Running good, running bad... running normal?

[BIgMc]

I've been playing poker seriously for the last 5 years. I've read a lot of books and played a lot of hands, thanks to the internet. Whenever my friends use to ask me what the difference was between a good player and an average one I would tell them, "An average player will lose when they are running "normal", and a good player will win." This is, obviously, not the whole answer, but I thought it made things easy to understand. Just recently I said this to someone and began to think about the last time I ran "normal". I thought about this, talked to my friends about this, and thought about it some more and just couldn't remember the last stretch of 1 to 2 weeks I ran normal. We play no-limit, thus the games are volitile and the roll takes hits and donations, but I'm talking about the cards. Can anyone remember the last time they had a good day, a bad day, a good day, and a bad day? From what I've experienced, I usually run good for a couple weeks/months then run bad for a couple weeks/months. No inbetween. Is that what everyone else experiences, or is it just me?

Side note: If this is true, wouldn't that prove that luck exists. And, if luck exists, we aren't putting a big enough price on it? There would have to be alternate stratagies to utilize that factor. Running good stratagies, running bad stratagies...

[pokerjoker]

I consult my Ouija board before every session on this.

[ginko]

The difference between running good and running bad is that you're getting an excess of something. You might flop 5 sets in a row which means your lucky, sure, but at any moment that luck can change.

I remember one day where I kept hitting the flop every other hand. I was running HOT. But when I would get the money in, I would get drawn out on over half the time(2-5 outters nonstop with some 8-9outter flush draws allin on the flop). I was running terrible at the same time. I actually lost $200 that session while holding incredible cards and getting incredible action. I lost over $1200 to the river. And this was at NL200.


So if that means anything, it means that running good and running bad are just terms that try to explain luck.


However, if it is obvious that I'm getting good luck, I usuallly open up a little(or alot) and become extremely aggressive. If I know I'm running bad though, I tighten up considerably to make sure I'm not actually tilting or leaking unecessary amounts of money.

[BIgMc]

Ok, interesting. You do adjust your game to how lucky you are at the table. That is what I was looking for. In response the other part of your post, I've run like that before too. Making great hands on the flop, then getting sucked out on the river sounds like running bad to me. That's the worst way to run.

[captZEEbo1]

I usually run good (ie. play good) for 2 weeks, then run really bad for 1 day and lose what I just made over the past week or more then run good for another 2 weeks...my dayly totals look like this usually:
+7000
+5000
+13000
+3000
+3000
+8000
+5000
+15000
+10000
+20000
+3000
+2500
+1300
-75000 (time to win my small loss back at 50/100...oh god what am I doing I'm on tilt, oh well, just a little more to get even, oh god I'm [censored] retarded I hate myself and want to commit suicide)
-cries on day off
-repeat

[yvesaint]

that seriously looks like my days, except divided by like 20

[BIgMc]

Ok, so apparently you don't adjust your play to how well you're running. Or you play way more reckless when you're running bad. Anyway, thanks for the response.

PS: Take care of that day and you're making a pretty decent living. Cmon... composure.

[BIgMc]

Side question: Do you ever adjust your play to how you are running at the table??

[punter11235]

[ QUOTE ]
+7000
+5000
+13000
+3000
+3000
+8000
+5000
+15000
+10000
+20000
+3000
+2500
+1300


[/ QUOTE ]

Just wow. I played with you for a while. I believe that scores are possible.. a pitty you are donking it off at 50/100 though.

Best wishes