TILT? At first I rock, but then I suck...what gives?

[GemiNiveK]

For the past few weeks it seems that I get myself all psyched up to play online, sit down and open four tables, then for the first 200-300 hands or so I crush it for 10BB/100+. Then over the next hour or so it all goes straight to Hell and before I know it I'm even. For several months I played for six or eight hours at a time and averaged 2-3BB/100. Then half way through March this started. My VPIP, PFR and PFAF still look great (17-18, 8-9, 2+).

I think (OK, I know) this is some sort of tilt. I think I'm getting bored (unable to force myself to stay interested) after an hour or so then losing my edge. It's really getting me down and making me not want to play at all lately which is really stupid because overall I'm a profitable player.

Has anyone else gone through this? What's the answer? Should I just start limiting my sessions to an hour or so? Should I play less tables but at higher limits so that I stay interested? I just want to start having fun and winning again. Right now I'm starting to dread playing because I'm convinced it'll be another emotional roller coaster when I'm way up then back even.

Flame away, but I'd appreciate some constructive feedback. By the way, I play 10-handed limit 2/4 through 5/10 (mostly 5/10, but I've stepped down lately while trying to sort this out). I've been playing over 40K hands/month this year.

~K

[Huhmare]

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Has anyone else gone through this? What's the answer? Should I just start limiting my sessions to an hour or so? Should I play less tables but at higher limits so that I stay interested? I just want to start having fun and winning again. Right now I'm starting to dread playing because I'm convinced it'll be another emotional roller coaster when I'm way up then back even.

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Try playing some other variations of poker. Triple draw, 7-stud, crazy pineapple, omaha and so on. Play small stakes. This way it doesn't matter to be a losing player. It's refreshing.

[GemiNiveK]

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Try playing some other variations of poker. Triple draw, 7-stud, crazy pineapple, omaha and so on. Play small stakes. This way it doesn't matter to be a losing player. It's refreshing.

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And somehow being a losing player at other variations will inspire me to become an anxiously engaged winning player at Hold'em once again?!? Please explain...

[Huhmare]

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Try playing some other variations of poker. Triple draw, 7-stud, crazy pineapple, omaha and so on. Play small stakes. This way it doesn't matter to be a losing player. It's refreshing.

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And somehow being a losing player at other variations will inspire me to become an anxiously engaged winning player at Hold'em once again?!? Please explain...

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The point is not being a losing player. It's just a new game and of course one will lose in a game he doesn't fully understand, only the basics.

You propably still are a winning player. You are just getting frustrated with the game you are playing.

When you play for example 7-stud, it is no longer for winning the max BB/100 and always trying to make the best possible desicion. It's for fun. And if played with small stakes, it doesn't matter.

Some people have also told they play 0.01/.02 no limit from time to time, just to have some fun. Playing some horrible hands and taking the worst of it. But so what? One couldn't possibly lose any significant amount.

It worked for me, so wouldn't it work for you.

It also can give you some new perspective about poker.

[gambool]

Just concentrate on your game. Don't get too consumed by your win/loss. I know its the reason we all play, but it shouldn't effect your play. Poker is a long term game. Its a game of making +EV decisions. If you can manage this, then in the long run you should be a winner.

So the 20bb that you spent the last 2 hours making gets sucked back into the game. You are obviously bothered by the fact that you are back to even, but you make little mention of what is happening in your games.

I'd guess (and this is coming from personal experience!) that you are constantly monitoring how you are doing. When things start to go downhill, you loosen up a bit. Nothing major, just an extra call or raise here or there. KTo starts to look real pretty. You may not even realise what you are doing at the time.

Just concentrate on playing your best game. Use PT more to find holes in your game than to monitor out your win rate. Try to ignore how much you have in front of you. Whether you are 10bb up or 30bb down, if its a good table, just play your game. You may or may not show a profit at the end of the session, day or even week, but in the long run things should work out.

Since I've changed my attitude to be less influenced by my current (or recent) win/loss, and concentrate more on my game, my overall game has improved and I suffer from less drastic swings.

HTH.

[TimM]

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For the past few weeks it seems that I get myself all psyched up to play online, sit down and open four tables, then for the first 200-300 hands or so I crush it for 10BB/100+. Then over the next hour or so it all goes straight to Hell and before I know it I'm even.

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Sounds like something I call "winner's tilt" (don't remember if I read that somewhere or just made it up). Basically you run good for a while. Almost all of your raising hands hold up, your pairs flop sets, your draws hit, etc. Then the run stops, but you continue to expect to win even when your hands are not as strong now. You bluff and semi-bluff too much, overplay marginal hands, give way too much action when your strong hands are against the nuts, etc. Does this sound familiar?

[pokerjo22]

You're not crushing the game for 10 BB/100, you're just being lucky. Maybe you do then play badly, or maybe its just more variance.

Also, have you ever considered that you might be playing at a rigged site?

[sfer]

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Also, have you ever considered that you might be playing at a rigged site?

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Best. Line. Ever.