Losing streaks

[jjh]

I'm no pro at poker by any means but over the past few weeks I've wisened up a bit on my play and have been in profit.

I've moved from Ladbrokes to Betfair two weeks ago and started with £10 (on £0.35/£0.70 blinds limit) and got upto £170 so far. However the past few days I just haven't been able to win a single hand!

Even when I get a good hand (A Q, like today) flop was A Q 3, I bet everyone folds bar one, who calls, turn was an 8, I bet again, he calls, rivers a 3! I check he bets, he has 10 3!! I just think it is so difficult to even remain on even money when you hit a losing streak, like I have over the past couple of days, bad players keep calling and get lucky rivers, or they have 66 and a 6 comes on the flop and you have a pair of Aces and Kings.

Just after a bit of advice really on how to handle this losing streak, I play so if I lose £5 I'll move to another table, and even playing this way my money is back down to £80!

Well, tell a lie, thought I'd try and move it up, went on £2/£4 blinds, just this is, got A K, flop was A 10 4, so bet two called, turn was a K! At this stage there was now 3 hearts out, so thought I'd check just in case, two others checked, river is a heart again and I ain't got a hearts! He bets, I had to fold and he shows an 8 of hearts and a 6 of clubs, not even a pair and he got so lucky! I've left the table lol, my balance now £76- this was the first hand and just confirmed I am officially on a losing streak lol! So any advice before I play on, or should I leave it for a while?

I honestly can't believe people can play for a living, on cash games, as a long losing streak can damage even the tightest of players when you get a run like I'm on!

[Dice Man]

My suggestion could either be perceived as an insult to your intelligence or some half-decent advice. You have to realise that you're not on a losing streak, and you never were on one. Losing streaks don't really exist as independent entities. When you think of a losing streak you're just turning lot's of entities (individual cases of bad luck) into a single entity. This single entity is not a thing in itself. You should read this account of the Gambler's fallacy which explains it better. The links at the bottom to Inverse Gambler's Fallacy and other concepts are also good.

Basically, if your only problem is the fact that you've had bad luck regularly recently, then you have no problem for the immediate future, because the degree of your luck in the past has no effect on the degree of your luck in the future.

[Prowler]

one thing i've noticed in people is if they have a few hands go against them or aren't feeling confident they have a tendency to play more defensive, which in turn shows weakness so others will be more aggressive towards them, the lack of confidence makes them believe they wont get their cards or will be outdrawn and can make them fold what would be winning hands

there is no reason to believe your on a losing streak, just suffering a slight lack of confidence due to a few unfortunate events, you'll get your confidence back when your cards start making hands again

moving up to higher stakes is imo a bad move if your not feeling on top of your game, just stick with what you normally do and everything will fall back into place....the fact you got from 10 to 170 must tell you that you can play the game so dont let a few negative events distract you from being a winning player....its human nature to remember the bad stuff and forget the good, take a day or 2 off and get back to the tables with a clearer head

[PokerWoody]

1. Play within your bankroll. You don't have anywhere near enough to play 2/4 LHE (you should have about 1,200 quid minimum for 2/4).

2. Remember that it is hands like the one you described that caused you to win money in the first place. Although it's hard try to get satisfaction from hands like that, rember that you played the hand well and thats all you can do. Sometimes after a really bad beat I sit out the game and work out how many 'slansky bucks' I made during the hand, I find that helps.

3. Check out your hands and make sure you aren't to blame. Remeber to look at things like table selection when looking for leaks.

It's how well you lose that determines how good at poker you are. Anyone can win, not many can lose.

[jjh]

Thanks a lot everyone for the positive feedback, this is a great forum

I've actually just played again, back on my normal blinds and got back upto £98, played a bit tighter than usual and it paid off over the few hours I played.

I agree, I did make a mistake going up to £4 blinds, but only played one hand, luckily, and won't again in in the near future!

Thanks again for the replies!

[jjh]

Hey everyone, thanks again for your advice, got my money back up, although past few days have been hard to find any winners again.

Just been dealt 10 10 and river was 10 9 4. I bet, he raised, he had raised pre flop, so thought he had high pair. Turn was 3 so bet again he raised, river was a 3 so full house for me! I bet he raised again, I thought maybe he had raised pre flop with an ace 3 maybe, some players do lol, turn our cards over and he has got 3 3!!

Anyway, the real reason I am posting is that I want to question one bit of advice, and that is playing with money you can afford to lose. I only go on the £0.35/£0.70 or £0.50/£1 blinds (limit) don't want to risk more. Thing is, I know you need to bet to win if you hit a hand, but it is so difficult to make people fold in Limit at these blinds, people chasing the straight or people chasing flushes, and they always set you back when one comes along, and they do, quite often. Or someone who will call with a K 3 and I have KA, if a K comes out I have to bet and if a 3 also, they have stole a pot with an originally poor hand that most people would fold pre flop.

Of course, some would say play no limit, but the first example from today shows why I don't play no limit anymore!! Anyway point is that people will fold more in higher stakes so better hands early win more often, as people will fold a potential straight if it means betting for the river card, whilst in the stakes I play, you don't see many people who fold at all. With 6 at a table, you more often that not get beaten by one of them... big dilemna really.

[Raiser]

Originally Posted by PokerWoody

.....Anyone can win, not many can lose.

?? Thats a bit double dutch!!

[jjh]

Just had a quick game after getting in from work.

Hand of note, relevant to my last post

Player bets all the way up to river, doesn't even have a pair, but gets straight on river and beats my aaa, despite me raising his every bet lol! What can you do, as people refuse to fold on these blinds but I can't afford to player higher stakes!! No decent hand is safe with these callers lol.

Sure you win some but with everyone sometimes at a table calling, even really decent hands come up short and hinder any chances of making consistent profit.

I'm still up after joining betfair, but for the effort, I wouldn't say it is worth it!