Losing streaks
in Online Poker
Here is a subject that no one likes to discuss, but I'm going to because I just went through my first. I would imagine everyone thinks it can't happen to them. If you play cards long enough though, the odds say it eventually will.
I was losing for about a week. My 180% gain at Stars, was spanked down to 50% below what I started with. :shock: :shock: :shock: I was questioning my ability by day 5. I was questioning a lot of things by then, believe me. lol Your mind does some strange stuff if you catch a cold streak. lol
I came back from it luckily, and now look back to analyze what might have contributed to it.
Pretty sure some key factors helped it along.
I was playing tired. Night after night. Busy at work every day. I'd come home beat physically, but mentally alert???? and wanting to play cards. Bam bam. 5 nights in a row, I was missing the money in sit and goes, one after another.
Was too overconfident from my early success. Back when I was rested and ON my game to the best of my ability, I was a threat in any low dollar S+G I entered. imho
Took about a day off from cards, and reread some parts of Dave's book that relate to poker in general. I also got some extra sleep, and a meal into me before venturing online tonight.
What seemed to help me over the hump was the section on player types. As I read each one, and didn't notice any similarities in my game to any of the lower ranked abilities listed, I started to cheer up. lol I would place myself somewhere between a deep sea bass, and a fox. Where exactly, I'm not sure. Somehow just reading that over again, changed my mental outlook on my game.
So I jump into the action at Stars tonite, first in a $5 + $.50. Placed 3rd
Then decided I was playing up to speed again and ventured into 2 table land. $10 + $1 / 18 players
Here is the summary:
Tournament History for last 1 tournament requested by
DJEP
PokerStars Tournament #1711457, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $10.00/$1.00
18 players
Total Prize Pool: $180.00
Tournament started - 2004/05/29 - 02:53:40 (ET)
Tournament finished - 2004/05/29 - 04:26:11 (ET)
1: DJEP (Earth), $72.00 (40%)
2: WWolf44 (Cherry Hill), $54.00 (30%)
3: mikez (woodbridge), $36.00 (20%)
4: SPLOO FUNK (AUBURNDALE), $18.00 (10%)
5: johnson4774 (Gainesville),
6: billum (manchester),
7: hawaiikungen (Kailua),
8: Joepa_1 (Cincinnati),
9: mondesi (Danville),
10: MrBill OhNo (Buffalo),
11: ephro (Terre Haute),
12: dallascat (Edwards),
13: NITROX101 (SOUTH BEND),
14: bmoz14 (Springfield),
15: Yankee5 (Escondido),
16: seven999 (ontario),
17: BIGxFRANK (BOISE),
18: JohnnyOUtah (Salt Lake City),
You finished in 1st place (eliminated at hand #457857141).
115 hands played and saw flop:
- 12 times out of 20 while in small blind (60%)
- 9 times out of 20 while in big blind (45%)
- 24 times out of 75 in other positions (32%)
- a total of 45 times out of 115 (39%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 out of 21 (66%)
Pots won without showdown - 20
Probably one of the best tourneys I've played, from a decision making perspective. Final table was pretty open and honest. After mucking a hand people usually told what they had. I made some great lay downs. Also some great steals, and some great reads on overbets I could reraise etc. Went into a very aggressive posture, and caught a few good cards too. With about 6 players left, it got to the point that they'd fold every time the blinds were in front of me. I was in high gear for sure. lol Once it hit the final 3, I chewed through them in less than 5 minutes. lol
Was short stacked 3 or 4 times too, so it was no walk away.
That's it for tonite, I'm taking the victory to sleep with me. I hope the next streak doesn't come for months.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY???
Get your rest before you play!! (didn't even take my own advice) Take time off from the game when you catch a cold streak. When, not if, you catch that cold streak just realize it happens to everyone eventually. Playing thru it costs money. Thinking through it is free.
I was losing for about a week. My 180% gain at Stars, was spanked down to 50% below what I started with. :shock: :shock: :shock: I was questioning my ability by day 5. I was questioning a lot of things by then, believe me. lol Your mind does some strange stuff if you catch a cold streak. lol
I came back from it luckily, and now look back to analyze what might have contributed to it.
Pretty sure some key factors helped it along.
I was playing tired. Night after night. Busy at work every day. I'd come home beat physically, but mentally alert???? and wanting to play cards. Bam bam. 5 nights in a row, I was missing the money in sit and goes, one after another.
Was too overconfident from my early success. Back when I was rested and ON my game to the best of my ability, I was a threat in any low dollar S+G I entered. imho
Took about a day off from cards, and reread some parts of Dave's book that relate to poker in general. I also got some extra sleep, and a meal into me before venturing online tonight.
What seemed to help me over the hump was the section on player types. As I read each one, and didn't notice any similarities in my game to any of the lower ranked abilities listed, I started to cheer up. lol I would place myself somewhere between a deep sea bass, and a fox. Where exactly, I'm not sure. Somehow just reading that over again, changed my mental outlook on my game.
So I jump into the action at Stars tonite, first in a $5 + $.50. Placed 3rd
Then decided I was playing up to speed again and ventured into 2 table land. $10 + $1 / 18 players
Here is the summary:
Tournament History for last 1 tournament requested by
DJEP
PokerStars Tournament #1711457, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $10.00/$1.00
18 players
Total Prize Pool: $180.00
Tournament started - 2004/05/29 - 02:53:40 (ET)
Tournament finished - 2004/05/29 - 04:26:11 (ET)
1: DJEP (Earth), $72.00 (40%)
2: WWolf44 (Cherry Hill), $54.00 (30%)
3: mikez (woodbridge), $36.00 (20%)
4: SPLOO FUNK (AUBURNDALE), $18.00 (10%)
5: johnson4774 (Gainesville),
6: billum (manchester),
7: hawaiikungen (Kailua),
8: Joepa_1 (Cincinnati),
9: mondesi (Danville),
10: MrBill OhNo (Buffalo),
11: ephro (Terre Haute),
12: dallascat (Edwards),
13: NITROX101 (SOUTH BEND),
14: bmoz14 (Springfield),
15: Yankee5 (Escondido),
16: seven999 (ontario),
17: BIGxFRANK (BOISE),
18: JohnnyOUtah (Salt Lake City),
You finished in 1st place (eliminated at hand #457857141).
115 hands played and saw flop:
- 12 times out of 20 while in small blind (60%)
- 9 times out of 20 while in big blind (45%)
- 24 times out of 75 in other positions (32%)
- a total of 45 times out of 115 (39%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 out of 21 (66%)
Pots won without showdown - 20
Probably one of the best tourneys I've played, from a decision making perspective. Final table was pretty open and honest. After mucking a hand people usually told what they had. I made some great lay downs. Also some great steals, and some great reads on overbets I could reraise etc. Went into a very aggressive posture, and caught a few good cards too. With about 6 players left, it got to the point that they'd fold every time the blinds were in front of me. I was in high gear for sure. lol Once it hit the final 3, I chewed through them in less than 5 minutes. lol
Was short stacked 3 or 4 times too, so it was no walk away.
That's it for tonite, I'm taking the victory to sleep with me. I hope the next streak doesn't come for months.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY???
Get your rest before you play!! (didn't even take my own advice) Take time off from the game when you catch a cold streak. When, not if, you catch that cold streak just realize it happens to everyone eventually. Playing thru it costs money. Thinking through it is free.
Comments
I have gone through a bit of a slow period as well the last few days on stars. Not quite as dry as you, but enough to start to feel that lack of confidence/swagger. For me it has come because of a few experiments I have been running with playing style.
One of the things that has got me through it was playing a few micro entry ($1 or freeroll) tournaments. I placed 10th out of 531 last night which is not too shabby for building confidence. But even with that position I still made some key mistakes in the last few hands I played.
I think most of the battle is being able to self evaluate and being honest about how one played poorly or badly in certain situations and then doing something about it.
It still amuses me how many people out there refuse to consider that it was their own poor play that caused their downfall and not the "bad" play of their opponents or the "PokerStars" river card programming that caused them to lose.
I'm rambling though.
Mike
As for the "riverstars" site. I have had a horrible run there. Running on to a month now. Yet I have increases at party,UB. Stars is by far and aay the tighest site I have seen. And for my opinion the site has way more river winners than the others.
Just the other day in a 10+1 rebuy multi. I saw 6, 2 outers on the river. Guys were hitting there under pair more than probability should have.
I think I have stumbled upon a insight into my own game. Tight at lower levels does not suit me. I can play in the 5-10 games no problem. But at lower levels the skill seems to become a problem, or lack of skill. And if there calling still, im beat for sure.
Wouldn't this be a touch of a contradiction? People hunting for 2 outers would definitely not be tight players.
Seriously, though. You can find the "riverstars" myth on every site. I was hearing it on Paradise, I hear it on Party... Blaming the software is in my opinion just a way to justify one's losses. If it is the site's programming then it certainly can't be my play. People get rivered. Ask Harrington about that.
We all know the rationale behind why it is not in the site's best interest to fudge the cards. If you don't, then might I recommend picking up a copy of the latest Canadian Poker Player Mag, they have a great article in there on that subject.
Mike
I was losing at all 3 sites last week, so it kind of gave itself away once I started thinking it through.
Good job on the winnings. 8)
I was on a long losing streak once myself. I took a month of and now I'm back playing great poker (great in my standards
Anyway congrats on the winning!
I just registered on the forum today. Some great topics and posts.
I started playing online last summer after reading Lee Jones and then a great book by Matthew Hilger (Internet Texas Hold'em) You guys should check out this book if you haven't heard of it. He has his own forum and he just finished 33rd in the WSOP main event. (internettexasholdem.com)
I started by playing $0.5/1 and then $1/2 on Party. I was able to make 1BB/h, but I found limit ring games bore me quickly.
I moved to Stars in the new year and have been playing $5 and $10 one table NL SNG's there since.
Things were going very well for about 4 months, but I hit a rut about a month ago that I just can't seem to work through.
I was cashing at about 60% and turning a profit of about 55% of the buyin when things suddenly went cold. I had made about $2100 US, but for the past month I'm hovering between $1800 and $2000 with no sign of going up or down.
It is becoming very frustrating. I'm wondering if my 4 month streak was mostly good cards, and if I'm just a break even player, or if I'm just experiencing a natural downturn before things start progressing again.
I played about 500 tourneys to get to my high water mark, which seems like a large sample size. I know that you need to play at least 1000 hours of ring games before you cab truly evaluate your play, but I'm not sure if the same thing applies to tourneys.
At this point I'm wondering if I should return to Party $1/2 with all of the dumb loose players, or continue working on my NL game on Stars.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Greg
Plus you can always work on your game in freerolls until things turn around.
Good Luck
Monteroy: posts small blind 10
Tim0366: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Monteroy [Ah Ad]
iwin4fun: calls 20
"Hooah!": folds
easyguy1: calls 20
Slasher21: calls 20
CHIROPODIST: folds
Xr8ed: folds
BEACHBOY_93: folds
Monteroy: raises 120 to 140
Tim0366: folds
iwin4fun: calls 120
easyguy1: folds
Slasher21: calls 120
*** FLOP *** [Qc Kh 6d]
Monteroy: bets 300
BEACHBOY_93 is sitting out
iwin4fun: calls 300
Slasher21: calls 300
*** TURN *** [Qc Kh 6d] [Th]
Monteroy: checks
iwin4fun: checks
Slasher21: bets 1060
Monteroy: calls 1040 and is all-in
iwin4fun: folds
*** RIVER *** [Qc Kh 6d Th] [Qd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Monteroy: shows [Ah Ad] (two pair, Aces and Queens)
Slasher21: shows [Qs 5s] (three of a kind, Queens)
In another sit and go I managed to lose AK 4 times all in pre flop to ace lower cards to go from big chip person to knocked out, while in another I managed to lose 3 all ins in 3 hands in a row to the same person when I had a dominating hand each time :shock:
I am going to take a day or two off from poker which in addition to the stay rested advice above is a wise idea when you hit a bad streak (ironically I have had AA a ton of times during this one, just keep losing them).
PokerStars Game #465130622: Tournament #1742425, Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2004/06/02 - 16:26:05 (ET)
Table '1742425 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: venable4 (1295 in chips)
Seat 3: Berkshire (1435 in chips)
Seat 4: Monteroy (1450 in chips)
Seat 5: royell flush (1255 in chips)
Seat 6: alessandra21 (1775 in chips)
Seat 7: johncarter (1260 in chips)
Seat 8: shorething (4030 in chips)
Seat 9: DummyCash$12 (1000 in chips)
shorething: posts small blind 15
DummyCash$12: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Monteroy [Kh Kc]
venable4: folds
Berkshire: folds
Monteroy: raises 90 to 120
royell flush: folds
alessandra21: folds
johncarter: calls 120
shorething: folds
DummyCash$12: raises 880 to 1000 and is all-in
Monteroy: raises 450 to 1450 and is all-in
johncarter: calls 1140 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Ad 8c 5s]
*** TURN *** [Ad 8c 5s] [Qd]
Monteroy said, "sheesh"
*** RIVER *** [Ad 8c 5s Qd] [Kd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Monteroy: shows [Kh Kc] (three of a kind, Kings)
johncarter: shows [Ks Ah] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
Monteroy said, "sheesh again :P"
Monteroy collected 520 from side pot
DummyCash$12: shows [Jh Js] (a pair of Jacks)
Monteroy collected 3015 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3535 Main pot 3015. Side pot 520. | Rake 0
Board [Ad 8c 5s Qd Kd]
Seat 1: venable4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Berkshire folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Monteroy showed [Kh Kc] and won (3535) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 5: royell flush folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: alessandra21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: johncarter (button) showed [Ks Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Kings
Seat 8: shorething (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: DummyCash$12 (big blind) showed [Jh Js] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Good luck everyone in snapping those bad luck streaks :P