How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

I made a post a few days ago on micro/stakes where I complained about not being able to beat NL50 after beating NL100 for a decent amount but cashing out most of my roll due to other problems.

Anyway, after a few days of self-analysis I am pretty sure there is nothing fundamentally wrong with my poker ability. Im light years ahead of most at the tables im playing at but im simply running like complete and utter crap. Flopping top set and losing to runner runner straight crap....

This, however, isn't the problem in itself. No matter how bad I run im pretty confident I can beat these games running this bad if im still playing my A game. The only problem is that after AQ beats AK a/i pf for yet another -1 buy-in, I will sometimes make one retarded call and that leads to me becoming worse and worse... Not full blown monkey tilt but enough to make my edge in the game negligible.

So what I'm asking is how do I train my mind to play as good as I can all the time? (Or as close as possible [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )

Thanks,

Matt

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

review all of your HH's each day, post questionable hands. If you're not making mistakes great, it is just variance. If you're making mistakes, you've found them early. Work on fixing them.

Variance sucks and can last a while. Just review to make sure you're playing well, and if you are just wait out the variance... you can't out play variance, sometimes you just lose... a lot.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

Im not playing too bad I reviewed my session from earlier and only found one glaringly bad play, the rest were just complete coolers left, right and centre.

I just literally cannot go 100 hands without some horrendous cooler/suckout. Its depressing.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

you can't analyze play just by hands being "good" or "bad". maybe you're not stealing enough. maybe you give up your blinds too easily. maybe you're too tight on the button. none of these things are apparent looking hand by hand, but could be things that improve profit which make up for bad beats.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

Having faced this problem myself I can tell you what I found to work for me. Simply put, when I get a bad beat because I out played some fool who got lucky, I congratulate myself for my great play, read, and skill, and then I think of how much money I will get off that type of player in the long run. I have found myself feeling so happy about my game after a bad beat that the tilt feelings are gone and my confidence is good. as a result I can play my A game without interruption.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

[ QUOTE ]
you can't analyze play just by hands being "good" or "bad". maybe you're not stealing enough. maybe you give up your blinds too easily. maybe you're too tight on the button. none of these things are apparent looking hand by hand, but could be things that improve profit which make up for bad beats.

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You cant really steal in the games I play. And you can literally stack anybody with TPTK. Unfortunately atm raising KK preflop into 3 players the flop is Axx its just c/f almost always.

Honestly I am playing well in general. Im positionally aware, my hand reading is as good as it can be against total donks and im getting it in good most of the time... it just doesnt seem to be coming back.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

To win at poker you have to be good at losing

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

Im running super bad at the moment, almost to the epoint where in my head its turning into a joke. This may sound silly but I think im getting so cynical that im almost expecting my best hand to lose. Though this mentality means I am losing confidence in the game and the poker gods, im still not finding myself on tilt, and playing my usual game. Im not going in behind, and im not playing stupid, but unless my opponenet is drawing dead, im just waiting to get beat. I feel this mentality is helping me deal with bad luck and keeping my game good- almost feels like im playing against odds and chance rather than the players. I still believe in odds and maths so its just a waiting game until my luck improves (see my previous post here).
It sounds hard to do but distance yourself from whats going on and concentrate on making good decisions

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

Im at the point where if I have AQ vs KQs all in preflop I feel like the underdog. Just keep playing your game, and everything will balance out eventually.. at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Re: How do you keep playing A game when runnig like complete sh*t?
 

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I just literally cannot go 100 hands without some horrendous cooler/suckout. Its depressing.

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That seems about normal to me. Live with it.