What do you do when running bad?

I don't mean just running a little bad. I mean running so bad that you start getting scared to play your monsters. Running absolutely horribly bad for an extended period and you can't seem to get out of it no matter what you do.

To make a long story short I have lost about 2/3 of my bankroll on Tilit in the last week, after a very good 2 or 3 weeks to build it up, moving up a few limits playing ring games.

For the last 3 or 4 days it's been dreadful. I'll give you an example from what just happened to me. I have KQ of hearts on the button with a 4xbb raise in front of me from middle position. I call, blinds fold, and flop comes KQ3 rainbow. Checks to me and I pot it, he calls. Turn comes Q. He checks to me and I pot it again. He goes all in. I call, only to see another 3 on the river and he turns over his pocket 3's for quads.

I can't blame the guy and call it a bad beat because he has to think he's good there but that's just how it's been going for me lately and I can't figure out how to get out of it.

I guess I just need to keep playing, I don't feel like i'm doing anything incredibly wrong, just a downswing of variance I guess. Any suggestions? Should I take a couple days of or what?

Definitely just take a break. There isn't a specific amount of time you need to take off, everyone's different when experiencing something like this. I'd say wait until you know you're comfortable in playing your style of poker, not scared poker, and when you're back to that point, you should start playing again.

Estelle is right.

Also, when you come back to play again, drop down a level and play tight until your confidence is restored.

yeah, that's what i'm going to do. I'm stiill playing the same, I am just weary even when I have a monster like the one I mentioned above.

I dont know if you've ever seen that High Stakes gepisode Matusow was playing (not High Stakes Poker, something else) where he had a monster and was asking about insurance or something like that on his money when he was all in against someone (i think siedel) for like 200,000 (not sure exactly but it was two huge stacks all in), and everyone was like there's no way, you're definitely good. They can't suckout with their hand. Then sure enough boom, whatever they were going for, I don't remember exactly spiked on the river and he was out. He just kept saying "I told you, I told you. You don't know how bad I run. It never fails, you don't know how bad I run."

I guess that story would have been a lot better if I remembered the details. Someone else here might, but anyway, I feel like that. LOL

This such a good question and everyone who plays has to come to grips with it individually.

All the books I've read say take a few days off, take a walk, change tables, step down in limits. The books tell us, and I've heard poker pros say you have to be confident and optimistic about your game.

Pretty damned hard to be confident and optimistic after your bankroll keeps getting slammed one time right after another. In fact it can get downright depressing.

After 4 years of constant playing, studying and getting what I think is a fairly decent grasp on the game I am only now actually understanding what they mean when they say in order to win you have to be optimisitic and confident.

When I feel the depression setting in, after a series of losses, I'll stop playing and work on my mental state, not just by "taking a couple of days" but by, going to a movie, or taking the wife out for a romatic dinner. I find something in my life to inspire my confidence. It don't have to be confidence in poker, it can be in the family, work or another hobby. Re-build my state of mind and when I approach poker again it's like a clean slate, I'm thinking clearly and am ready to build upon sucsess.

It may be differant for others but that's what I do and it works for me.

Take a break - it's no good being too defensive. These things run in cycles if you're a good player you'll come through it.

Well I didn't take your advice for a couple of reasons:

1. I'm an idiot,
2. I can't play much during the week anyway,
3. It's not that often I get a free Saturday to play which is what I have today.

Anyway, hopefully my luck is changing because i'm sitting at a $50 NL table on pokerstars with a little over $200 so it's been a good session.

Thank you all for your advice though. I should have taken it but I'm glad I didn't in this case .

Call me crazy, but calling a 4x bet with KQ is on the loose side - unless you have a significant read on the bettor.

More easily said than done, but tighten up and be patient and don't try to force things... *looks in mirror.

No, you`re not crazy. It`s a potentially dangerous hand, easily dominated, and might be unsafe if you read the bettor as tight.

Trying playing at a different time of day if you can. I find that when I play between 5-10 pm or 1-5 am I seem to win a lot more than when I play any other time. I don't know if there is a real reason behind it or what but I feel I play the same way all times of the day, I just do better at certain times.

think seidel had aceses and mike had ten eight for two pairs on flop. all the money went in on the flop. turn 4 river 4
dont know the cards exactly but it happend like that( maybe turn 7 river 7) whatever u get the idea. not that bad a beat really think seidel has something like 25 percent chance to suck out anyway.

really good post all around. Ive been running extremely bad as well lately. I havent played for about 2-3 days and instead used that time to join this forum and see if I was doing something wrong. After reading some posts and articles Im going to be playing again tonight and hopefully it helps, if not then Ill just come back here wallow in self pity and see if there is anything else I can fix. Hopefully when I come back later tonight I can talk about how much this post helped me and be very happy with my winnings

I believe in streaks, and within the bigger, longer streaks, ministreaks.

On a daily basis I find that the streaks tend to be maybe 6 hours long, there is some unknown rythem to them.

For the poker fix, dont avoid the play money games. Sometimes just realizing that you in the midst of a streak will wake you up from that streak. This is not good when your on a winning streak, cause thats the last thing you want to be awakened from. Certainly mentioning a good rush will bring it to a grinding halt.

Maybe you ended your bad streak just by mentioning it.

What?, Me? Superstitious?

and when Estelle comes to your table just sit out until she's moved lol J/K can't get any better advice than this! good luck!

Well, this is a Bankroll Management issue.

Losing 2/3 of a bankroll in 6 months = very cold streak
Losing 2/3 of a banroll in a week = BRM problem

Fix that, and you'll be fine.

Neither of you are crazy, and it's a definite lesson learned. I was in position and can get away from it if it doesn't hit a monster for me which it did, and I was still beat. Not something I will continue to do unless I have a better read on my opponent like you said.

well, heres the update: after being down to pretty mcuh nothing I took the break, ive just started playing but Ive been playing great, makin all the right calls and have won 2 SnG's in a row and am doing very well in the MTT im in right now

I adhere to good bankroll management USUALLY. I had a little more then 15 buy ins for the NL tables I was playing. My problem is I had been beating them consistantly so when I began the horrible streak instead of moving down in limits when my bankroll was screaming at me to do so, I said to myself "you've been beating these tables consistantly, you'll turn it around". Like I said I adhere to good bankroll management USUALLY.

You're right and it burned me here. One good thing is I rarely make the same mistake twice and I've learned some valuable lessons from this bad streak so it could be a good thing for me in the longrun.

No, I'm generous when it comes to CC members, I only take half of your money and leave half with you, so you can build up your BR again, and come back and give half it back to me again. It's a great never ending process.

I found this thread when I was looking for advice on cold streaks. I've lost 1/6 of my bankroll in the last few weeks playing live limit holdem and decided to take a break. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one that keeps getting cold cards and seeing opponents make miraculous outdraws on the river in EVERY BIG POT!!! Ok, guess I'm still steaming a little. Time off, then back to the grind. Thanks for the advice and commiseration.

I would either take a little break for a while so that you can refresh your mind & come back with a clear head not thinking about your bad beats or just drop down in limits for a while. This way all of your bad beats will cost you less money so your bankroll might last long enough until your bad beats stop. GOOD LUCK!

1. Take a break
2. get stoned
3. go where you've been succesfull in the past, at lower stakes, and concentrate on the basics.

u just need to take a break IMMEDIATELY before you do irreparable harm to your br, take a day or two and relax, go play some pool, have a few beers with the guys and unwind, then when you've cleared your mouth of that disgusting taste get back at it

Play the PS3 I bought with some of my winnings to remind myself that I am too good to be losing in such a bad way

If it only took you 2-3 weeks to build it up and move up a few limits, I'd say you're not following BRM and 2/3 your roll is hardly anything statistically.
Edit: just realized this is an old thread. Stop reviving these new members.

I just walk away for awhile maybe a day or so
sometimes it dont take long other times it will last for weeks no matter what hand i get i lose.
Just wait it out....