|
||
|
||
|
Server Time: 11/23/2008 5:28:37 AM PACIFIC |
 Dealing with unlucky streaks, Aisthesis, 29. Oct 2003 16:43 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Last night was another one of those nights... Almost 50 hands with maybe 2 or 3 playable except for the blinds. In this case, fortunately, I kept telling myself, "Keep discipline and wait for your luck to change." And I got out of the first 50 only about 10 BB's down and was even able to make modest winnings for the night because my luck finally did change. I wonder, however, what the pros do in such situations. Is just keeping iron discipline and waiting (and very definitely taking the opportunity to observe) about all you can do on a long unlucky streak? On every other thing I've tried in that situation, I've ended up losing lots, but it gets really frustrating in any case. I guess there's one little exception, to at least maybe collect a blind or two: If there are quite a few timid players at the table, maybe stay once in a while in LP and see if you can buy a pot without risking a whole lot. Sometimes that works since if I'm folding like everything for ages and then suddenly come out with a bet, people do often assume I have a pretty good hand and fold. But I'd be interested in others' remedies (if they exist) for these long dry spells. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, 4 POKER, 29. Oct 2003 17:49 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Hi, If this is on-line poker you can always switch tables if you're not getting much to play with at your present table. But just knowing that you kept your patience during this dry spell and didn't stray from playing good poker, is very commendable, and it is a very valuable tool to add to your list of edges. Sometimes players will become bored, frustrated, and "antsy", and they'll just play a hand that they wouldn't have played if the cards were breaking out even; and when you start to do that, that is when you'll be in trouble- because whether you win that particular hand or not, it will instill bad poker habits. If the game that you're playing in is one that you really feel that you can earn in, then just waiting it out sometimes is the way to handle it. But one big advantage when you're playing on-line poker is.... they'll be so many other games to sit down in and if for some reason I'm just not making any headway at my present table, then I may chose to find a new one, or take a break for awhile, etc... but it depends. I would never let my chip count deter me from sitting in a game that I felt I could earn in. If I'm playing well and I'm not straying from my "A" game.......then I'll sit there and wait it out. Try not to focus on the losses, especially if they are only losses due to posting up blinds and things like that; and your wins should be looked at in the same manner, because all you need to do and *should* do, is play smart/solid poker and sometimes, a losing session will happen in spite of it all. You just need to stay disciplined and this is when you'll be put to the test. If you have the control to wait, and to committ your chips with good cards, then in the long run you'll be ahead of the game; and you have demonstrated two key things in poker that night - patience, and discipline. So what else would I say but ....."Way to go"! 4P- | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, modestmice, 29. Oct 2003 18:03 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| 4P, you seriously need to start charging for your advice ----------------------------------------------------- "I prefer talking with old persons of the female sex who peddle family gossip; next, with the insane-and last, with very sensible people" -S. Kierkegaard | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, mkpoker, 29. Oct 2003 17:55 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| It's frustrating, but be thankful that you had the "good" kind of unlucky streak...where your cards were so bad you only lost your blinds and the occasional limp-in. The "bad" kind of unlucky streak, where your aces always seem to get cracked, your draws always seem to miss...and the other guys' draws always seem to hit are MUCH tougher to shake off. Just player your game and everything will work out. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Angel, 29. Oct 2003 18:24 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| You mentioned something that is key and is often glossed over or ignored; when the cards are running sour you 'very definitely take the opportunity to observe'. If you are actively involved in every hand whether or not you are playing that hand - it doesn't take as much discipline to not play - because you are involved in the hand. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Mark Gregorich, 29. Oct 2003 20:58 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| I think one of my biggest edges over many of my opponents is my ability to patiently ride out a run of bad cards/luck. It happens to everyone, and is a fact of life in the streaky world of poker. If you feel yourself ready to snap, then its time to quit for awhile. Otherwise, just keep plugging, knowing that what is happening to you is a statistical inevitability if you play long enough. Keep playing your best, and the results will follow - sometimes it takes awhile, though. Mark | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Aisthesis, 29. Oct 2003 21:19 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Hey, thanks to everyone for the very encouraging advice! Angel seems really to hit the nail on the head, as, IF ONE CAN STAY FOCUSSED (the big IF), one can devote full attention to observation in these things and perhaps gain a real edge for when the cards start to come. Interesting distinction by mk, which I was beginning to think about since writing the initial post. One might call it pre-flop bad luck streak vs. streak of unlucky draws. The former is obviously a lot less expensive; the latter more expensive and more frustrating. My experience of last night was fortunately a pre-flop bad luck streak, but I haven't discovered for myself anything more than patience and discipline for dealing with the unlucky draw streak either. Any ideas? There might be one thing at least to consider, as I know a bunch of you participated also in the "image" post recently: Maybe be aware of the image that is emerging out of the unlucky draw streak, and try to use that--again, imo, according to what holdings dictate. When you finally do get a hand after having been kicked around with bad draws for a while, I think you'll get a lot of people calling against your good hands.... Frustrating if they do keep drawing winning hands against all odds, but that might be some kind of an edge. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Barry T, 30. Oct 2003 01:54 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Hi. Unlucky streaks can be a streak of bad starting hands (my longest was 2.5 hours of not playing in a B&M), a streak of bad beats (I keep no records of this) a streak of bad sessions (my worst was pretty unbeievable, and happended this year). The most important thing is to stay positive. If you start thinking negatively, yoiu will play badly, failing to make raises or other plays becasuse you are resigned to losing anyway. If you are just getting bad starting hands, no biggie. If you see say 40 hands per hour 4 hours per day five days per week 40 weeks per year (most pros see a lot more than this) you will be looking at 32,000 hands a year. Is it a big deal that during two hours (80 of them) you do not get a good one? In a bad streak, what helps is good records, and a good track record. If you know you made around $X per year for 5 or 10 years, you can remain confident the you know what you are doing and if you continue to make a good decision now, you will be a winner again. BarryT | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, FlopDaNutz, 30. Oct 2003 06:04 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| Waiting it out is the key, BUT...int he meantime, you have to use your "Average" hands to your advantage. You have already earned yourself an image at the table of being Super Tight since you have been posting and folding for a while. Now it is time to steal some blinds with the decent hands like A-low kicker or K9 or mid suited connectors lower pocket pairs..etc. These decent hands of course should not be played in any postion. If you are in SB or BB or in LP, then I would try a steal. If it comes to you and 1 person or less has called the BB, then raise with a mediocre hand and hope to buy it out. If someone does happen to call, you cant be afraid to bet it big again or raise a bet on flop when an A or K hits. If you represent you have good playable cards from the beggining, you may be able to steal a handful of blinds. If you can pull this off 2-3 times, then that will keep you even or just barely under your buyin. Obviously if it works twice i would be hesitant about trying it a third time because you TIGHT image is starting to fade. I know a few blinds here and there arent much, but it may be the difference of you being up or down for the night. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Aisthesis, 30. Oct 2003 10:09 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| While this makes total sense, I have had some rather bitter practical experiences with such attempts--particularly the attempted buys. I can't remember the specific hands, so I may have been just doing it wrong, but it can get a little dangerous--particularly at an aggressive table with a sheriff or two. Maybe give something like A3o or K9o a shot sometimes in LP (K9o I'll usually play anyway in LP), but if it fails on first attempt (the real nightmare is getting checkraised on something like that), perhaps just go back to the waiting game? Anyhow, I'm still thinking Angel's "read" comment is probably the most important thing: Don't do anything until you feel like you've got enough read on the table to give whatever you do a good chance of success. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, Denver, 30. Oct 2003 10:55 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| This is interesting because this exact thing happened to me last night as well. I knew I was at a potentially profitable table but I couldn't get anything and with more pre-flop raises than usual I had to dump a lot of AJ, KQ and the like when flops missed me completely (which, I'll admit is better than getting a marginal piece). Lucky for me the "typical LL player" didn't let me down. At about 2:15 am, after not playing a hand for literally 45 minutes I come out firing during a 10 minute stretch where I got AQs, AA, QQ. After I could only have been identified as a rock or asleep at the wheel I still got enough action to from being down 16 big bets to being up 14 big bets. This was one of the times when the pendulum swung the other way and all the attempted draws/suck outs never got there. I know I am suceptible to loosening up when the deck runs cold, but I was determined to wait for a big hand against these guys and it paid off. | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| Re: Dealing with unlucky streaks, LJH, 30. Oct 2003 18:49 | ||
| View ( Message | Thread ) | Return to Thread List | |
| AIS, I HAD ONE OF THOSES NIGHTS LAST YEAR AT TNE MIRAGE. I JUST SAT THERE THE WHOLE NIGHT AND ONE 2 HANDS AND $10. I WAS BORED, BUT I WANTED TO SEE IF THE CARDS WOULD CHANGE WHICH THEY DID NOT. SO WHAT ELSE TO DO----CHANGE TABLES OR GO FOR A SWIM OR GO HOME FOR SLEEP. IT IS NOT UNFORSEEABLE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. LJH | ||
| Return to Thread List | ||
| POKER FORUM HOME | POKER FORUM | LINK TO US | ARCHIVE | ONLINE POKER | Copyright 2002, United Poker Forum |
|
Getting Started |
UPF Tournaments |
Poker News, Views, Rules |
Poker Strategy & Psychology |
Money and Bankroll Poker Bonuses & Promotions | World Series of Poker (WSOP) | Play Online Poker | Poker Odds & Statistics | Tournament Poker | Poker Books, Videos & Learning Tools Looking for a Poker Game | Poker Bad Beats | Not Quite Poker | Quizzes and Polls | Forum Suggestions & Bugs |
|
|
|
|
Interesting Links: Online Poker | Free Poker Games | United Poker Network |
|