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longest run of bad cards?


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To seriously answer the question; I 4 table for 20-30 hours/week, I am a reasonably profitable player and I have had month long stretches where the cards just don't cooperate. I have yet to lose money over that period of time, but my winrate is a fragment of my overall avg. during these spells.What I find is that the most difficult thing to do is to not let the poor results impact your play. During these stretches I'll find myself rasing with A-K in late position, getting HU and then checking an 8 high flop because I haven't hit a flop in hours and the last 2 times I bet with2 overs I've been check raised. Then I end up checking the hand down (because I gave up my edge on the flop) and he wins with his pair of 10's that hit on the river.When it starts effecting your play like this you end up compounding the issue by losing to another 6 outer, yet the hand shouldn't have gotten past the flop. If you can recognize these times, be thankful, take a break and regroup. Sometimes you just have to ride out the storm, just make sure you come out the same (or better) on the other end.

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To seriously answer the question; I 4 table for 20-30 hours/week, I am a reasonably profitable player and I have had month long stretches where the cards just don't cooperate. I have yet to lose money over that period of time, but my winrate is a fragment of my overall avg. during these spells.What I find is that the most difficult thing to do is to not let the poor results impact your play. During these stretches I'll find myself rasing with A-K in late position, getting HU and then checking an 8 high flop because I haven't hit a flop in hours and the last 2 times I bet with2 overs I've been check raised. Then I end up checking the hand down (because I gave up my edge on the flop) and he wins with his pair of 10's that hit on the river.When it starts effecting your play like this you end up compounding the issue by losing to another 6 outer, yet the hand shouldn't have gotten past the flop. If you can recognize these times, be thankful, take a break and regroup. Sometimes you just have to ride out the storm, just make sure you come out the same (or better) on the other end.
Oh man, does this sound familiar. Going into last night I was on a streak of 0 for 26 with AK. Thats 26 missed flops out of 26 hands played with AK. I mean, no pair no draw each and every time I had that hand... 26 times in a row - no lie. So anyways, 1/2 NL on FTP and I'm in the SB with AKo and I laugh to myself about how I'm going to lose more money with this hand, out of position when I miss my flop. A LAG MP player raises 3x the BB, its folded around to me, I call, the BB calls and we take the flop 3 ways. Flop is K 2 7 rainbow.HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I FLOPPED A PAIR!!!! (I said this out loud) I get greedy and check, BB checks and the LAG MP fires out a continuation bet of 3/4 the pot. Beautiful. I check raise him allin for my last $80 or so and he calls without hesitation.. .flips over 22 and stacks me. Sigh.I agree with your assessment of the bad run. These hands are starting to affect my confidence negatively. I am an aggressive player as well, and when I raise on the button with KQs and get called by the BB I make a CB on the flop 90% of the time when its checked to me depending on the texture of the flop. When you start getting continuously check raised it can really make a bad run spiral out of control because that part of your game is being neutralized... and you really need to rely on CB's to stay afloat when the cards aren't cooperating. Another thing that really irks me is how fast paced the online game can be, especially if youre multi-tabling. Sometimes you just don't have enough time to think a hand through completely when that ticker is winding down and youre forced into making poor decisions under pressure. It reminds me of that live tournament that aired recently where each player had 60 seconds to act or their hand was dead. I forget the name of it. I remember laughing and thinking to myself how an otherwise great player could be at such a disadvantage online because of the minimal time allotted to make decisions. I think I might take a break from the online game for a while and focus on live play. If the run continues at the live tables I'll probably walk away for a week or two all together.Thanks for your help.
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if you;'re on a 3 month run of bad beats i suggest taking up a new hobby.On another note, my longest run of crap cards in a row is 126 hands.not 1 pocket pair, not one hand containing two face cards, and everyace was a offsuit 6 or worse.
wow thats insane I once had a DAY like that was at a 2 5 cash game and I bought in for 400 and litterally got blinded down I think I played about 8 hands total didnt even get a free blind cause someone would raise right when I saw hope of checking
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Im having a bad run of luck this January. I went from doing well in my cash tables online, to losing in consecutive session after session since January started. I know i am a good player, but cards just cant seem to hit for me, or hold up till the river. I just hope its a cold run of cards and the heat will turn up soon.

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Im having a bad run of luck this January. I went from doing well in my cash tables online, to losing in consecutive session after session since January started. I know i am a good player, but cards just cant seem to hit for me, or hold up till the river. I just hope its a cold run of cards and the heat will turn up soon.
GL. I regret that your first post was on such a somber note. Welcome to the forum.
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To seriously answer the question; I 4 table for 20-30 hours/week, I am a reasonably profitable player and I have had month long stretches where the cards just don't cooperate. I have yet to lose money over that period of time, but my winrate is a fragment of my overall avg. during these spells.What I find is that the most difficult thing to do is to not let the poor results impact your play. During these stretches I'll find myself rasing with A-K in late position, getting HU and then checking an 8 high flop because I haven't hit a flop in hours and the last 2 times I bet with2 overs I've been check raised. Then I end up checking the hand down (because I gave up my edge on the flop) and he wins with his pair of 10's that hit on the river.When it starts effecting your play like this you end up compounding the issue by losing to another 6 outer, yet the hand shouldn't have gotten past the flop. If you can recognize these times, be thankful, take a break and regroup. Sometimes you just have to ride out the storm, just make sure you come out the same (or better) on the other end.
Oh man, does this sound familiar. Going into last night I was on a streak of 0 for 26 with AK. Thats 26 missed flops out of 26 hands played with AK. I mean, no pair no draw each and every time I had that hand... 26 times in a row - no lie. So anyways, 1/2 NL on FTP and I'm in the SB with AKo and I laugh to myself about how I'm going to lose more money with this hand, out of position when I miss my flop. A LAG MP player raises 3x the BB, its folded around to me, I call, the BB calls and we take the flop 3 ways. Flop is K 2 7 rainbow.HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I FLOPPED A PAIR!!!! (I said this out loud) I get greedy and check, BB checks and the LAG MP fires out a continuation bet of 3/4 the pot. Beautiful. I check raise him allin for my last $80 or so and he calls without hesitation.. .flips over 22 and stacks me. Sigh.
It's very simple. Play limit
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It's very simple. Play limit
Funny you should say that. I have seriously been considering making the switch from NL cash games to limit. I've never been a limit player. I started out playing NL and I've focused on that for the entirety of my 3 year career. I started reading SSHE last week and I think I might give it a shot once I'm done with it. It's going to require some huge adjustments from NL though.
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I am an aggressive player as well, and when I raise on the button with KQs and get called by the BB I make a CB on the flop 90% of the time when its checked to me depending on the texture of the flop. When you start getting continuously check raised it can really make a bad run spiral out of control because that part of your game is being neutralized... and you really need to rely on CB's to stay afloat when the cards aren't cooperating. When this happens I sometime think "they're on to me and know I continuation bet with nothing." So I decide to call down one of these check raisers and invariably they flopped a set or 2 pair. Nope. I'm not being outplayed, I just keeping running into made hands.Chant the mantra:"Wait it out. Wait it out. Wait it out"

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I'm just curious to find out what was the longest losing streak some of you FCP'ers have had to endure in during your careers?  I am currently on a 3 month run of bad beats and coolers that has seemed to defy all probability.  Without getting into the gorey details, lets just say that the nightmare hasn't ended and it's beginning to take its toll on my confidence.  This game can really mess with your head!  I'd just like some of you to share some stories of horrendous runs that went on for what seemed to be an eternity.  I think talking about this censored will help me get through this....  P.S.  I'm sure countless threads have been started on this topic, but guess what I don't care.
Plain and simple... If the beats are truly bad (suckouts galore with you a heavy favorite) then stop worrying about it. Look at the way the hands played out and if you were in position to take it down and just got unlucky, deal with it. I had my Aces cracked last night to Jacks (a 2 outer). Shit happens man.
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I'm just curious to find out what was the longest losing streak some of you FCP'ers have had to endure in during your careers?  I am currently on a 3 month run of bad beats and coolers that has seemed to defy all probability.  Without getting into the gorey details, lets just say that the nightmare hasn't ended and it's beginning to take its toll on my confidence.  This game can really mess with your head!  I'd just like some of you to share some stories of horrendous runs that went on for what seemed to be an eternity.  I think talking about this censored will help me get through this....  P.S.  I'm sure countless threads have been started on this topic, but guess what I don't care.
This is where you get a chance to prove what kind of poker player (and man) you truly are. Will yourself to be coolheaded about this and not make tilt plays. Be honest about whether you are the victim of bad cards or your own poor decisions. Are you chasing your losses? Trying to make up for bad luck through exotic plays? Sometimes 'bad runs' amount to a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you begin to think that you are cursed, then you manifest that reality in your play. I hope this is not the case here, but I would advise you to share your hand histories with a good player who can give you an objective opinion. It is worth noting that one is never in the midst of a losing streak. It is forever a phenomenon of the past. Unless you are a loser, of course.P.S. Matt Matros's book gives a candid account of his own losing streak and how he broke through it.
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Plain and simple...  If the beats are truly bad (suckouts galore with you a heavy favorite) then stop worrying about it.  Look at the way the hands played out and if you were in position to take it down and just got unlucky, deal with it.  I had my Aces cracked last night to Jacks (a 2 outer).  censored happens man.
I'm well aware of the fact that luck evens out and as long as I continue to play well the profits will come. This has been reiterated time and time again.However, the run I'm on is not just a few bad beats... or even a somewhat lengthy series of bad beats, but rather an extended streak of cold cards. Picture every possible difficult situation imaginable that you could find yourself in playing poker being repeated day in and day out for a matter of months. I'm talking losing with boats etc... not just the suckouts. The suckouts just make up a percentage of the run itself... there are other factors at play here.I do however appreciate your insight, and I will work on reassuring myself that I played the hand the best I could when the suckouts do occur. It's just tough (and extremely expensive) when you have to deal with 30-40 of them for huge pots over the course of 15k hands or so.
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This is where you get a chance to prove what kind of poker player (and man) you truly are.  Will yourself to be coolheaded about this and not make tilt plays.  Be honest about whether you are the victim of bad cards or your own poor decisions.
I agree wholeheartedly that this is the true test of a player. And I am trying with all of my will power to pass this test with flying colors. To quote Jennifer Harmon... "show me a player when he's losing and I'll tell you how good he really is". Couldn't be truer.
Are you chasing your losses?  Trying to make up for bad luck through exotic plays?
A major leak I've noticed after analyzing hand histories is that in the midst of this run I've been slightly overplaying small pairs against raises in middle/early position because of the idea that "hey, if I flop a set I might stack someone and make up for some losses." So yes, that is definetly a form of tilt and I will work on plugging that leak when things inevitably go wrong.
Sometimes 'bad runs' amount to a self-fulfilling prophecy:  if you begin to think that you are cursed, then you manifest that reality in your play.  I hope this is not the case here, but I would advise you to share your hand histories with a good player who can give you an objective opinion.  
I am beginning to believe I am cursed. No doubt. That's why I'm considering taking a break, at least from online play.
P.S. Matt Matros's book gives a candid account of his own losing streak and how he broke through it.
I own "The making of a Poker Player" and I've read that section as well. I will likely re-read that during my hiatus. Thanks again.
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I don't know if it's my longest, but I'm in a terrible funk right now. I'm not playing great, but I'm not playing too bad either, and the cards are just spitting in my face. In the last two days I've lost w/ Aces twice when I flopped to a set with them (I think the only two times I've had 'em), I've lost w/ set over set, I can't win a race, or even a 60%/40% proposition, and people keep making 1-card flushes on me. I'll flop a set or top two and the board will keep raining :D:):) :club:s or :club::D:D :heart:s. I've probably lost to near a dozen 1-card flushes in recent memory. It's getting to the point where I might take a couple of weeks off just to get things straight. It's really sick.

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Hey Crack...Not that I know how bad you are doing but I also have been getting my tail kicked. I have had a pretty good run for a few weeks only to miss hand after hand for a week straight...draining the bankroll. In the past I usually switch between no-limit and SNG's until i hit a good run, so maybe that is an option for you. Anyways goodluckGreenBayPoker

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I don't know if it's my longest, but I'm in a terrible funk right now. I'm not playing great, but I'm not playing too bad either, and the cards are just spitting in my face. In the last two days I've lost w/ Aces twice when I flopped to a set with them (I think the only two times I've had 'em), I've lost w/ set over set, I can't win a race, or even a 60%/40% proposition, and people keep making 1-card flushes on me. I'll flop a set or top two and the board will keep raining :D:):) :club:s or :club::D:D :heart:s. I've probably lost to near a dozen 1-card flushes in recent memory. It's getting to the point where I might take a couple of weeks off just to get things straight. It's really sick.
I'm in the same boat... as much as it sucks that youre experiencing this nightmare as well, its comforting to know that I'm not alone. GL.
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Hey Crack...Not that I know how bad you are doing but I also have been getting my tail kicked. I have had a pretty good run for a few weeks only to miss hand after hand for a week straight...draining the bankroll. In the past I usually switch between no-limit and SNG's until i hit a good run, so maybe that is an option for you. Anyways goodluckGreenBayPoker
Thanks for dropping a line GreenBay... Ive seen you on FTP and I know youre solid. I hope for your sake that your bad run doesn't last as mine as long because hey... we all have a finite amount of dough in our accounts. No1 wants to go bust. GL- keep grinding.
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I don't know if it's my longest, but I'm in a terrible funk right now. I'm not playing great, but I'm not playing too bad either, and the cards are just spitting in my face. In the last two days I've lost w/ Aces twice when I flopped to a set with them (I think the only two times I've had 'em), I've lost w/ set over set, I can't win a race, or even a 60%/40% proposition, and people keep making 1-card flushes on me. I'll flop a set or top two and the board will keep raining :D:):) :club:s or :club::D:D :heart:s. I've probably lost to near a dozen 1-card flushes in recent memory. It's getting to the point where I might take a couple of weeks off just to get things straight. It's really sick.
I'm in the same boat... as much as it sucks that youre experiencing this nightmare as well, its comforting to know that I'm not alone. GL.
If it's any consolation I just won a $5 HU match, then a $5 Sit and Go. Things are looking up...... (sw)
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I'm in my 6th down moth. I've won a few weeks here and there but, at the end of the month I'm still down. Bad cards and a few bad decisions is really all it takes. I've had some of the worst beats in those months but, all records show it will soon turn around. The suck part is I can't play as much as I used to. I've got a buddy that was in the same postion this time last year and last month cleared a little over 100k. The only joy I can take out of this is that I've become a much better player in the last 6 months than I was before this streak. Also, most people don't realize that back in 03 - 04 jennifer harmman was on a 9 month losing streak. I feel you pain and just keep plugging away.

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I am not sure what others have posted, because I cannot be bothered to read all of that but this is a serious post.Long time lurker, member of many other forums so don't think I am a complete NOOB.I just got out of my longest ever run. It lasted for 2.5 months (40,000+ hands) of serious play, and probably a bit longer if I were paying attention at the end of the summer. I was constatnly second best in a hand that I pushed my chips in, I was dominated nearly as often as I was drawn out on. I also had great hands that constantly seemed to be only the second best. You lose ALOT of money playing the second best hand for months on end.I was damn near the end of my rope at the begining of January this year. Then it just stopped. Just like that. I am not goign to lie and say I have won every hand sinse, I still get my money in bad sometimes, and get drawn out on too, but much less frequently, and my better hands seem to hold up. Before this change, I was not only on the wrong side of luck, but also had no confidence in my play, played on tilt/tired, got into fancy play syndrome in order to try and change my rotten luck.All of these things combined really created a rut for me. I needed a break. So took a small 2 week break. No reading, posting, playing etc.I came back actually wanting to play, which was nice. But I also came back playing a VERY straightforward game. I was the tightest player at EVERY table I was at. I played all of my hands strongly. I never bluffed, I never slowplayed. I had no ego over thinking a pot was mine before the chips slid my way.The results were great during this time. Slowly over the last few weeks, I have gotten back to more of MY game, playing around a little bit and doing different moves. It could be said that these are costing me money, but, I am nowhere near playing like I did prior to my break. Since my break, I have made a number of final tables, I have generated a positive expectation in MTTs (which I never had prior - EVER, SNGs werer good to me also, and I realised I should NEVER NEVER play a cash game EVER again)This is just my story. I hope you can glean some info from it to help you out. And hopefully the cards change for you at the same time.Good luck.

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Before this change, I was not only on the wrong side of luck, but also had no confidence in my play, played on tilt/tired, got into fancy play syndrome in order to try and change my rotten luck.All of these things combined really created a rut for me. I needed a break. So  took a small 2 week break. No reading, posting, playing etc.
I'm at this point as well. I think a nice break from poker is a smart thing right now for a lot of reasons. I need to get other aspects of my life squared away before I submerge myself completely back into the game again and truly give it my all. As we all know, poker can become an unhealthy obsession if you allow it to get to that point, and sometimes we need a bad run to remind us of the "other side" of gambling.
The results were great during this time. Slowly over the last few weeks, I have gotten back to more of MY game, playing around a little bit and doing different moves. It could be said that these are costing me money, but, I am nowhere near playing like I did prior to my break. Since my break, I have made a number of final tables, I have generated a positive expectation in MTTs (which I never had prior - EVER, SNGs werer good to me also, and I realised I should NEVER NEVER play a cash game EVER again)
I'm glad to hear you came back and were successful. I hope I have the same outcome after my break. Although, I'm not sure I could quit playing NL cash games altogether - they're my bread and butter 95% of the time.
This is just my story. I hope you can glean some info from it to help you out. And hopefully the cards change for you at the same time.
Thanks for sharing. Good post.
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