happyhornet Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi guys, I know poker is a game of variance but in the last half a dozen or so sessions I have shipped over 20% of my bankroll, and not by playing outside of it, just by not winning or cashing at anything. As part of my New Year's Resolution (poker-wise) to keep records, the way it has looked recently is thus: MTT: 15 tournaments without finishing even close to the money, most of which I did not finish in the top half. I normally cash or bubble every half a dozen tournaments. Of course i could always rely on the STT STT: 17 x 3 and 5 Euro STT's on Boss with one second place to show for it. Only bubbled once, the rest, I was nowhere near the money. CASH: 8 consecutive losing sessions on $25NL. I can't honestly say that I am doing anything different, maybe as the run goes on, I am getting more desparate and perhaps chasing too much. I've never had a run like this before. How has anyone else who has gone through this coped with it, and what have you done to extract yourself from this position? Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaF Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! You'll have far worse runs than that :unsure MTT's - if 10% of the field are paid, then you should cash approx 1 in 10 - to not cash for 15 isn't especially unusual.... If you feel it's starting to impact your game - try moving down a level to get some confidence back .... or try a few days break :unsure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gazza271 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! I normally take a few days off mate,possibly a couple of weeks and just play the PL exclusives. I'm playing more cash now and so far every session has been positive but I know a losing streak will happen, I will step down a level and take a few days break. As GaF would say "it's only variance" :lol:lol, you're to good a player for it to last. Take a break for a week :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glceud Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! You'll have far worse runs than that :unsure :unsure Honestly, I'm giving up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldric Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! I Agree with GAF the MTT is to be expected and cash games that can happen easily, what I am surprised about is 17 STT with only 1 2nd place at the 3 and 5 limits. I take it these are 10 seaters? How are you playing the STT? Is this something you have been playing with success before? Your play MUST have changed IMO for you not to cash in that amount of games. If you are thinking about how to cash does that mean are you thinking that you need to build a pot up before the blinds get bigger? Therefore you are aggressive early doors and getting called by the donks? Are you playing regular, speed or turbo STT? Maybe try regular to give you more time to get the right hands and to sit back and play TAG poker. Are you playing more than 1 table at a time, why not just play 1 table, regular STT and try to get some reads on people and wait for the good hands which will come eventually. Hope you don't take offence, just my thoughts. Aldric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nade Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! I would say take a break, but to analyse how you've been playing. In the recent months since i've become a lot better at playing i'd have bad runs like everyone and think how can this be, i'm playing just the same and getting still bad luck. Well i've then analysed my game and nearly every time i've noticed i'm doing stupid things like playing too many pots in early position or playing marginal hands in tricky situations but they haven't registered until i've looked back on the hands. So i'd hazard a guess that you're just playing one or two hands slightly differently sub-consciously than you usually do and this is having a big impact. And if it isn't the case then it's variance ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glceud Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! 3 options. A: Take a break. B: Play something you know you will beat.(micro fixed limit for me) C: Play higher stakes that will demand focus.(you might have lost interest in the small % increases in your bankroll that your current levels provide) your cash and stt results arent variance they are down to bad play,sorry. The stt results are particulary bad. At the stakes you are playing variance does not apply unless you are a very mediocre player that has been relying on positve variance to build the bankroll in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Hedonist Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! Damn, Nade said everything I wanted to :ok FWIW there's a couple of blogs I read of "pro" players, who multi table short handed Hold 'Em, between $2/$4 and $10/$20. They also go through downswings, sometimes costing them tens of thousands of dollars :eek When this happens, they end up asking themselves the same questions that you or I do (eg "Maybe I'm no good at this poker lark?" or "Perhaps I've just been lucky up until now!"). Apart from whats already been written in this thread, the only other thing they do when they go through this, is to read or reread a few books on the subject. They claim it helps them get refocused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glceud Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! Damn, Nade said everything I wanted to :ok FWIW there's a couple of blogs I read of "pro" players, who multi table short handed Hold 'Em, between $2/$4 and $10/$20. They also go through downswings, . At those levels variance applys as the level of skill between the winners and losers is marginal. In small stakes STTs and micro cash games you lose because you are playing badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavham Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! It sounds to me like you have completley lost all confidence which is a nightmare for a poker player. Speaking from a cash game point of view 8 losing sessions in a row would be devastating and clearly there is something wrong with your game. What i would recommend is start playing ultra tight ( ABC poker ) and once you win a few hands your confidence will start to come back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robilaruk Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! I've never had a run like this before. How has anyone else who has gone through this coped with it, and what have you done to extract yourself from this position? Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. Steve I think we all have all been there. (I had 30 or so out of money finishes playing STT's a couple of years ago that bolloxed my BR:puke - I was 3/4 tabling a couple of hours a day, and had 3 horrendous days before coming to my senses). I gave up playing for a month and didn't think about poker for the first couple of weeks, I then started to read forums and books and got the itch again. I serioulsy looked at my BR and started from scratch playing within my BR limit not the usual level I had been playing in. Playing ABC poker, not doing anything fancy and just being confident in my decison making process. If I ship the chips in with way the best hand and get the bad beat then I didn't mind. Confidence is a very important part of poker. I think you have lost some of yours. I did and felt crap:( I also played omaha (microstakes) rather than HE for a change for some variety and that helped. If your poker site has freemoney games, they try that or stud or anything else but HE, just to get you playing skills back and get your card reading/pot odds calculations going and FOR FUN! (poker should be fun as well) You could post a few hand histories here if that would help? Best of luck:ok Damo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhornet Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! Thanks for your input guys:ok. Between you, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Having analysed my last few sessions, I think the rot set in after a few bad beats and poor plays on my part set me back a few bucks. I then appear to be seeing more flops with marginal hands:spank, and not (quite rightly so) hitting my miracle outs. As my stack dwindled each time I found myself all-in (in non-cash games) a lot and being knocked out (funnily enough) all the time. Again, I was seeing myself getting knocked out with the best hand and possibly tilting even more and chasing even more. What an :moon!! Next session, I'm so desparate not to lose, I'm hardly playing a hand. As Mole pointed out, confidence had gone. For a usually intelligent guy, I've been playing like a twat for a few sessions without realising.:sad A few days off, re-read Harrington (again), and I'll be back for the PLOPS final on Sunday. Once again, cheers all:notworthy Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatBoyFat Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! The only other thing I would add Steve is to maybe focus on one type of NLHE game until you get your confidence back. From your post you have been playing a combination of cash, MTTs and STTs. Maybe just focus on 100 STTs so that you can prove to yourself that you are a winning player over a reasonable sample. FBF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhornet Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Re: I'm in a rut!! Help! So, I'm back playing again, played a few MTT's, one final table and some passable play later, and the confidence is high again. As FBF suggested in his previous post, I am going to concentrate on STT's 1st one tonight. First hand. Called a 6xBB raise in position with AK. Flop comes K43 rainbow. My opponent bets, I re-raise, he re-raises all-in, I call he turns over KJ. Spikes a Jack on the river!!!:cry Not an inspiring start!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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