it's hit me.
not really hard. Not like 200BB over 1 week.
Just about 15/18 losing sessions bad.

But its not even the $$$ or the bad streak, as I know its not extra-ordinary.

It's more the lack of improvement, even back-peddling, I feel my game has taken. I'm not getting sucked out on. Just beat. Like this:


Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Actuary is UTG+1 with Qc, Js. CO posts a blind of $0.75.
1 fold, Actuary calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 9h, Ac, Ks (3 players)
Actuary checks, MP1 bets, CO folds, Actuary calls.

Turn: (5 BB) Qd (2 players)
Actuary checks, MP1 bets, Actuary calls.

River: (7 BB) 6c (2 players)
Actuary checks, MP1 bets, Actuary calls.

Final Pot: 9 BB

nothing terrible...but I get something on the turn...Now I feel like I should go to sd. Certainly see the river now..and getting 8:1, call. I didn't expect to win..but do >12% of the time.
THis had isn't really a good example...

I'm not learning; and it bothers me.
I feel lucky to make money. As if no skills are theer. Just a pf guide and go forward with blinders. Guin and Mono are on to me


thanks. i'm done.

Fold pre-flop. Unsuited, this is a weak hand from EP.

If you want, peel...but you're only getting 9-1 to chase a 4-outer. You might have implied odds, but I don't think it's worth it with one opponent.

On the turn, you've gotten yourself stuck. Think about this though...is your opponent really betting the river with JJ, TT, or 99 (even 12% of the time)?

the flop and turn are both really close.

i fold this river most of the time. I dont think a Q is good enough.

I think you can safely fold on every street.

I'm going to share something with you.

I went through a retarded downswing for 3 weeks.

I couldn't win. I couldn't win at .5/1, 1/2, 3/6, 5/10. I don't play with a standard bankroll like everyone else, but I'll lay it out flat out. I lost over and over again. 3 weeks straight not one god damn night would I leave with money in my account. 2000 later I am in the biggest hole I have ever been in playing poker. I uninstalled every poker program I had, erased all my hand histories, and was about 5 seconds away from dumping my pokertracker and saying **** poker.

I just couldn't deal with losing when I know I shouldn't be. I know I am good. I know how to play and I do well, but when you are losing and continually losing over and over again it really grates on you. Wether you want to admit it or not, when you get beat by someone inferior to you it stings. Multiply that over the course of 1000 hands and it really bites into your play. It's not tilt because you aren't playing away from your game, it's just resentment that someone who doesn't put in the time to study the game and puts forth effort to get better is beating you.

I put one last chunk of money in and told myself I had to win or else I was going to stop playing till the new year. I sat down at my usual 3/6 game and really paid attention. I beat that game for an AMAZING .5BB after 3 hours of play. I won though. And the next night I sat down again and said to myself, "see you can win. You don't suck, it's all in your head." I ended up winning back the entire amount I had lost in those 3 weeks and even got to sit at a 10/20 game for alittle bit to solidfy the fact that it wasn't just a fluke against low limit fish.

So my advice, try and work out what your game is. Each of us has a style we like to play. WRTO likes to really mix up his play as evidenced by some of his hand postings. Akishore is a very technical player and will play dead down to the percentages and theory behind the game. You need to figure out what your game is, and start believing that when you sit down at a table, you know you can win regardless of what hands you are dealt and wether you lose 50bb to one donk who keeps outdrawing you.

thanks Mono.
Yeah, I need a style.
I'm working on that.

QJ off..don't usually play that in EP
Like I said, bad example, not even sure why it's in there.

Saw that I'm losing 6BB/100 in Sep after winning 3.5Bb/100 in Aug.
I do feel like I'm making bad "borderline" decisions now.

Interesting comments Mono. I thought some might advise that now would be a good time to re-read SSHE and see what I can bettter understand and utilize now. You seem to be saynig that I need to get away from focusing on details/text play.

Actuary, you are living my life, it seems. August was great to me. I don't play full-time...probably only 4-10 hours a week...but I made about $1200 in August, mostly at $2/$4. This September, I've lost about $400 so far (same hours).

I've lost to donkeys who "slowplay" KK all the way to showdown. I've lost with AAA to rivered flushes when some screwball maniac caps preflop with Q7 sooooted and I've made The Set on the flop. I know that I want these people in my game, but it's painful to watch the pot slide towards them when they play so poorly.

Anyway, despite the frustration, you should keep playing. Negative variance sucks, but if your bankroll is sufficient, you should bounce back. So long as you quit playing QJo from UTG.

You've lost when you've hit a set with AA? I did that three times in a row in August. :-)

Hands like the one you posted are EXACTLY what can make a downsession seem worse than it probably is.

How many times do you (I am asking hte forum in general) take second or third pair to a showdown and end up losing? I know for me it seems like I do it at least 3 or 4 times in the course of an hour or so, which can start to add up. Obviously, there is the outside chance that we are good on those hands, but... 8)