How Long Can You Hack It?

[NicksDad1970 0]

I've read a few threads like this in the past and even thought I THINK I know the answers I'd like to hear your opinions.I've been running like crazy bad lately. I can think of (all of these are MTT all in situations) when I've lost 2 1 outers. 2 and 3 outers at the same time (playing diff MTT's at the same time).Anyway, I'm really wonderingif I have the heart for this. I don't play for a living. I have a wife and a bunch of kids. But I do play online 4 or 5 times a week and maybe B&M 2 or 3 times a month. I am ahead overall but really not by enough to really amount to anything.I've heard many times it's the toughest way to make an easy living. Although that makes sense it almost always seemed like that was just something cool to say. Then I heard Mike the mouth say something like "these young guys want to be poker pro's, let's see how they act when the cards have been slapping them in the face for a month.Well that's how it seems to me lately. Seems like any time I end up all in with AK against Ax I KNOW I'm going to get drawn out on.I think the right answer is to take a week or so off and it'll all be good again. Is that the answer? I would say online poker is rigged but the one time I played B&M this month I had 2 people at the same time outdraw me on a 1 outer. Anyway this isn't a thread about my bad beats just what appears to be my inability to deal with them. For the diehards out there do you just take it like Phil Ivey appears to, just "oh well" that's poker, don't be results oriented and I'll get em later? Or do you want to throw your lappy out the window as well?

[game breaker 0]

If you are worried about getting your money in with them having a 3 outer, than you have no business playing poker. Also I guarantee you that people having crazy suckouts on you is not your main problem if you are still not very much in the black. For those of us who make real money online, we have zero problems getting sucked out on a 3 outer. That's like giving up pitching because you run into 2 bad umpires or something, it just doesn't make sense. Don't focus on the crazy suckouts, focus on finding the maximum number of ways you can get your opponent into a situation where his only hope is a crazy suck out.

[....Ian.... 0]

sure i'-m pissed after, but after i calm down i remind myself that "you WANT him to make that call dominated."#'s dont lie in the long run

[nosoul 0]

Well that's how it seems to me lately. Seems like any time I end up all in with AK against Ax I KNOW I'm going to get drawn out on.I think the right answer is to take a week or so off and it'll all be good again. Is that the answer?

I had a span online where I had pocket kings or aces 15 times. They won 3 times out of the 15. One of those times I stole the blinds when nobody called my raise. So, they only won 2 out of 14 times when my raise got called. It happens. It's called math. It's the underlying mechanics of the game.The answer is definitely NOT to take a week off. Unless you're so tilted that you don't play correctly anymore. As long as you're still betting/raising with the best of it, making good laydowns, and mainly losing to suckouts, then the last thing you want to do is stop playing. Remember, the cards work a certain way no matter when you play. If you're running bad, taking a break won't snap the streak. The cards will still work the exact same way when you come back.

[Stylin_Fish 0]

I never ran well in poker, live or online. Like you, while overall I was in the plus, it wasn't enough to matter. I could never get a hand to hold up when it really mattered in a tournament. I could play great poker, not perfect because i was never good enough to say, "I played a perfect session." Plus I just got tired of raising with AQ, get a caller and the flop comes QQ8, end up all in and the guy has Q8. It's variance but it got the better of me. It sounds lame and "results oriented" but I would get sick and tired of seeing myself making great reads and great folds to only see that I would have won the hand, and then see the guys who make the bone-headed calls and would suck out. It's a dumb comment but it felt like, "If i was a worse player, i'd win more money/tournaments."

[TheCinciKid 0]

Didn't read your whole post. Running bad sucks though, and I can attest to that. My current downswing has kind of caused me to totally re-assess my approach to poker at least for the time being. I guess I'd say that as long as you're having fun you should keep playing, if poker ceases to be fun for you, you should probably at least take some time off.

[SwamiSwan 0]

I've been running like crazy bad lately...

Try playing only live for a while. I think in the online games, we see more hands, and get more suited connectors and high card pairs / combos than live games, therefore they get busted out more, seemingly, even though the percentages are still in your favor.

[Zach6668 513]

Try playing only live for a while. I think in the online games, we see more hands, and get more suited connectors and high card pairs / combos than live games, therefore they get busted out more, seemingly, even though the percentages are still in your favor.

I will advise the total opposite:Play online more. You see WAY more hands, so the long run takes effect a lot quicker. Although the long run in MTT's is huge. Either way, online play minimizes the length of time that your downswings are, as you will play many many more hands in that length of time, your results will smooth out a lot more quickly, in terms of real time.- Zach

[TheCorporation3 0]

I will advise the total opposite:Play online more. You see WAY more hands, so the long run takes effect a lot quicker. Although the long run in MTT's is huge. Either way, online play minimizes the length of time that your downswings are, as you will play many many more hands in that length of time, your results will smooth out a lot more quickly, in terms of real time.- Zach

I would have to agree. I am playing online poker everyday, some days I see 2000 hands a day, others I might see atleast 500, and it is true. The bad beats hurt more because in a day you can lose nearly 200BB online because you played 1,500 hands, but when the bad beats are over, they are over quick so you can have more time to pound out your good results. For example, I was 4 tabling 2-4 on Party last night and they raped me for $120. Then I rested and went back on this morning and got roasted again for $220. I then came back on again tonight, and won $360. The swings seem to hurt more but you get over them fast, and then, it's on to winning money. As long as you have the bank roll you should be fine.

[BudBundy 0]

I have a wife and a bunch of kids.

This made me laugh Don't mean to hijack.Go on.

[dirtystacks 0]

I think the right answer is to take a week or so off and it'll all be good again. Is that the answer? I would say online poker is rigged but the one time I played B&M this month I had 2 people at the same time outdraw me on a 1 outer.

That is the right answer if you think that a week off will allow you to laugh about getting drawn out on. I was running so poorly I didn't play for about 6 months. When I stopped playing, I knew it was affecting my game. I probably wasn't playing great either. So I just used that time for something else for 6 months. Then when I really felt like playing poker again, I started up. I'm running better--not great. And I'm playing much better. Finally, I just don't care about the suckouts. I tell myself I wanted that bad call. Without that call, all that dead money wouldn't be there in the tournament to win.

[ThaKid 0]

Believe me it's not something to worry about to much, since you have dependants i'd advise against you thinking about turning professional if your not making decent amounts. All players who play regularly get drawn out on, what you should make sure you don't let happen is these suck outs effect the correct way to play the game (I should move in but i'll get drawn out on). Take those thoughts out of your play and regardless of results when the cards are up, stick at it. GL bro

[Money022 0]

sure i'-m pissed after, but after i calm down i remind myself that "you WANT him to make that call dominated."

It took me longer than I care to admit to come to this realization. I used to yell at my computer saying, "How the hell does a guy call an all-in on a gutshot...chase runner runner...call with J4os oop?!?!"Then it hit me like a bag of retards. I WANT people calling when I have them dominated. Suckouts happen and no matter how big you bet, it still won't keep some idiots from calling. Nobody can avoid this part of the game, so it's something you need to come to terms with if you're going to play poker for very long.