what to do when the cards just aren't going your way

[kcb 0]

For the last two weeks my online game and real life game has suffered greatly. I've been getting absolutely frigid cards for the last couple weeks. And when I do get something like A/K or A/Q the flop comes high and dry and my continuation bet (when I'm in late position) usually gets called or raised so from there on out I'm out of the hand.I get really pissed when playing online, because I'll have my money in with the best of it and I'm ramming and jamming the pot, because I know these call stations that play SnG's and the .15/.25 tables are going to pay me off looking for that backdoor draw or hoping to land two pair to bust my top pair, top kicker. Seems the last two weeks, someone landing two pair on the turn or river is a higher percentage play than my top pair holding up. Of course, I compound all of this by playing badly and paying off someone who landed their backdoor flush draw because "I just have to see this.." (actually what I said when I knew I was beat a few times).. And sure enough, they'd show me their cards and how they hit their draw and I'd go on tilt and have to walk away from my computer and sit-out a few hands.I know this is a dump rant and most of you couldn't care less because you've been here, but help a fellow player out by giving me some advice. What should I do here? Keep playing? Take some time off? If I do keep playing, should I change my style a little? Play more loosely? Tighter?

[Mattnxtc 0]

i hopefully am through the worst of a nasty downswing and it does suck. Just keep playin poker the right way. I actually pulled out sshe and sat the hand chart right next to me and just made sure i was playing right. Granted the suckouts still came fast but i knew that i was playing the right hand in the right position and thats all you can do...If your big on nl then reread supersystems or harringtons books just to reassure urself mostly that ur playing right. Then just pray the poker gods decide to be nice

[Actuary 3]

I cant help you.See, ever since i learned how to play, I haven't had a down month....or two weeks, I think.Nah, seriiously though.My advice:1. Always play well within your bank roll2. Learn to play other games to break the downswing/rut.3. Play cheap tournies, they take time with little risk to BankRollthats some ideas.oh..and take serious assessment of your play and make sure you are playing correctly. Post hands.

[sirliej 0]

I'm coming out of a little downswing myself and something that helped me was just getting away from the grind for a little while.I took about a week off so when I sat back down I really, really wanted to play and win. I played in a few cheap NL SnG's and crushed them, which helped me get some confidence back and then got back to the limit cash games refreshed and with regained confidence.It's amazing how much a bad attitude can hurt you. There was a little while where I went into hands with the best of it and expected to lose because my confidence was so low. Sure enough, I would lose them. So I started playing more passively, trying to limit my losses. Really bad move.Also make sure you're paying attention to the table stats. If the percentage of players seeing the flop and average pot size are really high, you might as well buy a lottery ticket instead of sit at that table.If you just keep playing your game, assuming you are a good player, things will turn around, but like Actuary said, make sure your BR can withstand the swings that luck by its very nature will bring.Make sure you don't start playing crap hands because you see everyone beating you with them, it's -EV.Good luck.

[Bubba83 0]

The best advice I have for you is to play tournaments. I am normally a limit cash game player and had a huge 200 BB downswing over 2 weeks. I had to move down in limits and was still getting bad luck over and over again. Then I started playing some tournaments, I found 3 things good about it. #1 was that I could know exactly how much I'd lose if I didn't place, and that amount for me was small. It gave me the opportunity to play a LOT of hands for that one entry fee.#2 is that you can pay a ton of attention to your opponents and play them and not the cards in a tournament, where everything is a LOT more situational than straight percentages in a cash game.#3 if you manage to place top 10 or something without good luck, which surprisingly enough is possible, you begin getting some confidence back. I actually won a $10 tournament with 234 players in it and this actually marked the end of my bad run. Maybe it was more of a mental thing than anything else.Hope this helped.

[screech 0]

oh..and take serious assessment of your play and make sure you are playing correctly.

Quoting is so much easier than thinking.

[speedz99 145]

oh..and take serious assessment of your play and make sure you are playing correctly.

Quoting is so much easier than thinking.

[kcb 0]

Good posts and good advice, guys.Per someone's request, I'll post hands when I get home from work. I have a few particular hands that I want to show, but I don't know if I'll be able to wade through all the text to find a specific hand.Again, thanks for the replies.

[Actuary 3]

Per someone's request, I'll post hands when I get home from work.  

don't take crtiques personally.Many of us have been palying less than a year and crtique as a way of validating our own thoughts.

[kcb 0]

Here is a pot...I ended up taking it down..PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cxsaw flop|saw showdownButton ($20.65)Hero ($27.35)BB ($14.35)UTG ($37.25)MP ($9.40)CO ($45.70)Preflop: Hero is SB with K:heart:, A:spade:. UTG calls $0.25, MP raises to $0.75, UTG folds, MP folds, CO calls $0.75.Flop: ($4.25) 7:spade:, 5:club:, 4:club: (2 players)Hero checks, CO checks.Turn: ($4.25) 4:heart: (2 players)Hero checks, CO checks.River: ($4.25) 6:diamond: (2 players)Hero checks, CO checks.Final Pot: $4.25Results in white below: Hero has Kh As (one pair, fours). CO has Td Ac (one pair, fours). Outcome: Hero wins $4.25. I just thought this pot was sort of dangerous.. I was out of position and wasn't going to lead off with a bet, because I felt like I was possibly going to get raised, due to him playing his position. Thoughts?

[Actuary 3]

Number ONE RULE:DON'T POST RESULTSDON'T POST ANY HINT OF THE OUTCOMEunless you have a really really good reason..Like "Here's what happens when you forget to pretect your bottom two pair..."

[Actuary 3]

I re-raise to $2.50 pf. - many times take it hereI bet 2/3 pot on flop - often win it hereI bet 1/2 pot on turn , or probably just check and give upIf he hasn't folded yet, I check and call a *small* river bet... Like 1/2 pottish.

[kcb 0]

Why don't you post the results? Don't you want to see how everything went?

[sirliej 0]

Results can keep you from getting an unbiased critique on your play.It's your play that's important, not the results.Usually most people will post results after they've gotten some input on how they played the hand.

[kcb 0]

Results can keep you from getting an unbiased critique on your play.It's your play that's important, not the results.Usually most people will post results after they've gotten some input on how they played the hand.

Ahh, okay...

[DCWildcat 0]

yeah, you're definately going to bet that flop. you've probably got the best hand because that flop is very unlikely to have hit him. for that same reason, you can bet/fold the turn.