PLAYING MORE on a bad streak

minwoo · #1 01-26-2006, 04:07 PM

What are your thoughts on increasing tables and playing more through a bad streak?

mgross · #2 01-26-2006, 04:10 PM

The way I get through a bad streak is to play more conservatively, not crazy tight, but play the hands that I know play well for me. When I get more confidence because I'm winning a bit again, I then open up to more "iffy" hands when I am more confident again.

Newt_Buggs · #3 01-26-2006, 04:11 PM

I just put in more hours.

tigerite · #4 01-26-2006, 04:11 PM

The way I get through a bad streak is to change absolutely nothing. As much as I humanly can, anyway.

raptor517 · #5 01-26-2006, 04:12 PM

i put in more hours. running bad is my only motivation to keep playing anymore. holla

AnthonyV · #6 01-26-2006, 04:13 PM

if you can mentally handle being down, then yes i think playing more can do wonders. if you really feel like you're not altering your game then absolutely play more.

the key is just to make sure that when you're playing more, play more for real. maybe do some exercise first. clear your head. have a cup of coffee. stop reading 2+2. stop surfing the net. shut off AIM. seriously. stop it.

i can say with 100% certainty, that (variance aside) the reason for a number of my "bad streaks" have been because i wasn't paying proper attention to my tables. focus on that ish, and you'll be in good shape.

Todd · #7 01-26-2006, 04:17 PM

I have been playing 5 table SNGs lately, and when I run bad, like out of hte money 8-10 tables in a row, I stop and review my play.

Usually I find that I made the one really stupid Donk play that crippled me, which at the time I should have known was a wicked donk play.

So I play less, and refocus on making good decisions, since you need only one bad decision in a SNG to knock you out.

If all of your losses are 2pr getting beat by trips, or brutal suckouts when you are way ahead, then plow through.

While i have my share of these, more often, I am misplaying and putting myself in a short stacked, vulnerable, pushbot mode way too early.

T

GreekHouse · #8 01-26-2006, 04:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The way I get through a bad streak is to play more conservatively, not crazy tight, but play the hands that I know play well for me. When I get more confidence because I'm winning a bit again, I then open up to more "iffy" hands when I am more confident again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hopefully you see the flaw in this. This only works if you were playing too loosely to begin with. If that's the case, then you have a leak you need to fix. The best way to get unstuck is to play the best poker possible, which is what you should aspire to do at all times.

mgross · #9 01-26-2006, 04:29 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The way I get through a bad streak is to play more conservatively, not crazy tight, but play the hands that I know play well for me. When I get more confidence because I'm winning a bit again, I then open up to more "iffy" hands when I am more confident again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hopefully you see the flaw in this. This only works if you were playing too loosely to begin with. If that's the case, then you have a leak you need to fix. The best way to get unstuck is to play the best poker possible, which is what you should aspire to do at all times.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I'm basing on the fact that most bad streaks are not pure variance. I think of my play like a "dampened sine-wave". I play tight, then slowly loosen up and do much better than playing tight. Then, because it is doing me well, I try to do it too often and then am too loose. I then tighten up a little again to be able to compensate and then get a little too tight.

But all-in-all, the gap between my loose and tight gets smaller as I play more and make smaller adjustments because some of my "testing hands" actually get engrained into my repertoire, and I then have those for good.

So, I guess you are right. I guess I didn't mean to say play "tighter" as much as try to go back to a state that was profitable for you before.

downtown · #10 01-26-2006, 04:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What are your thoughts on increasing tables and playing more through a bad streak?

[/ QUOTE ]

When you can play your best you should keep playing or play as much as possible. When I've been in a downswing, both taking a break and playing more have both worked at different times, depending on how I'm feeling, what else is going on in my life that requires my attention, etc.