I am in a slump

I guys, I need some advice and maybe also just vent some. I know some of you will tell me to have a few beers and some smoke, and though you might be right, it wont exactly help.
So here is my problem. For the past few weeks I can't seem to win much of anything, not to mention coming out ahead for the day. Even my killer preflop hands get cracked on a regular basis and I sure don't seem to get too many of these either the past weeks. I know it is all part of the game and stuff but this is not helping me with coping. I tried tighten up, taking some days off and still the same. Right now I am sure losing confidence in my play, which, of course, is making matters worse. So I started making bad decisions, calling when I know I am beat, which in turn makes me loose more confidence in my game. So I am in a spiral and I don't know how to get out.
Advice is greatly needed and appreciated.

Take a break. If you're just running bad through bad luck, it's fine to try and "play through" the bad streak, but as soon as you start letting it negatively affect your play you should get away for a while. If you still want a poker fix either go blow off some steam at play money tables, try learning a new game, or hit the books. Alternatively, drop down a limit or two - being ab;e to easily outplay your opponents serves as a nice confidence booster.

Taking a break would be a great idea. Get out of the house! Maybe even playing the play money tables to "play out" the bad streak until your confidence is back.

It seems as though you know what you are doing wrong, however, you just need to fix it. You said that you are making calls when you know you are beat, so it sounds as though you are playing too loose, thinking too much, and trying too hard. What I would suggest is going back to the basics. Only play top 10 hands for a couple hours, keep in mind, you can be losing for 3 hours, although minimizing your losses, and then hit one big hand and be positive for the day. What stakes are you playing? The most important thing, as you touched on, is your confidence. If you know you are only playing top hands, and your opponents know you are only playing top hands, they will fear you. If they have a good hand and you have the nuts, a lot of players will try to bluff you off of it, knowing that you have been playing conservatively. From there it is all academic. That's where you will win the money. Remember, one big hand an hour. Think of it this way. A decent living (Coming from the viewpoint of a college student who rakes in all of 6.50 an hour)can be made off of 10 bucks an hour. If you win a $10 hand once an hour, you are doing well, as long as you minimize your losses. This may not seem like much, but $10 an hour adds up nicely along side whatever you take home from your job. A common problem is that when you lose a hand, you try and make it all up on the next one. And then it snowballs. IMO, a bankroll is not made during the high times when everything hits, but rather how you sustain yourself in such a slump. If you can reduce the hit your roll takes, you will succede that much more in the long run.

Something that has helped me a great deal is to stick to the raise or fold strategy. Don't remember who coined it, may have been 'Dook, but it has helped me regain my focus and to play like I know I can. I still don't win more than I should but when I lose it's not because of a bad call - which I was doing entirely to much. I still limp in on the blinds when I have a drawing hand but that's about the only exception I make...

I find that when I feel as you described. I'm usually not playing "position" very well.

EG I'm playing AJ offsuit the same UTG as I am in late position.

Also a thing to try is to change the type of game you play, eg if you've been playing ring games, try a few SNG's.

-Hesh

Seeing as how I have lived through a nasty slump. The best thing you can do is review your hands and see if there was something you could have done better, usually there is but sometimes you just get the short end of the stick. As far as tightening up that really isn't the default answer cause there were probably times you played too tight already for the game. Take a day or 2 review your hands and try to learn from it that's what I do anyway. Once the initial shock and anger wears off I usually find advice here or see a better play just by looking back. Remember don't be scared to post unique hands or a run of hands in the hand analysis section 2 sets of eyes and opinions really does help. Even the best players need a tune-up on occassion.

Thanks guys, there sure is some interesting stuff here.
As additional information I am mainly playing limit games .25/.50c at Noble 6 players. There's no point in playing the micro games at Noble with all the calling stations around that you just can't bluff. I tried to play some tourneys with zero success. Maybe I will try to learn a new game if I get around to it.
$10 an hour sure is not too bad considering I don't have an income at the moment as I decided to go back to University, so I live on student loan right now.
So thanks again and I do feel a bit better already as Xdman predicted but I haven't had my fix yet.

I've hit another slump again and find when my cards start hitting it's when I'm in the danger zone! Anyone else have this problem? Sometimes I can come back then sometimes I bust out. Think I play to tight at times and then I gamble on the next card to hit at times for,flush,straight,etc. Going to have to cut my fingers off! Any suggestions guys or gals?

Just one. Bring loads of money to buy-in on Saturday!

Sharpen the blade well, you don't want any problems. And be sure to clean the wounds afterwards. Oh, wait! You were talking about poker suggestions! There really is no cut and dry answer. If there were, we would all be wearing bracelets. The best advice I can give you is to play very tight, in a low limit game, and just sit back and wait for pocket pairs. Try to get in cheap, and if you hit play it strong. Remember, you can lose for an hour through minimizing your losses, and then hit that one big hand and come out on top. Ask Taz about how I started yesterday. I lost two monster hands in the first 5 minutes. KK to AA both times! I lost $40 to start my session. I then stayed about where I was at for a while, playing more than what I should have. I finally settled in, and played with this strategy and ended up $20 ahead. Not bad IMO. Try to stay off tilt, don't analyze yourself too much, and just go off of instinct. If there's a way for you to be beat, and you feel that you are beat, 9 times out of 10 you are beat.

I have been having one of thos slumps myself. When you are winning like 3% or less of the hands dealt it is hard to come out a winner. No matter how tight you play. And then to top it off the few good hands you get or out draw for the most part.

These 2 together are a recipe for loosing big money.

And that is where I have been in the sub 3% winning hands and below plus the good hands cracked over and over slump.

I can deal with normal bad luck. I am use to it. But, when you get kicked to the curb plus numerous cheap shots while you lay in the gutter. Well, that is enough to test any decent or good players confidence.

Imagine the poor guy that has a streak like this but instead of a few weeks like us, it is several months. That happens too.

I haven't had one of those yet. This period that has been almost a month is plenty enough for me thanks.

I know it will pass. But, the question is when. All you can do is wait it out. If the cards aren't coming and you are playing an A game there is nothing else you can do.

If there are some holes that need filing then fill them and move on forward.

Bad beats and further bad play make bad attitude ( wich of course makes bad play again ) and thats why u keep losing every time even after a break , cuz u came back without working on your attitude . I know how it feels if u are that down - you start thinking "Poker is a game u cant win money " or "Poker is all luck" - tell yourself then NO its not - Poker is not gambling , Poker is a game of skill and if u have more skill than 50 % of the others u play with - you will , long term , be a winner cuz u are playing better than those fish .

Poo_Poo

Poker is gambling anybody who says it isn't is delusional or to be nice misguided and highly unlikely to become a good player until they realise the game is gambling. You are just playing a game where you can hold the edge not always up against the house advantage. The reason the game is accurately called a game of skill is because the basics are very easy to learn especially hold'em, but if you have ever read Grum, Diablo(has a tendency to rub people the wrong way, but DOES have a deep understanding of the suptleties of the game), I, or several other great members break down a hand in the hand analysis section you will realise poker is a VERY deep game. The money in poker is made by taking full advantage of your opponents mistakes. Mistakes are making bets when the odds are NOT in your favor. I am just as guilty as everybody else when I lose money I get pissed but as soon as I settle down I evaluate what happened and do my best to apply what I learned from my mistakes. In order to get better you MUST learn something from a slump. Is it truely bad luck or was their BETTER plays that could have been made.

well ok - lets say you dont have to gamble vs odds to be a profitable poker player - there are too many peeps that just play for action or simply dont mind wich size the pot has or what the odds are , they are just hoping to hit something big by getting lucky - and thats what i was calling gambling

I'm in a drought as well. I may even have to deposit! I'm down to my last $20 bucks from a high mark of $250. Couldn't tell you why except I tried to many "million dollar challenges" even when I was running cold. I suppose I'll make my first deposit at Titan since things are going over there. That is unless I can make the money at one of our freerolls.

ooh well youll get it back

There are a ton of really good suggestions here, but none of them are cookie cutter reactions that will work in any case. Like XD pointed out, when you run card-cold, the only way to really improve your game (assuming that is the problem) is to pick through your hand histories and figure out exactly where your leaks are and plug them. If anyone knows about a downswing, he would be the one. He posted hand histories, got PokerTracker, and went over his game with a fine toothed comb. In some instances (like with us all) he made some missteps or bad calls, and he now has the information to prevent a repeat. In other cases, he just got bad beat and there wasn't much he could do about it. Variance happens. It is how you carry yourself through the lows that determines how well you do in the long run. Anyone can win money when they're running good and are hitting cards, it takes skill to play through a doownswing and come out better on the other side.