bad luck or wrong game??

I have been playing for about six months now both online and live and have had mixed success at best. Initially I obviously had no idea what I was doing but now, after reading many books and gaining much experience I feel like I have a fairly good grasp on the game(by no means am I intending to consider myself an expert). I play only strong starting hands especially in early position and routinely fold when I am certain I am beaten but I find myself continually being drawn out on by inferior hands and beaten by runner runner flush draws and miracle gut shots on the river. Obviously these hands are costing me massive amounts of money because I am attempting to punish those who are trying to make these irrational draws so I am constantly betting and raising when I know I have the best of it-then I find myself making the crying call when the running flush or miracle straight comes through. Any advice as to how I can improve my game and consistently beat these miralce draws???

[jkkkk]

Wheres the 'throw myself off a bridge' option?

[Colonel Kataffy]

I really don't think either of your poll options are appropriate.

[TexArcher]

This is a joke, right?

How about moving up in stakes where people aren't chasing every hand?

Or, when you see them chasing so much, make it so expensive for them to chase that you either take it down on the flop routinely or they get ridiculously bad odds on their chases?

Why would you berate them after the hand for bad play? Are you really trying to discourage them from playing badly on future hands??...

[Acehawk74]

If you truly have an understanding of how to win long term in poker.. which im guessing you either don't understand it completely, or youre focusing too much on short term... but I digress. Every play that you make a Positive EV decision is money in your pocket long term. Don't be results oriented. In the long run, these repeated suckouts will be lining your pockets with cash. Keep studying hands, do what you can to improve your game every single time you play, be paitient and stay focused. Oh.. and one final thing... don't tap the fish tank. Keep quiet, and let them do as they wish, and remember that this is all one big poker game. Oh, I agree, both of your poll options are bad. Both of them are -EV and frankly make you look very impatient. I know it can be frustrating, just stay focused.


Well, thats my daily bad beat help post [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[iluzion]

both options are clearly -EV, do you see why?

[chickenbeaks]

I voted smack in face. Much more satisfying. If playing online, punching a brick wall is almost as effective.

[TheBlueMonster]

[ QUOTE ]
Any advice as to how I can improve my game and consistently beat these miralce draws???

[/ QUOTE ]
don't know how you can beat miralce draws, but you can't prevent people from drawing out on you.

[bdohaney]

You didn't include an option for either of these: C. Quit playing forever, D. Play at levels MUCH lower than your bankroll until you can actually show a positive expectation, and are as good as you think you are.

[Tailgunner]

My avatar pretty much sums up how I deal with idiots.

<font color="maroon">~TG</font> [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]