I'm really really sorry (a confession)

[bookish]

So I've been reading this forum (great), reading various poker books and building up my skills.

Always at very low limits, but I have been consistently profitable over about 200SNG (ITM ~47, ROI ~30).

But things have recently started to go wrong. Firstly
a string of bad luck has reduced my wins, and increased
my seconds, and that reduced my income. My head-up play
is not too bad, and I'm satisfied that it was just variance, and then all of a sudden I've started playing abysmally. Properly stupid. You know the muppets you see
going all-in on the second hand with poor hands - its me!

Two hands stick out:
1: Blinds 10/20, stacks even (~1500) 9 players.
UTG raises to 40
I'm dealt Ah,Kh - re-raise to 100
foldsround
UTG re-raises to 500.

Thinks: He's got aces or Kings I should fold.
So, I call to see the flop, miss and fold to a bet. He shows aces/

2: First hand of a SNG(I know, I am *so* ashamed)
Dealt AQs in CO.
MP raises to 100. I call
Flop comes Q-High rainbow.
MP pushes.
Thinks: Right, he's on aces or Kings, I should fold.
Re-thinks: I've seen so many maniacs bluff here I'm going to call. So I do, and he's got Kings.

All you guys give your time and effort to make me a better
poker player, and it appears not to be working at all.
At least recently. I think there is no hope.

You at least though have the consolation that the money I have recently lost (only about $40 out of $400) has gone to you.


Sorry for the long, boring post.


Bookish

[hummusx]

I don't know how often you play, but if I were you, I'd just take a couple days off. I get in these ruts occasionally and I find that a day or two of not thinking about poker will often clear your mind and allow you to come back to the game in a better mindset.

[bookish]

I tend to play for a couple of hours (single tabling) each evening.

Sounds like good advice to me.

[hummusx]

This is going to sounds weird maybe, but have you thought about multi-tabling? I'm developing a theory that my play has gotten better as I've added more tables - I don't have time to talk myself into dumb moves. Most of the time I only have time to glance at the table, make a snap decision, and move on. It hasn't completely eliminated dumb moves, and obviously in some instance I probably make worse decisions under pressure, but overall I feel better about not doing dumb stuff. Maybe different people are different, but it might be worth a go. I find boredom (ie singe tabling) leads me to do stupid stuff.

[bookish]

Its an interesting thought.

I tried it once, but I couldn't see both tables properly at the same time, so I didn't do it again.

Some of the problem may be I'm tilting having come second (again!) so playing badly at the beginning of the next game.

I have a new monitor setup now, so its something I could do.

[pooh74]

[ QUOTE ]
This is going to sounds weird maybe, but have you thought about multi-tabling? I'm developing a theory that my play has gotten better as I've added more tables - I don't have time to talk myself into dumb moves. Most of the time I only have time to glance at the table, make a snap decision, and move on. It hasn't completely eliminated dumb moves, and obviously in some instance I probably make worse decisions under pressure, but overall I feel better about not doing dumb stuff. Maybe different people are different, but it might be worth a go. I find boredom (ie singe tabling) leads me to do stupid stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont think multitabling is a good idea for soemone with self-admitted leaks in their game...if you cant find your discipline playing one, its not gonna come with 2 or more.

Ive played +2000 SNGs and still single table trying to play perfect poker on that one table.

Those plays above arent the worst...especially the second. I still lose early sometimes on TPTK when my gut is telling me this guy is a donkey and then, I turn out to be the donkey. I wouldnt be so hard on yourself. That play, although lost you $, reinforced the fact that you should listen to your instincts (I am beat here) and also tells you to wait bc there will be better opportunites later.

Welcome to your first swing...its no big deal, there'll be more.

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]
2: First hand of a SNG(I know, I am *so* ashamed)
Dealt AQs in CO.
MP raises to 100. I call
Flop comes Q-High rainbow.
MP pushes.
Thinks: Right, he's on aces or Kings, I should fold.
Re-thinks: I've seen so many maniacs bluff here I'm going to call. So I do, and he's got Kings.


[/ QUOTE ]

While KJ is the trap hand for bad players, I've come to the conclusion that AQ is the trap hand for decent players. I've lost tons of money thinking, "well, I'm good enough to get away from this thing." It's the king (or should I say Queen) of "win a little, lose a lot."

I've stopped playing it early until I improve.