Losing confidence.

[F Paulsson]

(This is a slightly different take on a bad-beat story. Proceed with caution if these things bore you)

I'm struggling with a streak of losses that I've noticed are affecting my confidence. I just left a 6-person table where in 30 minutes, I got QQ 3 times, KK once and AKs once. I had some other decent hands as well. Got each of these hands busted.

I realize this happens. I know there are streaks of bad luck, I understand that just because I have the best hand pre-flop means diddly-squat about what happens once the community cards start falling and I don't have the cards to continue. It was made worse, though, by me actually (in each of the five cases) having the best hand even after the flop - but being outdrawn on the turn or the river. Two cases of gut-shot straights, one flush and two top pairs.

The reason I left the table wasn't because I was having a bad streak, necessarily. I have the bankroll to live through that, and I wasn't experiencing the typical sort of tilt that some people may go through at that point; chasing poor hands, desperate bluffing, etc. No, what I noticed was that I was losing confidence in my ability to win a hand - any hand. I got paranoid (beyond the level of paranoia that's healthy for a player) about my opponents hitting sets, two-pairs, straights, anything. I doubted raising, because I feared that they'd get what they were drawing for, and I'd lose again.

... and with that mind-set, I'm bound to lose even more money. I have to be able to play a hand when I'm ahead.

So now, a few hours later, my mind went into analytical mode, pondering what I did wrong. In turn, this is making me doubt my own capability of playing the game at all, despite the fact that my bankroll is steadily growing. Ironically, I'm starting to attribute my wins to luck, and my losses to bad play.

So I'm feeling grumpy. Anyone know any good jokes?

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

You're being too results-oriented, though you probably know that already. I actually used to put a small sticker over my $ display when I was playing limit ring just so I didn't know if I was up or down for the session and by how much, because it used to affect me quite significantly (I was quite the opposite to you in that I tried to chase back losses by loosening up - I was the "typical" guy you stated in your post).

The simple fact is, if you're getting money in with the best hand and being outdrawn, you're outplaying your opponents, so I don't see why a string of suckouts should leave you doubting your ability - if anything they should make you more confident in yourself in a warped way.

In the end poker is a game of the long-run. If you're winning over 30,000 hands, but you're losing in the session you've played 200 hands in, which set of results do you think provide the better reflection on your ability?

Edit!

Q: How did the wealthy rubber chicken cross the road?
A: In her Cadillac stretch limo.

 

[Grumbledook]

it may be a case of assessing how your playing as well

how long you been playing at the 6 max tables?

I have found I was far too tight and aggressive carried over from the successful play on the full ring tables.

I often found myself with AQ etc not knowing where I was in the hand facing a reraise on the turn not knowing what to do.

I loosened up preflop and started calling with these hands and others. Meant my hands were a lot less defined and I started playing the other guys more, rather than my cards. I suffered the same thing with KK AA etc JJ being the utter worst hand.

If you can hit the flop big due to the more aggressive nature of the short handed tables, you can often get some big pay offs. I really need to stop drawing so much, big pairs tend to win the day most the time, or well your opponents lack of one at times.

 

[nowhereland]

It is most definite that you have developed a complex and are now scared to play and poker at all. It seems to me that the main reason is not even the money... (if you lose $10 once you will probably live trough it) The reason you can't play is probably your fear to fail, not to live up to your own level of expectations.

To put it short and simple, I think that you just fuss about it too much. Remember, that it's like walking: you walk as long as you don't give thought to how you do it. Once you try to analize the way you walk, you instantly forget how to.

I believe that the best and easiest way to handle your fear is to take a short break from playing poker and wait till your confindence creeps up again. While you wait, tell yourself what a marvelous player you've always been and believe it too

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

Didn't notice it was 6-max too. Don't play 6-max if you can't handle the bigger swings that come with it - stick to full 9/10 person tables.

 

[XXIII]

Take a week off. I did that to go have fun and clear my head of everything poker. Then when I felt better about myself I played again.

I like tournaments so I joined a freeroll to see how I am doing or if I don't trust my confidence still. Well I finished the Freeroll in 1st and won over $100. So I know I am back in the game ... so to speak.

---------J O K E-----------
Vampire bat
A vampire bat came flapping in from the night covered in fresh blood and parked himself on the roof of the cave to get some sleep.

Pretty soon all the other bats smelled the blood and began hassling him about where he got it.

He told them to go away and let him get some sleep but they persisted until finally he gave in.

"OK, follow me" he said and flew out of the cave with hundreds of bats behind him.

Down through the valley they went, across a river and into a forest full of trees.

Finally he slowed down and all the other bats excitedly milled around him.

"Now, do you see that tree over there?" he asked.

"Yes, Yes, Yes!" the bats all screamed in a frenzy.

"Good" said the bat, "Because I sure as hell didn't!"

 

[Jackfivex]

Rough Times

I have went through a few rough spots.
On Friday night past, playing in a sitdown tournment with a bunch of friends where I am the most experienced player, I was gone really fast....
I was ready to blow a fuse but it happens, best thing to do is walk away for awhile until it is out of your mind and then give it another shot.
Will I be playing this Friday night, I'm going to want until Friday to decide!!!!

 

[F Paulsson]

Thanks for the jokes, XXIII and Dorkus.

I'll be back in the saddle soon enough. Like I said, this week didn't take a very big toll out of my bankroll anyway (I might even be a little bit ahead - go figure), so I must have been doing something right. And when it comes to the monster hole cards that all got knocked over last night, I've since decided that I should be proud of the fact that I could lay them down when I knew they were beat, and I also compliment myself on the fact that I could recognize my oddish tilt and leave the table before it did any major harm.

Tonight, I'm going to kick some serious butt at the tables. Beware.

 

[bigjace]

Been there many times F.Best advice i can give is analyze your play and if you've played it right then take a couple of days off and recharge the batteries,if you've played it all wrong then fix it and get back in the game asap.Sounds to me that its just a blip and one of them things that happen.
:idea:
2men are flying to a remote island off the African coast to do some goldmining when the captain makes an announcement.
Ladies and Gentlemen we are are now cruising at 20 000 feet and will arrive in about an hour.
one of the men turns to his friend and shouts this information into his ear as he's completely deaf
40 mins later the captain announces Ladies and Gentlemen we will shortly be arriving in bongoland where the weather is 100degrees and the sun is shining,please fasten your seatbelts for the approach.
again the man turns to his deaf friend and screams the captains instructions into his ear.
finally the plane lands and pulls to a halt and the captain announces,welcome to our island and for those of you visiting for the 1st time please listen to this warning.Our country is very poor and riddled with disease,50% of the population have TB and the other 50% are hiv positive.Please be careful and treat the population with respect,have a nice stay.
The deaf man is pulling on his friends sleeve demanding to know whats going on when he shouts in his ear
IF IT DOESN'T COUGH DON'T F**K IT!:icon_thum :icon_thum

 

[F Paulsson]

:laugh:

 

[F Paulsson]

I'm learning how to handle this now, I think. I had another fairly awful streak of losses tonight, but I feel pretty alright about it.

Look, if you're in a flop with [6c][2c] and the flop comes [8h][9c][Qd] and you decide to call a raise and a reraise (I flopped the straight), then please, stay at my table.

That the poker gods decided to reward him with a runner-runner flush (which he bet and reraised on the turn, no less!), is apparently their crooked sense of humor showing.

I'm just being patient now. The above hand is really worth a chuckle, not a curse.