Why am I always losing at poker?

[Shargaas]

There could be several reasons. Let's list them off:

1. The books I have read are total garbage and have taught me a losing strategy.

Possible but unlikely. The books I have read are highly recommended on this forum. A lot of players have read them and improved their play, ergo I am forced to assume that is not the cause

2. Internet poker is rigged

Almost impossible. Why would I be targeted for constant bad beats when the highest limit I play is .25/.50?? Bad beats happen live too, that's why bad players play, they have a chance to win no matter how bad they play

3. Incredible unending bad luck

Some bad luck yes....but no amount of random bad luck can explain this losing streak.

So we come down to it. Occam's razor. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, and I have finally pinpointed it

4. I am a bad player that cannot overcome my lack of skill and will always be a losing player

This is the only explanation that fits. So what to do about it? I have been playing for 4 years, and over the first 3, I won some money. Over the last year, I have lost nearly 3/4 of my winnings (not all at once, slowly but surely). I am forced to recognize that I can no longer win and as such must quit. I have cashed out almost all money, leaving a bankroll for .02/.04 if and when I feel like losing again. I have guaranteed that I have made at least a small amount of money for all the time I have put in.

The decision has been made, and while it is painful to admit that I suck, well I suck and it's time to get out. Poker was fun at one time...but that time is long past.

Good luck and play well all, use the skills you have that I do not.

Shargaas

[Henry17]

I think it is safe to remove #2 and #3.

#1 Never been a fan of books. I don't think poker can be learned by reading. Also even if we assume the books were good that doesn't mean the strategy they taught you were appropriate for the level you are playing.

I think that is the most likely answer. You are playing .25/.50 limit online. That isn't poker. That is bingo. My usual live game is 10-20 and 20-40. If I sat down at .25-.50 it would take me some time to adjust to the game. If I tried to play the same as I play 10-20 I'd lose. The problem is you read books to learn poker rather then understanding poker so you can't adjust and the strategies are for higher limits.

[luckyjimm]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it is safe to remove #2 and #3.

#1 Never been a fan of books. I don't think poker can be learned by reading. Also even if we assume the books were good that doesn't mean the strategy they taught you were appropriate for the level you are playing.

I think that is the most likely answer. You are playing .25/.50 limit online. That isn't poker. That is bingo. My usual live game is 10-20 and 20-40. If I sat down at .25-.50 it would take me some time to adjust to the game. If I tried to play the same as I play 10-20 I'd lose. The problem is you read books to learn poker rather then understanding poker so you can't adjust and the strategies are for higher limits.

[/ QUOTE ]


He didn't say he played limit, if that's what you mean

[Shargaas]

I only played limit. If I played no limit, I am sure I would have lost every penny in my bankroll.

[Vinetou]

[ QUOTE ]
I only played limit. If I played no limit, I am sure I would have lost every penny in my bankroll.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you only play one game? Limit hold'em? Learn some other games. Maybe you suck at limit hold'em, but at the same time you might be the biggest talent in PLO, let's say. Playing just one game and saying you suck is ridicolous. Plus, you won money before, so you clearly don't suck.

[Shargaas]

It seems at one point that I could indeed win, but over the last 12 months, I have steadily lost, meaning that either the players are better, I have become a worse player, or a combination of both. The rate that I am losing is becoming alarming and as I iterated in my original post, the reason is my own lack of skills.

As for playing other games, I appreciate the suggestion and if I had any confidence at all, I might have tried other games, but I have read nothing on any other games and without understanding those games, I cannot risk losing more time and money.

[Matt Williams]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it is safe to remove #2 and #3.

#1 Never been a fan of books. I don't think poker can be learned by reading. Also even if we assume the books were good that doesn't mean the strategy they taught you were appropriate for the level you are playing.

I think that is the most likely answer. You are playing .25/.50 limit online. That isn't poker. That is bingo. My usual live game is 10-20 and 20-40. If I sat down at .25-.50 it would take me some time to adjust to the game. If I tried to play the same as I play 10-20 I'd lose. The problem is you read books to learn poker rather then understanding poker so you can't adjust and the strategies are for higher limits.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are so many things wrong w/ this post I don't even know where to start.

Books are fundamental in learning, especially at small stakes. .25/.50 is not BINGO. If you don't understand why, I don't know what to say.

[Henry17]

Learning to play poker from books is comparable to social science students who learn stats but never really understand them. They have no idea what a standard deviation is or why it matters but they know how to calculate it. They get the job done but you can't compare them to someone who actually knows stats.

[Matt Williams]

[ QUOTE ]
Learning to play poker from books is comparable to social science students who learn stats but never really understand them. They have no idea what a standard deviation is or why it matters but they know how to calculate it. They get the job done but you can't compare them to someone who actually knows stats.

[/ QUOTE ]

You need the books to build a fundamental basis of the game. Once you understand that, you can move on and explore other ways to approach the game. But to say "Books are useless"; is just wrong.

[Henry17]

Give me an example of a fundamental basis a book would teach me?