HELP! I need help

So, I've been running bad lately, don't have to go into too many details, I'm sure everyone can relate. There have been session where I play really well, play small ball, take people off hands, make good reads and laydowns...and then when it comes time to flip for big pots, I lose them.

This has been going on for a while, maybe 5-6 weeks. But for the most part, I am playing sound fundamental poker, getting the big money in while crushing or flipping.

The past week or so I've been making terrible decisions...for instance, tonight I called two all-ins with just AK on a KT2, two flush flop. The problem was there were two loose players in the pot, inflating the pot, but also the tightest player at the table shoved. I know I should fold there, but I talked myself into thinking she also had AK or a Royal flush draw, and that the others had worse draws. Of course, she had TTT...I had never seen her play a set that way before, but she had to have me beat.

I think the problem is I make really excellent reads on players when I'm not in the hand, but have trouble making laydowns when I'm in it and the pot is large.

I think I need a break, or some basic advice to get back to winning again.

I have two immediate thoughts: either you are just getting on the wrong end of variance and need to sweat it out until it passes, take a break etc. or (and this is harder to handle) you play a losing game but have got on the good end of variance in the past and you believe your game is good because you have made money.

Most players believe they are good players and when they lose they look for reasons outside of their own game for the loss. What really makes a good player is being able to be completely honest with themselves. The fact that you say you have made some bad decisions is a huge advantage to you, so build on this - it tells me your ego is not too big to fix any leaks you have.

You say you play small ball. Try answering the following questions:

- Do I really understand small ball?
- Is small ball the right strategy for my limit?
- Do I really understand small ball?
- What else can I learn about small ball?
- Do I really understand small ball?

Go back to a bit of study to make yourself the expert on small ball play - even if you are Daniel Negreanu, go and find out some more.

I hope this helps, as I feel your frustration.

Variance + Tilt = Sick downswing.

Take a break and forget about poker entirely for a day or several, or do some studying instead of playing.

If you decide to take a break, really take a break I know that Full tilt and pokerstars have a responsible gaming tab that basically you choose how long you want to take a break and they will not let you play (not even play money) or transfer from their site for that period of time. I have used this on pokerstars before was on a very bad run to the point I was depositing and playing higher buyins trying to make it up, obviously this didn't work, so I took 3 days off went into the pokerstars resposible gaming tab. I came back refreshed and ready to follow bankroll management and have started playing much better.

Take a short break, move down in stakes, try some double up sit 'n goes, don't lose focus.

I'm there with you bud. That's why I started at this site. I just need to learn more and these forums help out alot. Thanks guys.

For transgressions on the poker tables, I hereby sentence you to 10 full days with NO POKER INPUT of any kind.

Take a break for a while come back play your game, if you're doing better then you need a break if not their are flaws in your game.GL

take a break. Varience is a bitch. U'll bounce back.

Small ball sucks balls.

most of my losses have come from live sessions.

Bad variance: I typically am up a BI or so after a couple hours, then I get in a spot where I make a profitable shove and either lose a flip with tons of dead money or lose on a 3-outer (QQ vs. AQ or something), or run into a cooler (KK vs. AA).

But I think I have identified some leaks:
1. Playing too many marginal hands in MP. Just because everyone is limping J9o UTG doesn't mean I should play ATs in MP. I mean, I can, but I am finding myself in too many no man's land situations, and if I end up in a multiway limped pot with top pair, I'm not sure what to do with it.

Folding is definitely best in these situations.

2. Being too nitty on the river. Opponent dependent, of course, but I am certainly losing value in spots where I am likely to have the best hand but have "monsters under the bed" syndrome.

3. I think I am telegraphing when I am really strong because people are making ridiculous laydowns against me when they should be paying me off (had a guy recently lay down AQ on Q-high board when I had KK and bet $65 into an $80 pot, wTF!). I think I need to cbet more and keep my bet-sizes consistent and start raising a wider range preflop.

I agree with the other you should take a break. Also with AK and 3 other players in the pot your chances are not good, many players play pocket pairs for set minning or play different cards and could hit two pairs or have flush or stright draws. Even if I have top pair and top kicker I lay it down to big pushes unless I know I have the nuts already.

Yup!Guess we've all been there!Variance is true crap!
I think the key is accepting the beat, not get too tight nor too loose, just pretend the beat and losses never happened basically and stay on top of your game...
I know it's easier said than done, but I think you should try that before going on a break from poker. Remember, you can't take a break when you suffer a bad beat in a tourney so practice this in cash 2!

Readdress the balance...

I too have succumbed to this problem, and although I've only been playing poker seriously (online) since May 09, I feel that I have learned a great deal in that time.

Whilst I find that the actual rules of poker are fairly straight forward, I have had to learn a lot when it comes to betting and offering up chips in a pot. The major stumbling blocks that I have had to face are, a personal battle against my own ego, and learning to have faith in my reads of other opponents.

At times I have battled on with top pair... only to be beaten by a straight or flush draw, even by some dweeb holdin 23s. Always consider the possibility that holding top pair is not sufficient to win the pot. If you can already see that you have been beaten, even when bluffed out by the donk that goes all-in every hand just because he holds the biggest stack, then fold... bide your time... let your opponent bluff you two, maybe three times... eventually you will win when you check-raise his/her 3rd bluff because you will eventually hold the nuts. And trust me, if you've been successfully bluffed by an opponent that thinks going all in is good enough, then make sure that when you counter, you have them beat for their entire stack.

If the flop comes with all same suit, regardless of what you are holding (be it top pair or otherwise... even AA) then FOLD. Never consider folding as an act of weakness, rather it's a way of protecting your chips.

Never chase... straights or flush draws, most of the time it seems you are fighting a losing battle. If you have nothing from the flop, then what's the harm in folding, unless you have already committed most of your chips pre-flop.

Learn to recognise the betting patterns of opponents. Will they go all in with a low suited hand just to try and protect their own hand? Or are they genuinely offering up a challenge for you to beat them?

Be aggressive... But only when you know you hold the best hand (and you are 100% sure you do) or has your opponent shown weakness in their own betting patterns? and is it therefore worth a small bluff?

Learn, study, absorb. A friend of mine once told me; (when refering to American Football, which I LOVE to play, and coach) "to just play is not enough, you have to become a student of the game", I've never heard a truer word spoken... about anything... If you really want to succeed in this field, then study, study, study. There is so much literature out there, on the subject of poker that it's hard to decide just WHICH books to read.

Now, after all this BS a small confession... I'm a little bit tipsy right now, having watched Amy Wilkinson win Gold in the Skeleton Bob for Team GB in the Winter Olympics... However, If she can do it, then so can you or I.

Good luck at the tables my friend.

Yeh, forget about the beats n move on. Mayb post it in the theory bit and we can help ya but u need to move on or the past will haunt u...or ur bankroll.
We've all been there where u have like 2k - 5k of downswing at the cash games but u need to take a break, focus on ur game and keep on plowing on. That graph line will soon boucne back up.

The leaks you have identified sound eerily similar to my own.
1. I am having this same problem from good position as well. Play A-9 or A-10 from button or cut off and flop an ace. Raise half pot and opponent pushes back later in hand and I fold.Leaking too many chips there lately.

2. During downswings I play too scared and value bet sets in fear of monster. Should be stacking opponents here more often.

3.My trap game is known by too many players because I play on small site. I am starting to value bet early in hand instead and that is helping because I am known to steal a fair bit from position.

Welcome to the club.

K I had 2 modestly winning sessions over the weekend.

Friday night played my usual spot; turned $250 into $600, then lost a big pot.

Raised with TT, got a caller, got squeezed by a shortstack. I reraised to isolate (the caller only had $15 in, shorstack shoved for $63 and I made it $140). He shoved for $400, I smacked myself in the head. I'm not sure the isolation raise was a good idea or not, but I put him pretty precisely on AK and nothing else so I felt I had to call with so much in the pot. He did have AK, he won the main pot and he did business on the side pot, which we chopped.

I donked off half my stack on a fairly ridiculous bluff -- I usually try this maybe once every 2 weeks, it was stupid but I felt with the history I had with the guy, he could lay down a big hand. I lost the rest a few hands later on a cooler. Bought back for $160, got it up to $600 (some of the big hands are posted in the hand analysis forum AA vs. river bet, KK vs. limp reraise) and left.

Went to another spot for a couple hours. It was 5/5 instead of 1/2, which I didn't realize, but I bought in short ($250) to try to make some bucks. There was a gigantic whale at the table donating to everyone -- he clipped me when he straddled and defended a $50 raise with Q5o, I had TT, flopped an overpair with a flush draw, shoved and he called and hit a Q-high flush on the river. Bought back in for $250 -- later I got TT again, he bet into me on a J 5 3, two-flush board, I shoved, he called...turn blank, river A...Somehow I was good.

Later, I get AKo UTG and minraise to $10 -- I keep getting into awkward spots with AK oop, and didn't want to create a big pot. I felt with my image that it was a really strong move and wouldn't get too many callers anyway. Got 1 caller, then a tight player with only $200 behind makes it $60...I shove, first caller folds (shows AQs), the tight reraiser tanks...then finally calls...with AQs...flop comes K-high and I win.

(Weird hand, the guy is a usually a solid player and he knows me well enough, everyone at the table told him he was wrong for calling because I have AK/QQ+ there always. I was shocked because I thought he had JJ/QQ and might actually fold them.)

Anyway, netted $170, which isn't bad for a two-hour session after busting early.

K I doubt anyone cares about my personal poker struggles but I had another winning session, won $470 in live $2/$5 game. Won a monster pot with QQ vs. AK all-in pre, hit the case Q on the flop to make his river A meaningless. I'm not even sure if I played any better the last couple of sessions, but I played really tight -- was just a matter of winning a flip instead of losing them I guess.

Haven't updated this in a while, had some bad sessions online recently.

Won $550 in 3 hours playing $1/$3 live, pretty miraculous because when I got to the game, three guys with $5k between them left within 10 mins (not because I scared them with my puny $200 buyin, lol) and I somehow managed to stack 3 people at one of the tightest tables I've ever seen.

Two of the semi-interesting hands are posted in hand analysis.

Yes, I basically one won monster pot...straddle to $10, limp UTG, call from CO, I raise to $45 with KK, straddle calls, UTG shoves for $145, I call (making a mistake and not reshoving), straddle calls, flop is 8-high, he checks and I go all-in, he calls and they both have JJ, lol.

Later stacked a guy with a flopped set and he couldn't lay down TPNK. lost the absolute minimum with flopped trips vs. FH ($26). Played about 10 hands in 3 hours, not really exciting but fun when you cash out +$550.