Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I was thinking about posting this in BBV but I test here instead and see if I can avoid the "PARTY BJ!" kind of answers.

This is my first post in the Psychology forum and I have almost never read anything here either.

Anyway, of the last 20 days I have played every day, not poker every one of them but something, poker (about 80%), sportsbetting (about 15%) and some Casino games (about 3%), others (about 2%).

I feel almost like the worst/most unlucky Poker Player alive right now. I play pretty low stakes ATM 1/2 NL at Prima primary because of an finite BR, but the last days I have taked shots at some higher games, 3/6 and yesterday some 7/7 NL at a casino where I lost about $1400 in 30 minutes, most of it to a 2-outer.

If this post doesnt belong here please tell me or a moderator can move it.

Any thoughts/questions/advices/similar stories etc. are welcome. I have played poker pretty seriously for almost 4 years and thought I was pretty hardened but this is my by far worst bad streak.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

Losing 18 out of 20 days is not coz of a two outer on the river.

I suspect you moved up to get some money back, or where they "respect your raises more".

All you have done is potentially move to a place where the players are stronger and you are under bankrolled and maybe playing with scared money. Its a bad combination for winning poker.

Take some time out.

If you have pokertracker after you taken some time out go through a lot of those hands and see just how bad your play was.

And continually look for your bad plays (there will be plenty).

Then maybe take a little more time off to evaluate what you discovered about your game and then return to the tables at stakes your bankroll can withstand.

While you blame bad luck you are not going to improve.

I was given this advice some time ago and I count it as some of the best advice I've ever been given.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

All you say is true, and I have been playing long enough to understand this, but this is just too sick. Even though all of it of course isnt bad luck, lots of it is it, I have posted some key hands here and also analyzed them. But when I play the biggest Live-pot ever and he hits the 2 outer it hurts..

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I think losing 18 of 20 days in cash games for an experienced player when you are playing more than 1/2 hour or so a day is a sign of a problem that you need to identify.

It could be that you are making some subtle, but frequent mistakes -- it could be that the games you are playing in are too tough (or possibly just have a style that doesn't allow you to use your strengths).

No doubt you have had a run of real bad luck, but you should find out if there is something else wrong as well.

If you really can't identify a problem with your play or the games you are playing, then I'd suggest taking a break of at least several days and then coming back to 1 limit lower than what you normally play.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I wouldn't be concerned of the number of days.. only how many hands you've played. If you've only gotten in 10k hands in the 20 days - Yawn. If you've gotten in 40k hands, then there could be a problem.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

take a week off man

your a solid player and u know what to do for bankrolling. Im sure you will get past it. perhaps you just dont have the patience for poker and some time off would help you clear ur head.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

20/22 days now.. ughh. Time for a break I guess.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

dude take a few days off, don't play poker, dont talk about it read 2+2 or anything. come back play tighter than normal for a few thousand hands and get your game back. remember this too shall pass.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

montechristo> your advice sounds very good, problem is I work at a internet poker company and almost all my nearest friends talk almost only about poker.

Today I did a very idioti thing. I NEVER EVER play before dinner, unless its a $5 HU match or some 0.01/0.02 or something like that. I had a friend at my house and I felt for playing some 5/10 NL at Prima with $100, I did that, but reloaded some and played some 10/20.. 30 minutes later I was down $1600 . [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Please help me out here.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I had a friend at my house and I felt for playing some 5/10 NL at Prima with $100, I did that, but reloaded some and played some 10/20.. 30 minutes later I was down $1600

Why did you reload and try 10/20?

The last thing you do when your on a terrible downswing is move up limits.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

[ QUOTE ]
playing some 5/10 NL at Prima with $100

[/ QUOTE ]

Playing NL with 10x big blind is really not poker. I know some people are fans of playing short stacked, but that is so short that you might as well just go play roulette and bet on black.

Also, $1600 may be a lot of money, but $1600 at 10/20 NL is less than a full buyin (assuming prima allows 100BB stacks). I would never sit down at a NL game if the thought of dropping 3-4 buyins worried me.

Sounds like you really really need to take a break.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

[ QUOTE ]
I had a friend at my house and I felt for playing some 5/10 NL at Prima with $100, I did that, but reloaded some and played some 10/20.. 30 minutes later I was down $1600

Why did you reload and try 10/20?

The last thing you do when your on a terrible downswing is move up limits.

[/ QUOTE ]
I know that indeed, and I never do it, ever. Thats probably one of the reason I never got completely busto the last 4 yeras. But now it seems like my regular hard rules doesnt count for me anymore, I hope I dont "break" them again.

My BR is now like $5k, it was $15k+ three weeks ago, I guess the only thing I can do is to not play anything in at least 3-4 days and then play 1/2 or maybe lower than that.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I crashed and burned when I took a shot at $1/2 limit about a month ago. I lost 30bbs in like, 15 minutes, and I realized I wasn't ready for that kinda loss, given my small BR. So I tried to get it back in $100NL, and proceeded to drop another hundy or so there. When all was said and done, I had all but destryed my BR that I grinded out all spring/summer.

I then dropped back down two levels, to .25/50. I still lost for a little while after that, but the losses didn't tilt me at that level. I re-read SSHE, and just concentrated on making the best/correct plays. Things turned around and I am now on a good run and having more fun with the game than I did when I was in the higher limits.

Yes, it sucks at first to drop limits. The pots are smaller and you occasionally see some amazingly awful suckouts. But I never realized how much I can crush these micro limits, as long as I stick to my game and don't tilt.

I'm now waiting for about 400BBs before moving up, unlike the 300 that I waited for last time I made a run.

So I'd suggest dropping a limit or two, and not trying to “make things happen”.

Your problems are not luck, as you claim.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I'd say switch games. If you're in a tilt/bad decisions cycle, NLHE cash games are about the worst choice for you. If you're remotely good at anything else, I'd say play that for a while instead. I've been playing a lot of 7-card stud lately and find it a lot easier to play my 'A' game and avoid tilting there than I would playing NL cash games.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking about posting this in BBV but I test here instead and see if I can avoid the "PARTY BJ!" kind of answers.

This is my first post in the Psychology forum and I have almost never read anything here either.

Anyway, of the last 20 days I have played every day, not poker every one of them but something, poker (about 80%), sportsbetting (about 15%) and some Casino games (about 3%), others (about 2%).

I feel almost like the worst/most unlucky Poker Player alive right now. I play pretty low stakes ATM 1/2 NL at Prima primary because of an finite BR, but the last days I have taked shots at some higher games, 3/6 and yesterday some 7/7 NL at a casino where I lost about $1400 in 30 minutes, most of it to a 2-outer.

If this post doesnt belong here please tell me or a moderator can move it.

Any thoughts/questions/advices/similar stories etc. are welcome. I have played poker pretty seriously for almost 4 years and thought I was pretty hardened but this is my by far worst bad streak.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously, I can't believe how often people post stuff like this. The I'm having a run of bad luck, I move up in limit, I get unlucky, I've lost a lot of money.

Why do people move up when they're running bad and under bankrolled? It blows my mind.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

take as many days off as it takes till you come back, and see your bankroll as what it is, and decide what is the best way to sensibly getting it heading up.

you need to view this as your bankroll now, not think that you should take shots to get it back to 15K.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

Take a break just like the other stated. IMO, when your on a downswing variance trend, your thought process is altered which may be due to slight tilt and the fact that you want to win again (Which is the case with all players, but more-so with people that are loosing)

You may start to press hands, go further w/TPTK than you should. Calling more than raising, etc... You may be playing more passively because you are loosing. Bottom line is that your not making the optimum decisions on ALL hands.

Take a break and clear you mind. As a previous posted stated , when you come back, play a little tighter and make sure you get 'reads' on your opponenets.

When you were winning, I bet that you made some good laydowns. Something that your probably not doing at this time.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

22/24 days.. This aint fun. Yesterday I didnt play any poker and only lost $220 though, almost felt like a winning day.

I really look forward to a good streak as good (or better) as this bad streak is bad and hope I get one one day.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

[ QUOTE ]
Yesterday I didnt play any poker and only lost $220 though, almost felt like a winning day.


[/ QUOTE ]

GA! If you can't stop gambling for even one day, it may be time to start looking for help. You have to give up the gambling mindset for a little while because you're tilting because of your bankroll. Thinking to yourself, "Wow, I was at 15K before...what happened? I have to get back to that." You're forgetting it probably took forever to get there. Takes alot more time to make money than to lose it. IMO.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I disagree about the GA thing... To have truly run bad over a stretch combined w/ moving up in limits... I can feel OP's pain.

op: a friend recently lost 18k of his 20k roll, dropped down, moved back up and is back at 20k in 3 weeks! just some encouragement

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

Dear Polar Bear,

lol Party BJaments!!

Ok, kidding. I have tilt issues myself. Once I ran my (then) 10k bankroll down to like 4k in one night. Sick savage stuff like moving up after a loss to chase does indeed work sometimes. It's the times it doesn't work that screw you over. I suspect in the past you have used to move up strategy to make a bad day good at the last minute and now this technique is screwing up your bankroll. (I wouldnt say it if I havent done it myself!) You probably have a need to make every day or week a winner otherwise it messes with you. One time I comitted bankroll suicide and had about 1400 to my name, at that point I forced myself to relearn how to play poker at UB's .25/.50 NL games. Things worked out. I guess try and take whatever you can from my ramblings and good luck.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

A small update,

Until two days ago it was 23/25 losing days. Yesterday I took a day of from playing at all and when I went to sleep it felt like I had won like $400, no kidding, pretty strange feeling because I hadn't played..

Today I played some 1/2 with a MUCH tighter strategy than normal, like 19/11 instead of 34/24. A good friend of mine gave me this advice, that until I get the confidence back, skip the super-LAG style I am used to and play much fever hands etc. I won $100. Maybe this microwin is a turn to the good..

I appreciate your help and further thoughts are welcome.

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

I am also on the worst run of my life atm, seems I can never have a winning session despite seemlingly getting my money in as a favourite. I'd take a break if I were you, retail therapy helps. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

ive won money 15/16 days. today my first losing day [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]:(:(:( feel sorry for me. holla

Re: Lost money 18 of the last 20 days
 

PM your screen name on prima and i will let u know what i think of ur play.