Dealing with losing

Amurphy83 · #1 04-05-2007, 12:28 AM

hey, I cannot, absolutely cannot stand losing. I bought into bodog for 100, and built it up to about 1100. I went into a 1000 buy in table like an idiot and lost it all, and have since lost 600 bucks to be down 600 overall. Im a decent player but when I lose a single buy in I just feel cheated and head to higher limits to try and win one big hand. I kinda want to stop playing poker but I like it so I wont, but at the same time I also dont want to lose thousands of dollars. What are peoples ways of avoiling going on tilt and pissing away entire bankrolls over losing 1-2 sessions?

ToeHold · #2 04-05-2007, 12:44 AM

"Never put more than 5% of your bankroll on the table at one time."

Other, smarter folks here can give you the mathematics and offer better-defined advice w.r.t. limit, no-limit, SnGs etc. but if you can't do the above, then you will continue to struggle with your results, whether they be fluctuations up OR down.

holdme · #3 04-05-2007, 01:00 AM

Why are you playing with that kind of money if you can't handle losing it?

bernie · #4 04-05-2007, 04:00 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Im a decent player

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Based on what?

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I cannot, absolutely cannot stand losing.

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Better get used to it. Swings, even for winning players, are inevitable. If you really feel this way, poker isn't for you. At least not seriously.

b

KipBond · #5 04-05-2007, 02:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
hey, I cannot, absolutely cannot stand losing. I bought into bodog for 100, and built it up to about 1100. I went into a 1000 buy in table like an idiot and lost it all, and have since lost 600 bucks to be down 600 overall. Im a decent player but when I lose a single buy in I just feel cheated and head to higher limits to try and win one big hand. I kinda want to stop playing poker but I like it so I wont, but at the same time I also dont want to lose thousands of dollars. What are peoples ways of avoiling going on tilt and pissing away entire bankrolls over losing 1-2 sessions?

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't be an idiot. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] But you already knew that. Just be disciplined and do what you know is smart.

Quanah Parker · #6 04-05-2007, 04:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Im a decent player but when I lose a single buy in I just feel cheated and head to higher limits to try and win one big hand.

[/ QUOTE ]
You're not a decent player if this is how you play.

Do you expect to find weaker competition at higher limits?

Of course not. So, by making the choice to go to a higher limit after you've lost at a lower limit, you are actively seeking out a losing experience.

Hoi Polloi · #7 04-05-2007, 04:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
hey, I cannot, absolutely cannot stand losing.

[/ QUOTE ]

A wise man once said, to win at poker, you must be very good at losing.

How you handle the losses will directly impact your long-term results. Learning how to deal with the absolutely unavoidable losses is an important poker skill. Until you develop that skill you will not be a long-term winner. Period. There is no way around this.

Use every loss as practice for getting better at losing. You should specifically commit yourself to not jumping into a bigger game after your next loss. Can you do it? How long and how much money will it take for you to develop just that one simple skill?

Good luck.

bernie · #8 04-05-2007, 06:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Do you expect to find weaker competition at higher limits?

[/ QUOTE ]

He moved up so they'd respect his raises...

b

Noo Yawk · #9 04-05-2007, 08:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]

How you handle the losses will directly impact your long-term results. Learning how to deal with the absolutely unavoidable losses is an important poker skill. Until you develop that skill you will not be a long-term winner. Period. There is no way around this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good quote. How you handle adversity affects all areas of your life, not just poker. Anyone looks good when things go their way. Learning how to play poker, sell, manage a business, etc are all learnable if you seek out the tools to get better. It's when things beyond your control go bad that the cream rises.

ToeHold · #10 04-05-2007, 11:25 PM

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How you handle adversity affects all areas of your life, not just poker. Anyone looks good when things go their way.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is one of the best lessons that poker has taught me over the years.

Bad beats have taught me about my own (natural?) tendency of risk avoidance.

Learning to accept bad beats has taught me risk management.