Complaining about luck

[Eddie Vegas]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

 

[Joe]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

Nice post!

~moved to General Poker.

 

[Alizona]

Most poker players are short term thinkers. In fact, almost ALL poker players only see the short term.

In the short run, luck governs over skill. Luck plays a larger role than skill does in the short term.

However... if you adopt a longer viewpoint of your poker career, something very interesting happens with the math.

Excuse me for getting technical, but over the long run in poker the statistical variance approaches zero.

For those that don't understand technical talk... what that means is, if you play an infinite number of poker hands, you will "get lucky" exactly as often as your opponents "get lucky". And all that luck will cancel out!!

What you are left with, when all the luck cancels out, is the difference in skill level between the poker players... and that difference in skill level is what will determine who wins at poker and who loses. The luck factor is totally irrelevant!!!!

Now... there's one more thing to realize about my discussion... and that is... the "long run" is VERY long, longer than our lifetimes. So from a practical standpoint, there will always be a small luck factor involved in our results. We can't escape all of it completely, because we cannot possibly ever play an "infinite" amount of poker hands. But we can come close... and the closer we come, the more hands we play, the LESS that luck will be a factor in our results.

I hope this makes sense. Adopt a long term viewpoint and be done with worrying or complaining about your luck, or your opponent's luck... because it just doesn't matter over the long run!!

 

[IntenseHeat]

We all get lucky, whether we want to admit it or not. I got lucky twice yesterday. Twice! But all luck is not the same. There is a difference between someone making what might be considered a reasonable play and finding themselves behind a slightly better hand, and someone hurling their chips off into the abyss with a "what the hell were you thinking" hand. Getting lucky after running A-Q into A-K is not the same as calling an all-in with J-3 and cracking A-A, and one is likely to receiving a more visceral reaction than the other.

Yesterday I was in a game where I was seeing a lot of players shipping their stacks in with any pair or any ace. I'm talking all-in pre-flop with 3-3 or A-6. So when I found myself holding J-J and someone went all-in, I called. They turned over A-A and I needed a miracle to win. I ended up making a flush when four spades hit the board. A few hours later, the same thing happened again. This time my Q-Q got lucky against another player's K-K. I didn't even feel bad, having been on the losing side of these types of hands so many times.

I imagine that it must suck as much when it happens to someone else as it does when it happens to me. I've learned to bite my tongue and try to take it in stride, for the most part. But when someone open shoves with 5-9 off from the cutoff or calls an all-in with 4-10, I'm not sure I can blame someone for wanting to make a snarky comment. I think commenting on someone's bad play or incredible luck is simply some player's method for blowing off steam after taking a beat. I frequently type all manner of criticisms and insults into the chat box. I just never hit send. Instead I backspace over the text one character at a time while concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths. It's my variation on counting to ten.

 

[CheezeWiz]

Welcome Eddie Vegas!

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

You are off to a nice start!

Best of Luck at The Tables All,

CheezeWiz

 

[SecksyGambler]

I hate to break up the pity party but, poker is a dressed up form of gambling. The worst players can win money, the best players can lose money.

Being annoyed or angry from poor luck is nothing to be ashamed of. It's only bad if it's affecting the way you play. The other day I punted away 3 buy ins because I lost two +EV spots back to back, and I wish I hadn't.

I'm being hypocrite here, but if you notice your emotions are getting the best of you, it's best that you take a step away and reset your mindset. If you're not playing well, you're no better than the person who's being ignorant of their luck.

You can be as mad as you want and curse them out if you want to, just don't let your emotions affect your game.

 

[infonazar]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

Welcome to our community.
We have a great free course for our members, thanks to which many players have already improved their results and increased their chances of success. Try it and see for yourself.
https://www.cardschat.com/become-a-winning-poker-player/

 

[DavPerz]

the "long run" is VERY long, longer than our lifetimes.

You just gotta play more hands!

I think what it comes down to is that yes, over the long run you'll break even, but what makes a good player is their ability to overcome that variance, no matter how slight. To play the right odds and fold the hard hands better than the next guy. That's the skill that'll bring longevity to that player making them "good".

 

[marcelo benavidez]

i think that luck is important, but skills are most. 20-80...

 

[Newzooozooo]

Hi.
There is no point in complaining about luck. You can complain about a lack of patience or discipline, but not about luck. I believe that our luck is based on our experience and our knowledge, and therefore, everything depends more on us, not on our luck.
Good luck.

 

[Zirkzee]

There will always be people who use luck as an excuse for their bad game. Variance in poker is normal, so you have to deal with that.

 

[crabcruncher]

If it wasnt for luck, I would win every tournament...Phil Helmuth

 

[Axmanace]

The only time I ever complain about luck is if I’m on global... or having a really bad streak lol.

Luck goes both ways.

 

[COMIRRR]

Luck is relatively in poker, I don't think about it at all, if I was based on luck in my poker game I would have been in total bankruptcy until now.

 

[noskilluk]

Most poker players are short term thinkers. In fact, almost ALL poker players only see the short term.

In the short run, luck governs over skill. Luck plays a larger role than skill does in the short term.

However... if you adopt a longer viewpoint of your poker career, something very interesting happens with the math.

Excuse me for getting technical, but over the long run in poker the statistical variance approaches zero.

For those that don't understand technical talk... what that means is, if you play an infinite number of poker hands, you will "get lucky" exactly as often as your opponents "get lucky". And all that luck will cancel out!!

What you are left with, when all the luck cancels out, is the difference in skill level between the poker players... and that difference in skill level is what will determine who wins at poker and who loses. The luck factor is totally irrelevant!!!!

Now... there's one more thing to realize about my discussion... and that is... the "long run" is VERY long, longer than our lifetimes. So from a practical standpoint, there will always be a small luck factor involved in our results. We can't escape all of it completely, because we cannot possibly ever play an "infinite" amount of poker hands. But we can come close... and the closer we come, the more hands we play, the LESS that luck will be a factor in our results.

I hope this makes sense. Adopt a long term viewpoint and be done with worrying or complaining about your luck, or your opponent's luck... because it just doesn't matter over the long run!!

Does that factor in the timing of the luck though? I guess with infinite hands it would do, but in any finite number of hands however large it becomes a factor I think.

E.g. If your 'good luck' hand is a small pot hand early in a tourney and your 'bad luck' is on the bubble of the tourney then even though the 'luck' has averaged out the outcome is very different...

 

[Brunokeskara]

I claim luck when...

I claim luck when I have AA. and lose to the flush. lol

 

[foldeamela]

luck is luck and complaints are complaints, improve tau game and luck will no longer matter so much, the same to the villains

 

[deputat777]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

If you manage to win, then you are doing everything right.

 

[glebchekotin]

we always remember losses longer than winnings, today is not your day and the another time u win with 4.5%

 

[skalibur]

lucky

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

I don't complain about luck when I play I complain about my way of playing certain hands Sometimes I see players betting and I pay to see if something comes from the turn or river then I don't lose hands so I shouldn't complain about luck, but I should have been waiting luck would help me

 

[leifen]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

That is the beauty of the game

 

[colino17]

Sometimes people just need to rant. Winning is sweet, but the sting of a bad beat is often more intense. For many people a rant about luck is like an aloe that soothes the burn. Strategically it's likely not the best action, but it may have some mental benefit.

 

[danoscar]

New to the group.

It never occurs to me to complain about someone else’s luck but others, even good players, spend so much energy making sure everyone knows that what just happened was luck. As if we aren’t all seeing the same hand! They don’t see all the hands I folded that they chose to play. They’re not admitting that they should have folded earlier when I foolishly signaled what I had. I am trying to just get used to it and let them complain as much as they want to. If I end up walking away with the cash then why should I care? But I do! Damn it. I’m not a natural for the trash talk.

Hello Eddie. Mute any player that chooses to be a nuisance to you, man. You should have that choice by right clicking that person's user name. They can talk to the wall. Your way to get back. Be a Captain America and throw up that invisible shield to mentally block that stuff. You can use that wherever you go in life. Hope this helps. I care too.

 

[rictor99]

I think when luck annoys poker players is when it hits in the final card of the river when your opponent should have folded, as in they chased a straight or flush even though you had the best hand at the flop, bet big, had the best hand at the next card, bet big again, and your opponent keeps calling rather than folding. 90% of the time, this is a mistake for your opponent to call, but every once in a while, people get lucky on the river by playing badly.

 

[maroca06]

The card game has to know how to play, but luck must always be together. All types of games depend on luck.