not winning with any flushes or straight. Bascially, I hardly hit the flop and the turn even when I have say 4 flush on the flop with two overcards, I'll miss all of that. I think my post-flop play needs a lil work but I don't think its drastic enough where I'll lose majority of my hands. I've also noticed that whenever I raise preflop, the flop will come with all small cards or 44K against my AJ.

[imashyboi]

Another comment I wanted to add is that after losing almost all my bankroll on the 15/30 table I decided to go to 5/10. Deposited 200 and lost all that too. I got 3 AA's and lost both, can't believe one of them actually held up. The cards I was getting was pretty much unplayable in the position I was in.

[SmileyEH]

Maybe you aren't a winning player.

-SmileyEH

[spikeanut]

I'm not quite sure how much you are keeping in your bank roll for different limits, but you have to realize that with these higher limits, the volitity of your ROI will drastically waver every now and then. If you continually only deposit $200 for a 5/10 game, that is only 40BB, which is not nearly enough to stablize the swings. I think the general consensus on this board is a bankroll of 300BB for that limit, and don't move up until you are crushing the game, or have attained the necessary bankroll for a higher limit. Just having the thought in the back of my mind that one session could wipe out my entire roll really affects my game.

[Edge34]

BB = Big Bets

5/10: $200 = 20 BB

Just a note, the rest of your message was on.

[spikeanut]

Correction duley noted. Thanks.

[tpir90036]

[ QUOTE ]
Just having the thought in the back of my mind that one session could wipe out my entire roll really affects my game.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well at least you are having the thought now.

Also, not sure how many hands you have in your database but 26% is a little high for VP$IP.

[highland]

[ QUOTE ]
Just today I lost 2 sets,1 to a quad

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there a site that has a joker that I don't know about or were you playing the set on the board :P?

Seriously though, bad streaks happen, it sucks. your 26vpip is a bit high, maybe your EV isn't really 1.8BB/100. Study some more. Have a solid poker playing friend review a batch of your hands. Review them yourself. Keep reading here. Post some of your hands here that you aren't sure that you played well.

cheers,
highland