Disheartened

[Nevah play JJ]

Hi all..

I just wanted to have a bit of a sook and find out if others have ever felt this way before.

I have always thought I was a player that was not big headed or boastful about my game or positions on the ladder (others might disagree), even though I kindasortainaroundaboutway thought "yeah ok.. maybe I am an okish player that could show potential", so maybe that is being full of myself?

However on a personal level this season has been just terrible and I am feeling gutted.

I have not made points in maybe the last 6 games, final table? forget about it.. I am not sure if I am playing bad cards, have become predictable or maybe I was just extremely lucky all the other times I played? Maybe it is a matter of playing too much??

The sad part is I love poker and 888PL so much, if it was up to me, I would eat, sleep, breathe it...

But has anyone else on the forum felt like this? Just so disheartened they are unsure about how to fix what seems to be broken?

Sorry if this seems self pitying, maybe it is, but I am kinda hoping someone else might have the answer or at least some understanding.

[Nathan Butler]

Everybody runs bad from time to time... some people even loose their form but as we all do, you'll bounce back! Remember, only half way through the season at the moment and you have plenty of time to land some big scores.

[AceLosesKing]

Hi all..

I just wanted to have a bit of a sook and find out if others have ever felt this way before.

I have always thought I was a player that was not big headed or boastful about my game or positions on the ladder (others might disagree), even though I kindasortainaroundaboutway thought "yeah ok.. maybe I am an okish player that could show potential", so maybe that is being full of myself?

However on a personal level this season has been just terrible and I am feeling gutted.

I have not made points in maybe the last 6 games, final table? forget about it.. I am not sure if I am playing bad cards, have become predictable or maybe I was just extremely lucky all the other times I played? Maybe it is a matter of playing too much??

The sad part is I love poker and 888PL so much, if it was up to me, I would eat, sleep, breathe it...

But has anyone else on the forum felt like this? Just so disheartened they are unsure about how to fix what seems to be broken?

Sorry if this seems self pitying, maybe it is, but I am kinda hoping someone else might have the answer or at least some understanding.

Hey Caroline.

I had a similar situation last season. I played, on average, 3 games a week and did not make a final table for 3 months. I didn't play serious in all the games, true, but I would've given it a crack at least 70% of the time I think. Something like that.

Anyway, after my good finishes in previous NPL season (2nd, 2nd, 1st on the BG leaderboard) I came to think that I *should* be doing better than my results (I would struggle to make points as well). Which definitely disenheartened me for a while. There were times when I questioned my play as well.

At the time I understood the impact of variance (great article explaining the term and what it means here). Simply put, there are times when, as a poker player, you will "run good" and "run bad." You'll keep missing your straight draws, and constantly lose to two outers. It seems like the entire deck is against you and no matter what you do, you can't put a foot (or hand ) right. Then you have the good nights. When you just *know* you're going to keep winning, no matter what. You're hitting every draw, and picking up Aces like they're a commodity. You can't seem to lose.

The two situations go hand in hand.

So how did I get out of my funk? I knew at the time that I was making the right moves and just getting unlucky - yet I still questioned myself. Every poker player will. Don't worry about that. All you can do is concentrate on your own game, and not worry about results. I know its hard at times, but keep pushing forward and focusing on the next game. If you're feeling burned out, take a break from 888pl for a few weeks - but don't expect to crush your first game

It'll turn around soon, trust me.

[krunchie]

well said boys

JJ be rest asured we all feel like this and we all go through bad patches.

There is a clasic video on U tube by Gus hansen on this topic but on a much larger level when he lost a Million bucks over a period of time but then won 2million over a weekend when he got his grove back.

Be patient, and just practice getting the individual hands played correctly rather than worring about the positon you finish.
This way you will come back even stronger and when you luck turns it will turn in big way.

[bennymacca]

But has anyone else on the forum felt like this? Just so disheartened they are unsure about how to fix what seems to be broken?

caroline if you HAVENT felt like this, then i dont think you take your game seriously enough.

trust me, i am feeling that way right now

live, i havent made points in 4 weeks, online i havent had a good score in the freerolls for a couple of weeks. last night i got 4 outered AGAIN, this time second hand of the tourney.


the first thing i would recommend is to go over in your head the big hands from the night.

i.e the one you lost that big pot on, or the one you got knocked out on.

could you have played those hands any differently? if you knew what your opponent had at the time, would you still have played the same way? be brutally honest about the way you have played in the night.

if you come to the conclusion that you would have played the same way again, then this is a good thing. it just means you are getting unlucky, and hopefully your luck will turn around soon.

if you find you that you could have played a couple of hands differently, then this gives you something to work on to improve your game.

i think its great that you are annoyed at a form slump, it shows you want to improve your game


edit: krunchie said pretty much the same thing

[trishan]

Caroline believe me everyone goes through these periods.

Two weeks ago I went through a rough patch. I kept getting sucked out on, couldn't capitalise on good hands (people will call with any picture card to 5x BB raise and get lucky). Nothing goes right and you get frustrated and then this frustration leads to a drop in your game and it's a vicious cycle.

During this time I really questioned my game and thought maybe I am just not good enough. I sat down and had a look at how I played key hands for many of my games and most of the time found that I just got unlucky. I lost coing flips etc.

The next week though I did really well and I started winning coin flips and running deep in games.

As AK and benny the cunt and others have said, it's all about variance. Sometimes you run good and sometimes you run bad and you just have to accept that. The key is not to get down when you're down. Keep a positive attitude and so long as you make the right decision when you play a hand, don't let losing worry you.

Remember that when you get your money in good, whether you win or lose the pot, you're a winner and you'll be a winner in the long run.

[AJG]

Previous 3 NPL seasons: top 10, top 5, top 5. (I only play the one venue now)
Last season made 5 FTs and finished 5th in the FTT tourney and got a bounty for a sweet $280 for an arvo of poker at a local with (mostly) friends...
THIS season.... last night was the first night i hit the points, not even CLOSE any other game...

caroline if you HAVENT felt like this, then i dont think you take your game seriously enough.

This.

Infact, its times like these that you can actually come out the other side of a better player...
Chin up!

[muzzington]

It's a good thing you're taking it to heart. Shows you have the passion for the game and a will to get better.

Every player would fall into a similar trough, but if they didn't, the peaks wouldn't be nearly as satisfying.

[Nevah play JJ]

WOW...
Thanks everyone for what you have said.
I love this forum!!! So many that want to help, it is really touching.

I will absolutely take on what has been suggested.
I must confess I have skimmed this and will be printing it out, because I believe there are some VERY important thoughts in there that will help when I do hit these slumps.

For the record, I do try really hard to improve and do well with my game. Maybe it is pub poker, but for personal reasons it is more to me than that.

It also sounds dumb to say, but with most of life being a bit more difficult for someone like me to cope with, the one thing I had to help me through most days was my results and my love of poker and 888pl.

It was definately a HUGE help last night having a chat with AK. As you suggested he did go over a particular hand with me and yep.. I played it terribly (don't laugh but it did involve pocket Jacks.. LOL).

Also as has been suggested I have put one night a week aside just to get down and love the company I am with. Thursday nights is what has managed to get me through most bad days. No doubt Matt Porter will attest to the fact that we laugh so much at that venue sometimes the game gets in the way.. lol

Krunchie, I will definately look for that video on Utube. Thankyou for the suggestion.

Thankyou to you Nathan, ALK, benny the cunt, Trishan and AJG, the time you took to write this is so very much appreciated.

[AceLosesKing]

It was definately a HUGE help last night having a chat with AK. As you suggested he did go over a particular hand with me and yep.. I played it terribly (don't laugh but it did involve pocket Jacks.. LOL).

No worries, I was happy to help

Krunchie, I will definately look for that video on Utube. Thankyou for the suggestion.

Here it is Caroline.

Thankyou to you Nathan, ALK, benny the cunt, Trishan and AJG, the time you took to write this is so very much appreciated.

Awwwwww.