I hate poker

Zinzan · #1 10-20-2004, 05:42 AM

I've had a bad run recently... 25 SnG's ($20, $30, and $50) with no cashes! Did have a $279 cash in one multitable during this time. I've started breaking out of it in the last couple days, but only to the extent that I'm breaking even. I've made some mistakes during that time, to be sure, but I swear that most of the time I'm getting crippled with terrible luck.

Tonight, in a $30 multitable (610 players), the bad luck returned with a vengeance in the span of four hands. Check this out--this is exactly how things went during my 25 game dry spell (sorry, the Hand Converter doesn't seem to be working with Party's new file format):

HAND 1:
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Bob ( $75 )
Seat 3: Norm ( $1655 )
Seat 5: Larry ( $1340 )
Seat 7: zinzan ( $2280 )
Seat 10: Mo ( $2945 )
Seat 4: Marshall ( $4430 )
Seat 2: Chad ( $2920 )
Seat 9: Alan ( $1535 )
Seat 6: Mike ( $1320 )
Seat 8: Mitch ( $5400 )
Blinds (50/100)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to zinzan [ Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ]
Larry calls [100].
Mike folds.
zinzan raises [600].
Mitch folds, Alan folds.
Mo calls [600].
Bob is all-In.
Chad folds, Norm folds, Marshall folds.
Larry calls [500].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ] Nice flop for me!
Larry is all-In.
zinzan raises [1480].
Mo folds.
Larry shows [ 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ]
zinzan shows [ Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ] 74% to win
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ]
** Dealing River ** [ J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]

What in the world was Larry doing calling my preflop raise with 87?!! I understand playing a little loose with suited connectors early in the tournament, but for almost half your chips?

I'm thinking it's too dangerous to give Mo a free card, but should I have considered a flat-call here, hoping he calls and we build a side pot on the turn?

NEXT HAND:
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 3: Norm ( $1605 )
Seat 5: Larry ( $3505 )
Seat 7: zinzan ( $940 )
Seat 10: Mo ( $2345 )
Seat 4: Marshall ( $4330 )
Seat 2: Chad ( $2920 )
Seat 9: Alan ( $1535 )
Seat 6: Mike ( $1320 )
Seat 8: Mitch ( $5400 )
Blinds (50/100)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to zinzan [ A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]
Mike folds.
zinzan is all-In.
Mitch folds, Alan folds, Mo folds, Chad folds, Norm folds.
Marshall calls [890].
Larry folds.
zinzan shows [ A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ] 73% to win
Marshall shows [ A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ] Can't complain about this flop! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
** Dealing Turn ** [ K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ]
** Dealing River ** [ T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ]

And I'm back!
But don't celebrate yet. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

TWO HANDS LATER:
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 3: Norm ( $1605 )
Seat 5: Larry ( $3330 )
Seat 7: zinzan ( $1980 )
Seat 10: Mo ( $3570 )
Seat 4: Marshall ( $3390 )
Seat 2: Chad ( $2920 )
Seat 9: Alan ( $1535 )
Seat 6: Mike ( $1170 )
Seat 8: Mitch ( $4400 )
Blinds (75/150)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to zinzan [ K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]
Mitch folds.
Alan is all-In. Yes!
Mo folds, Chad folds, Norm folds, Marshall folds, Larry folds, Mike folds.
zinzan calls [1385].
Alan shows [ A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]
zinzan shows [ K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ] 67% to win
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ] Yes! 96% to win! Hit my set, no flush draw... 
** Dealing Turn ** [ Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ] or is there? 84% to win
** Dealing River ** [ 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ]

I was crippled, and out soon afterwards.

Geez, I really hate this game sometimes. Most of the time, lately.

-Z

MyssGuy · #2 10-20-2004, 10:03 AM

Been there, done that. My September and early October sound a lot like this. In fact, hands/games like this put me on tilt for several days. Step back and take a break. It's tough. If you're like me, you want to get back as soon as possible and show them that you are better than that. Well, right now, you're not. Whether you know it or not, you're on tilt and not playing your best. In the hands you showed us, you played nicely, but I'm sure there are others that were borderline. After a few days (a week?) off, you'll start looking at situations more clearly and not focused on your bad beats.

woodguy · #3 10-20-2004, 10:20 AM

Looks like you are getting your $$$ in with the best of it.
If you were getting in with the worst of it, I'd consider taking a break or quitting.

Regards,
Woodguy

Bernas · #4 10-20-2004, 10:44 AM

I hear you. This seems like my October.
Seems to be a good month for fish. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Zinzan · #5 10-20-2004, 12:07 PM

Yeah, I was definitely on tilt. I didn't take a complete break, but dropped down to playing just a couple sit-n-gos per night, or maybe a multitable tournament. And no multitabling (more than one game at a time). Slowing down like this, I am now breaking even instead of bleeding money, but bad beats are still crippling me.

BTW, I understand bad beats are to be expected, and I usually just laugh when they happen, happy that I got my money in with the best hand. But when they happen tournament after tournament... well, that's when depression sets in. I lost a big chunk of my bankroll, and decided that if I lose my entire bankroll, including my original seed money, I'll hang up my poker spurs.

Hopefully, it won't come to that, but I'll have lost just what I can afford to lose, and I'll not let it develop into a gambling problem. I can see how that can happen to someone.

As my bankroll is reduced, I've dropped from $50 to $30 to $20 SnG's. The unfortunate side-effect of this is that at $20, it's much harder to figure out what cards these guys are playing! I've mostly moved back up to the $30 level now.

August, on the other hand, was a dream month, where I was ITM on SNG's almost 2/3rds of the time. Apparently an unsustainable pace. I was obviously very lucky during this time, but now I'm really questioning myself... trying to step back and see if there are some unconscious adjustments I made between August and October. Am I playing certain hands looser now? Or am I playing too weak? Am I failing to value bet for maximum gain?

Or maybe my opponents' have changed? They seem to be playing more aggressively lately. Perhaps due to the WSOP Main Event airing in September?

It suddenly occurs to me that I should replay my SnG's from August. I've been using PokerTracker since July! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

-Z

I Play 2 Ski · #6 10-21-2004, 04:09 PM

Dealt KK - 16 Times
KK up against AA - 9 Times

I did spike a K once against AA though.

Zinzan · #7 10-21-2004, 04:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Dealt KK - 16 Times
KK up against AA - 9 Times

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, that's a tough one. It's happened to me, but nowhere near 9 out of 16 times.

Had a better night last night. Played two $30 sit-n-gos and one $30 multitable. Finished first and second in the SnGs, but went out quick in the approx. 1600 player multitable when my QQ lost to T8 on an T32 board. Can't believe he called my 4xBB raise on preflop with T8 in the first place.

-Z

gcDanno · #8 10-21-2004, 06:42 PM

After 7 final tables in April/May, I was completly shut down during June-Sept. My bankroll dwindled to nothing. So I slowed down, played some lower dollar games. I've tightened up my starting hands, working on playing the other players cards, and boom! During the last month, I've made 3 final tables for $3000. I've won a few of the Stars $215 satellites, and am generally rushing right now. The key is to stay patient, and keep your cool. Bad beats are a part of poker.