just one quick question

unknown_username

hi people, just wondering how can you get out of a loosing streak???
im not a great player nor a bad player just your average player. at the end of last year i felt i was playing well, id started winning some tourneys and seen me make a profit which is all good. however for the last year i haven't really done anything, i made three final tables last week 2nd,4th and 5th other than that tho its been pretty dry.
im not picking up any hands, im not winning any races weather im 33vsA7 or my AKvs 22 and im getting eaten away by the blinds. the problem i have is i love playing poker but it is getting me down a bit.

any ideas??
thanks

BorinLoner

BURNShurtz, the problem with your question is that you seem to think that a bad run is a problem that shouldn't happen. People tend to think of their wins as being a result of their skill and their losses as being a result of bad luck... The fact is that variance runs both ways and while a good player can lose due to "negative" variance, sometimes inexperienced players win and have winning runs due to "positive" variance. This positive variance can, unfortunately, convince these inexperienced players that they are in fact good players so when the tide turns they think it's just run-bad.

So it's important to be honest with yourself about your actual ability and your technical understanding of the game. You say that you're "...just your average player." If this is the case, then you should expect to be a losing player in the long-term. If I were to estimate, I would think that only about 25% of players are break-even, so the average player is a losing one. If you truly are an average player then the thing you need to do is examine the technical aspects of the game on which you are weakest. As you improve your understanding, your long-term results and expectations will also improve.

If your technical understanding of the game is in fact better than average, then it may be that your bad results are due to you "feeling" that you can't win at the moment and everything is going against you. This then causes you to play in ways that you know to be technically sub-optimal, resulting in further losses. This is a matter of discipline and it's an element that's equally important to your long-term results as your techical understanding of the game.

What is universally true of the 25% of players who are long-term break-even or winning players is that they have a good fundamental understanding of both the technical elements and discipline elements of the game. They know that run-bad happens and as long as they're making the right decisions, they will win before long. The bad run is just a small part of the bigger picture and is something they both expect to happen and know to ignore. People who ask "how do I break a bad run" must be lacking in one of these two elements of the game and therefore must not be long-term break-even or better.

Whatever is true for you, the only answer to the question "How do I break a bad run" is to work on your game. There's something about everyone's play that can be improved, whether it's a technical element, a discipline element or both.

huuuuume

play more in position
make less hero calls
play less bounty hunters
play less tables - choose the tournaments you enjoy the most and focus on them
only play when you want to play
turn off the tv
dont play satellites especially if you're just going to buy in for full anyway if you lose.
play other sites
play less hold em.


all these things work in varying degrees for me.  my thinking is that im losing because im playing badly so i try to make changes that i feel make me play better.  just take the run good/run bad thinking out of the equation

unknown_username

In Response to Re: just one quick question:

BURNShurtz, the problem with your question is that you seem to think that a bad run is a problem that shouldn't happen. People tend to think of their wins as being a result of their skill and their losses as being a result of bad luck... The fact is that variance runs both ways and while a good player can lose due to "negative" variance, sometimes inexperienced players win and have winning runs due to "positive" variance. This positive variance can, unfortunately, convince these inexperienced players that they are in fact good players so when the tide turns they think it's just run-bad. So it's important to be honest with yourself about your actual ability and your technical understanding of the game. You say that you're "...just your average player." If this is the case, then you should expect to be a losing player in the long-term. If I were to estimate, I would think that only about 25% of players are break-even, so the average player is a losing one. If you truly are an average player then the thing you need to do is examine the technical aspects of the game on which you are weakest. As you improve your understanding, your long-term results and expectations will also improve. If your technical understanding of the game is in fact better than average, then it may be that your bad results are due to you "feeling" that you can't win at the moment and everything is going against you. This then causes you to play in ways that you know to be technically sub-optimal, resulting in further losses. This is a matter of discipline and it's an element that's equally important to your long-term results as your techical understanding of the game. What is universally true of the 25% of players who are long-term break-even or winning players is that they have a good fundamental understanding of both the technical elements and discipline elements of the game. They know that run-bad happens and as long as they're making the right decisions, they will win before long. The bad run is just a small part of the bigger picture and is something they both expect to happen and know to ignore. People who ask "how do I break a bad run" must be lacking in one of these two elements of the game and therefore must not be long-term break-even or better. Whatever is true for you, the only answer to the question "How do I break a bad run" is to work on your game. There's something about everyone's play that can be improved, whether it's a technical element, a discipline element or both.
Posted by BorinLoner

thanks for taking the time to write a lengthy reply, first of all where did i mention that it shouldnt happen to me? other than that tho, thanks for the advise/telling off  you gave i feel like a little kid

unknown_username

In Response to Re: just one quick question:

play more in position make less hero calls play less bounty hunters play less tables - choose the tournaments you enjoy the most and focus on them only play when you want to play turn off the tv dont play satellites especially if you're just going to buy in for full anyway if you lose. play other sites play less hold em. all these things work in varying degrees for me.  my thinking is that im losing because im playing badly so i try to make changes that i feel make me play better.  just take the run good/run bad thinking out of the equation
Posted by huuuuume

thanks huuuume, im playing low limit dym's today which i dont really play so see if i can get some confidence back.

BorinLoner

In Response to Re: just one quick question:

In Response to Re: just one quick question : thanks for taking the time to write a lengthy reply, first of all where did i mention that it shouldnt happen to me? other than that tho, thanks for the advise/telling off  you gave i feel like a little kid
Posted by BURNShurtz

It's not about telling off and I don't think you said that you felt it shouldn't happen to you. The point I'm making is that the implication from asking the question; "How do I get out of a losing streak?" is that you think it's something that can be necessarily affected by your play. It's not. Great players have bad losing streaks just as weak players have winning streaks. These things happen regardless of your play sometimes, however good play is rewarded in the long-term and it's that which we need to focus on.

As I say, I have no wish to tell you off or make you feel like a little kid. This is just the answer to your question: If you're doing the right things, keep doing them and the bad run will end on it's own. If you're not doing the right things then work on your game and the bad run will end.

This is important stuff for a player to understand. I'm sorry if you felt I had some motive to belittle you.

unknown_username

In Response to Re: just one quick question:

In Response to Re: just one quick question : It's not about telling off and I don't think you said that you felt it shouldn't happen to you. The point I'm making is that the implication from asking the question; "How do I get out of a losing streak?" is that you think it's something that can be necessarily affected by your play. It's not. Great players have bad losing streaks just as weak players have winning streaks. These things happen regardless of your play sometimes, however good play is rewarded in the long-term and it's that which we need to focus on. As I say, I have no wish to tell you off or make you feel like a little kid. This is just the answer to your question: If you're doing the right things, keep doing them and the bad run will end on it's own. If you're not doing the right things then work on your game and the bad run will end. This is important stuff for a player to understand. I'm sorry if you felt I had some motive to belittle you.
Posted by BorinLoner

no worrys, thanks again for the replys