Online Poker Is Rigged
After a uber successful tear through the micro-limits on Full Tilt and PokerStars, I've started to cool down.
I had run my FT bankroll up from $10 to about $140 in a matter of weeks, and was feeling damn good about myself.
I also had a monster run at some live poker, running the table (with BadgerBucco) at a home game in Minneapolis, and then taking my bi-monthly game here in Wisconsin for almost every penny on the table.
So. Yes. I was running hot. Extremely hot. Full-of-myself hot. I-can-do-no-wrong hot. I-will-push-preflop-with-the-hammer-and-win hot.
Now? Not so much.
I've dropped over $20 tonight on FT, for example. Big money in my micro playing world. My coin flips are flipping the other way, my rivered straights are getting beat by rivered flushes, top two pair getting beat by a set, etc.
I'm not bitching, whining, or letting my gash go unstitched. I owe no one a dollar.
It's just interesting to watch how things can swing back and forth. You think that you're bullet-proof on the felt one day, then the next, someone slips some kryptonite in your back pocket and suddenly you're looking at your own blood.
Granted, I'm still way up from when I withdrew all of my mad cash when the "douchebag" law passed, but it doesn't make this anti-run any more fun.
Here's my question for anyone that still reads this here pitiful excuse for a blog:
What do you do when you start running bad?
I've thought of three things I can do:
1. Play through it without tilting off my bankroll.
2. Switch from cash games to SnGs for awhile and see if there is any sort of turnaround.
3. Stop playing altogether for awhile to get some perspective.
I'd love to hear what anyone else is doing/has done when these bad streaks occur.
I had run my FT bankroll up from $10 to about $140 in a matter of weeks, and was feeling damn good about myself.
I also had a monster run at some live poker, running the table (with BadgerBucco) at a home game in Minneapolis, and then taking my bi-monthly game here in Wisconsin for almost every penny on the table.
So. Yes. I was running hot. Extremely hot. Full-of-myself hot. I-can-do-no-wrong hot. I-will-push-preflop-with-the-hammer-and-win hot.
Now? Not so much.
I've dropped over $20 tonight on FT, for example. Big money in my micro playing world. My coin flips are flipping the other way, my rivered straights are getting beat by rivered flushes, top two pair getting beat by a set, etc.
I'm not bitching, whining, or letting my gash go unstitched. I owe no one a dollar.
It's just interesting to watch how things can swing back and forth. You think that you're bullet-proof on the felt one day, then the next, someone slips some kryptonite in your back pocket and suddenly you're looking at your own blood.
Granted, I'm still way up from when I withdrew all of my mad cash when the "douchebag" law passed, but it doesn't make this anti-run any more fun.
Here's my question for anyone that still reads this here pitiful excuse for a blog:
What do you do when you start running bad?
I've thought of three things I can do:
1. Play through it without tilting off my bankroll.
2. Switch from cash games to SnGs for awhile and see if there is any sort of turnaround.
3. Stop playing altogether for awhile to get some perspective.
I'd love to hear what anyone else is doing/has done when these bad streaks occur.
Labels: Losing Poker
posted by Heavy Critters at 5:23 PM
5 Comments:
Normally, I jump up two levels in stakes then lose the entire bankroll. It doesn't seem to work well for me, but it might work well for you.
1) I play thru it, but change the game I'm playing
2) I only play SnGs if I'm bored, and seem to do well at the PLO8 ones
3) Taken breaks, neccessary if you're winning as well
Here's two quick ideas: (1) change your game to limit hold'em for a while. It will improve your NL game.
(2) when you start a session, if you feel like luck is not with you after a few hands, stop playing for the night. I know this sounds odd, but sometimes, you can just feel when you are going in as an underdog, so pay attention to those feelings.
Excellent post. When you are running hot you feel you can whip the world and when variance hits you wonder if you will ever win another hand.
Here is what I do.
1. Take a day off. Read some Sklansky, Harrington or Gordon, or just divorce myself entirely from poker.
2. Play a .60 cent SitNGo at Absolute Poker and Donk my chips away with outrageous play just to break the stress.
3. Remind myself to play MY game, tight aggressive poker. I tell myself that good hands will lose but if I continue to play my game I will win in the long run and that I am a good poker player and not just lucky.
Thise 3 things always seem to help me turn things around. I also put a stop limit on the amount I can lose in any one session or day and when I reach that limit, click, I exit the games.
Good luck. Let us know how you come out of this mini-spiral.
Thanks, guys. I have taken 24 hours off, and already my nuts are itching to play.
guru- email me. sorry I've been out of touch.
Drizz- The SnG's have been 50/50, but therapeutic.
Jordan- I actually never thought of playing limit. I think I'm going to try it this weekend. I hate limit, but see your point.
Wolfie- I have taken a day off and reflected. Funny enough, I started playing some dime and dollar MTT's just to blow off some steam and see how deep I could go.
I did g00t.
All- Thanks for the chin-up. Last night I got back over the $100 mark, but much work is left to be done.
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