Analyze Yourself...

[liladypokerpro]

I have noticed a lot of people have mentioned that they are going through long slumps in their game, with seemingly no end in sight.

Here are my questions to anyone who has been victim of a long-running slump:

What have you done or tried in order to change the results?
Do you honestly believe that it is just a run of bad luck?
Have you altered your playing style in order to get different results?

The poll for this thread is in reference to the last question; the reason for this is I am interested to see if you think after analyzing yourself if perhaps the slumps have been brought on simply by bad luck or bad decision making.

[PointerJake]

I think poker in most aspects is very situational, therefor the different situations require different reactions. I try and change my play based on the many different situations in poker. Most of the time this works, but sometimes it doesnt. Your never gonna win them all. I think the main thing especially when in a slump is to remember that the only way to be profitable in poker is to minimize the losses, and capitalize on the wins.

[Vito_Nuccio]

We all need to learn and adapt throughout our poker lives, but I do not change my style just because I am in a losing slump. I play the same style that has consistantly pumped up my account. It stinks when it seems like all you can do is lose and the suckouts are raining down but if you alter from your style too far when slumping you may be really asking for trouble and a longer ride down to the gallows.

If you seem to always be in a slump or they come more often then you think, then maybe a style adjustment is warranted, but if you keep the account going by cashing on a consistant basis, keep playing your game during the down times, it will turn around.

[frob23]

I'm currently in a slump myself, online at least. I am down just about $50.00. That might not seem like much for most people but when you're playing micro... it hurts. I also have loaned a bunch of my bankroll to a friend... which adds to the psychological feeling of being down a whole lot. Instead of my normal $300 when I check my balance, it's $140 something.

As it is, I am not changing anything. I'm carefully looking at the hands where I lost money as well as some where I think I should have made more... trying to see if I am making mistakes or have changed my play. Nothing major sticks out. Two of my biggest losses were when someone had a set of Qs to my over-pair... that happened twice within 200 hands... and a third time where someone flopped the nut straight and I hit a set of Aces. Those hands hurt... and amount to almost 25% of my losses at this time... but it's generally been a bad run of cards for me.

This happens and it will pick up again. I am trying to not be too worried about it and to play within my bankroll and to the normal standard I usually play. I've also gone back to limit... for most of my play time... because I am both more confident in my limit abilities and I know the beats will not be for as much.

[Fictive]

Some time back I had slump that went on for about a month and a half, lost around $1200 in that time. Now, I probably would have not lost quite so much, but during a few sessions I kinda "semi-tilted" and shoved all-in with drawing hands and never got there.

For the most part, I just got sucked out on a whole lot. I'm not saying I didn't make bad plays, everyone does, but I did get sucked out on insanely much, and found myself losing constantly with the best hand pre-flop/flop and often on the turn too.

I didn't do anything to change my game, because most often my plays were correct, but I got sucked out on. It was really difficult at times, so I finally decided to take a week off from poker. After that, my slump did go on for a while longer, but then it started shifting. Funny thing though, it seems that always after a slump you end up on a hot streak, catch cards and your opponents pay up with their second best hands.

[liladypokerpro]

I hear ya the suckouts can drive anybody crazy...especially when you are making all the correct moves and choices...that is one of the times when it really is just the bad luck of the draw.

[Latrocinium]

I have been on an upswing as of recent, but that was after a long losing streak.
I'm talking entire tournaments, not even getting a hand to call with. Now that's just bad cards! lol.

However, you should be able to pick up a few pots here and there, until eventually your cards come, but on a lag table. This might not happen. :`(

I found that as my bad beats & non ability to call complete crap or just chase a double gut shot or maybe a 3 flush. My confidence wained, and as a result. I started to miss those little pots, that make up all the difference.

So I re-read the theory of poker. Buckled down with a nice fatty, and forced myself to play what I knew was good poker.

If you analyze the suckouts. I've usually found there was a move that I could have done. That would have forced them off, before they caught thier king on the turn, etc., etc., etc. But alas sometimes they just happen. So you have to be aware, and if you think you might be party to a suck out. Remember you can just call on the river. You don't have to raise, if you think you might be beat.(Unless ofcourse you think they're completely weak, then all in. wahahahaha)

GL, and thanks 4 the thread.

[ungarstu132]

Originally Posted by Latrocinium I have been on an upswing as of recent, but that was after a long losing streak. I'm talking entire tournaments, not even getting a hand to call with. Now that's just bad cards! lol. However, you should be able to pick up a few pots here and there, until eventually your cards come, but on a lag table. This might not happen. :`( I found that as my bad beats & non ability to call complete crap or just chase a double gut shot or maybe a 3 flush. My confidence wained, and as a result. I started to miss those little pots, that make up all the difference. So I re-read the theory of poker. Buckled down with a nice fatty, and forced myself to play what I knew was good poker. If you analyze the suckouts. I've usually found there was a move that I could have done. That would have forced them off, before they caught thier king on the turn, etc., etc., etc. But alas sometimes they just happen. So you have to be aware, and if you think you might be party to a suck out. Remember you can just call on the river. You don't have to raise, if you think you might be beat.(Unless ofcourse you think they're completely weak, then all in. wahahahaha) GL, and thanks 4 the thread.

more times than not, there is a way that you could have won a hand, where you lost to a bad beat.

in this case, if i would have bet the flop, most likely i would have pushed out the 44 and i woulda have won the hand

[ZZZZZZZZZ]

First thing you need to consider during a slump, is whether or not it is actaully a slump, or if you are a losing player, in which case it is just the results that should happen. Everyone goes on huge downswings, but if you are a winning player you should not change your stratagy when you are losing. Also slumps tend to feed on themselves say you lose 10 buy ins on a slump bad luck, but then you lose 2 more cause of steaming or bad play, you will now out of pride tend to call the whole thing a slump, even though only 5/6 was a slump and 1/6 was you playing bad. For example in SNGS if you have a 10% ROI which is very good and you do what i stated above, now in theory it will take you 20 extra SNGs to get out of the"slump" because of your bad play. You should always be fine tuniong your game and adjusting to the players, but NEVER BE RESULTS ORIENTED. Play your best should always be your goal, and the money will follow, if you can't do that get up and wait until you can, thats the beuty of online poker it is alwys there, unless you are american, and the govermnet tells you what you can do with your hard earned money in certain states. I included a picture of my last semester play to see i go on runs of 500 games without winning, but in the long run it all evens out.

[ZZZZZZZZZ]

1) Take pride in you game, NEVER TILT.

2) analysize you hands after the fact and don't be afriad to admit is was your fault. Most peopel just try to say it was a bad beat or make post fact justifications for there play that they did not consider at the time.

3) always use proper bankroll managment and the you should never be in a situation where you need to worry too much. unless you are in fact a losing player in which case no bank roll is too big.

4) Dont lie to yourself and others, if you are a losing player admit it and try to get better, there is no shame in being bad at something you enjoy, but you will not get better until you admit you are not a inner and try to improve.

5) Never play with money you can't afford to lose, maybe this should be #1.

[liladypokerpro]

Myself, I've had only 1 bad slump, and it was back when I first started playing online and hadn't quite gotten used to the change from live to online play. It lasted for about 2 months...

I have since learned to be wiser and to make better choices, and to make use of discipline and will power...and from that lesson learned, I have not had another slump.

From expensive lessons, come great wisdom, IF we are wise enough to be open to learn from our mistakes.

[TheyNeverLearn]

yes I have to alter my play a lot still because I am still really trying to get the hang of the online thing but the good news is I got second place in a single table game today on full tilt thanks to my birthday present thank you lady