Bleeding Chips

Ok - looking for some help here. I feel recently that I've been bleeding chips at the tables. I'll usually start off strong but it seems like after I've played for a little bit (maybe an hour or two), my chip stack starts to slowly erode away. I realize variance could play a part, but I feel like there might be some leak in my game in that I'm doing something different that is causing these losses. I've analyzed my stats with HEM and don't "see" anything that causes concern from that standpoint. Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice on what I should be looking for to prevent this?

If you play well for the first hour or two then your play drops off then play shorter sessions. If you think you're still playing well after an hour or two despite losing then either it's variance or you're misleading yourself about how well you're playing.

I would guess you are splashing around too much when you get chips, playing speculative hands OOP, etc.

If not, then it is likely that you are losing focus and maybe you are on "winning tilt."

Most likely you are playing too many pots out of position and bluffing too much post flop.

Hence you win for a while, because people lay hands down when you bet into them but as time progresses they realise you are bluffing too much and start calling you down lighter and lighter.

Is it possible that with an ever increasing stack, you are thinking that it's OK to play a little looser?

Are your bluffs made with credible hands or are you just bluffing at every given opportunity?

Are others getting a read from your betting habits? Especially when you win a pot when sucking out to beat your opponent with a 6,4s and catching the flush on the river and it goes to a showdown?

Has your accumulation of wealth, blinded you into thinking you can win EVERY pot?

Are you just trying to out bet your opponents with larger raises than normal, rather than play better poker than they are?

Are you chasing your draws or are you betting with an already made hand?

Are you calling to the short-stack when he moves all-in, under the pretence of, "well... I can afford to call and still have a large stack left if I miss"?

Are you playing too many hands out of position?

If the answer to any of these is 'yes' then I suggest you simply play a little tighter, Top Ten hands only, from position (unless of course, you hold a monster).

Don't worry, I do it too... I get to a point where I am deepstacked and in the top 10% of players in the tournament and then fritter it away calling with dumb hands, or chasing a draw and hoping to hit. (Something I am working on eliminating from my game).

Try to understand the mindset of the short-stack when playing hands against the chip/table leaders... would you go all-in with your last 1000chips with a J,3o?

Don't view folding as a sign of weakness, moreover it is a way of protecting your stack.

Don't blame the cards... or the dealer, it was your choice to move all-in with TT preflop UTG.......

Good luck!

Are you talking about cash games?

I have trouble when I win a few hands and double or triple up.
Emboldened by this I find myself loosen up and start to play more speculative and OOP hands. I also find myself more willing to call big raises inappropriately with a larger stack.

Have you considered setting yourself a figure when you will leave the table?
I have recently been setting myself a limit of 2.5 buyins. If I exceed this stack I leave when the BB reaches me.

Then I move to another table where my relatively smaller stack encourages me to play tighter.

Thanks to everyone for the help. I was referring to a cash game, FL. Been playing mainly low limits though I'll dabble in STT and MTT. Recent issues are with the cash game. Think several of you are probably right with the loosening up and playing OOP. I also think I may be bluffing after too many pots and trying to get way too tricky with my play and it's just costing me. Been reflecting on all this and the responses helped. The tricky thing is just silly at the limits I'm at and I think my swings are in part due to it working for awhile, then not

Also trying to set a timeframe around my sessions instead of playing aimlessly. Also trying to do the auto-rebut thing so I can just play without thinking of being up or down. You want to talk about a strange new concept for me! It's tough because I have trouble not knowing where I stand, but realize that it shouldn't be impacting my play.

If your won without showdown is extremely high -$ then you need to check what your vpip/pfr is. You might be doing a few things.

-betting hands you shouldn't
-betting when you should be calling and trying to get to showdown
-folding when you should be calling and trying to get to showdown
-not looking for spots postflop when your opponent is weak and taking the pot
-are you cbetting? what % of flops are you cbetting?