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  #1  
Old 12-25-2005, 03:12 AM
yellowjack yellowjack is offline
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Location: Vancouver, Canada
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Default It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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.
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  #2  
Old 12-25-2005, 03:25 AM
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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.
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  #3  
Old 12-25-2005, 06:52 AM
Pog0 Pog0 is offline
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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.
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  #4  
Old 12-25-2005, 12:52 PM
JonPKibble JonPKibble is offline
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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!
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  #5  
Old 12-25-2005, 01:55 PM
raze raze is offline
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

[ 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.
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  #6  
Old 12-25-2005, 07:47 PM
AlanBostick AlanBostick is offline
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Location: California
Posts: 127
Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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.
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  #7  
Old 12-25-2005, 08:30 PM
timmer timmer is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Nevada USA
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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.
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  #8  
Old 12-26-2005, 12:14 AM
raze raze is offline
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Posts: 1,595
Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

[ 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.
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  #9  
Old 12-26-2005, 04:47 AM
ismisus ismisus is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2
Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

[ 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
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  #10  
Old 12-26-2005, 04:50 AM
Dudd Dudd is offline
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Default Re: It Always Feels Like I\'m Losing

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