Recovering from a bad beating

KornGeek · #1 05-12-2005, 04:23 PM

I recently went a played at a 2/4 table in a local cardroom. All night long, I kept getting utter crap, or winding up with the second best hand. After a couple of hours of this, I noticed that I was going on tilt and playing even worse. That's when I decided to call it a night.

My bad playing that night cost me a significant portion of my gambling bankroll.

I'm considering going back and playing again, but I find I'm still doubting myself more than usual, and I'm afraid this could still affect my playing. How do you recover from a bad beating and get back into the swing of things?

toss · #2 05-12-2005, 04:26 PM

You must realize that youll eventually take their money assuming you're a solid player. Bad beats are part of the game. If you can't handle it...

Bill C · #3 05-12-2005, 09:32 PM

"Getting utter crap" and "winding up with second best hand" are not "bad playing." They are something that happens in this game. You didn't have good fortune that night. Welcome to the wonderful world of variance.

Ya gotta put that behind you. Give it a couple of days. Read some of the stuff that has helped you. Play tight preflop, especially during the first part of your next session.

Hang in there Buddy.

bc

Stack · #4 05-12-2005, 09:54 PM

Review SSH. It's mind soothing, and it will give you your confidence back.

bdk3clash · #5 05-12-2005, 10:05 PM

What's your bankroll and how much of it did you lose?

PokerBob · #6 05-12-2005, 10:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What's your bankroll and how much of it did you lose?

[/ QUOTE ]

That may be the best avatar ever.

RiverTheNuts · #7 05-13-2005, 01:43 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What's your bankroll and how much of it did you lose?

[/ QUOTE ]

That may be the best avatar ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

Only because he used the wrong You're right?

KornGeek · #8 05-16-2005, 03:59 PM

My bankroll originally started around $100. I had built it up (primarily due to home tournaments) to about $350. However, I dipped into my gambling bankroll to buy my wife a nice mother's day present.

That night, I started around $200, and lost a little over half.

Looking back, I should have quit sooner, but I felt that I played better poker than most people at that table and that if I kept playing sound poker, I should be able to win it back.

When I finally realized that the losses were keeping me from playing soundly, I got up and left.

KornGeek · #9 05-16-2005, 04:04 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Getting utter crap" and "winding up with second best hand" are not "bad playing." They are something that happens in this game. You didn't have good fortune that night. Welcome to the wonderful world of variance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for the words of encouragement. They are greatly appreciated. The part that made me really doubt myself was the way I played the second best hands. The one that sticks out in my mind was when I had pocket queens, and the board was full of garbage. I kept raising with my overpair, and a calling station kept calling me. I thought she was just playing the same bad poker she had been playing all night, but she had flopped a set of 3's.

After analyzing that night (over and over and over), I think I might actually try my hand at the 3/6 table when I return. I believe that I played well most of the time. At the 3/6 table the players should be a little easier to read (not so many random plays), and the rake is a lower percentage. Also, if I do start to win, the win will be larger.

The only danger is that another losing streak could add up quickly.

jskills · #10 05-16-2005, 05:02 PM

Losing $100 in a 2/4 session can certainly happen, even for the best of players.

With that kind of bankroll, you should play .50/1 online until you build up at least 300 big bets worth to move to 1/2. You really shouldn't be playing 2/4 unless you've got $1200.