Streaks

[evilpie]

I"ll start with a little about myself. I got in to poker through TV and decided to study it to see if there was any chance of making some money on the side whilst being entertained in to the bargain. I"ve been playing for 4 months now and have recently started to show enough improvement to not have to top up my bankroll every day.

At first I would lose a lot but made sure that I noted where I"d gone wrong and not make the same mistakes again.

Anyway, recently I went on a bit of a run: 16th and 18th in the PStars 50K for $450 each, 1st in a BSQ 1075 player $10 for $2250 and then 3rd in the APAT World open all in the space of about 2 weeks.

I thought that I"d finally turned the corner and maybe become competent enough to not worry about losing my house through online poker . Since the APAT World Open though things have been on a downwards spiral and I"ve only cashed in a couple of events (both omaha, can"t win nlhe anymore).

I"m hoping that this losing streak will stop soon and I"ll be back to winning ways but when will it happen? I"ve not changed my game (I don"t think so anyway) so what"s going on?

I know that there"s no such thing as luck, only statistics and good / bad poker play so I understand that you can"t win "em all

What are other player"s thoughts on winning / losing streaks?

Do you think streaks actually exist or do they maybe just materialise because despite all your efforts you can"t help but change your game when you"re on a run of either the good or bad variety.

Look forward to hearing anyone"s thoughts and I"ll see you all in Cardiff.

Cheers

[kinboshi]

The problem with MTTs is variance.

You can play "perfect" poker, and not win - and that can happen for a long time.  The bigger the fields, the longer the losing streaks can be.

I play more cash than tournament poker, as I find the return is more stable.  Of course, the big tournament win is what we all want, and I guess that"s the big draw of MTTs.

As well as variance, you also have to make sure you continue to play your A-game.  It"s all too easy to let a string of bad results affect your play, which in turn means that the streak of bad luck becomes something much worse.  This is true in cash games as well as tournaments.

I like the 180-seater SNGs on PokerStars, as the field size isn"t too large and a solid game means you are likely to be in with a shout to cash the majority of times, and when the cards fall for you a final table or better.

[evilpie]

Thanks for the tip. I"ve just signed up for a 180 seat SNG on PStars. Can"t do anything else this new year"s eve cos I"ve got a stinking cold

Got to concentrate on not tilting. I"ll let you know how it goes.

Cheers

[kinboshi]

The other thing to remember is that I"m no expert!

[Preedmaster]

Must admit I mix my games up depending on mood and how I"m playing. The 180 tourns are good as its a good 3-4 hours and you can judge where you are by each break. 78-62 1ts break, 26-38 2nd and final table ish for 3rd. Cash games are a different way to play and you will soon find out where you are.

[evilpie]

Finished 49th. Not bad for my first one considering the terrible cards I got. (Or the terrible cards they obviously got the 2 times I hit hands)

Suits my tight style of play quite well as I found myself still in touch at the first break despite hardly playing a hand.

Thanks again for the tip. I"ll let you know if I manage to do any better in the next few.

[nosey-p]

Loosing streaks are part of the game. Do you play less or do you play more? Do you move down a level or do you move up a level?

Playing for four month and you think you are in a loosing streak because you have not cashed in the last two weeks. Try not cashing for eight month then ask yourself am I in a loosing streak?

It happens to us all at some stage, but wait while you have played a couple of years.

Good start to your poker life but you will have rocky times ahead.

Wayne

[Chelsea]

"As in many competetitive occupations, you can play very well for a while, believe that you have mastered the game, and then get subtly out of synch, and find that your results have deteriorated, even though you feel your playing as well as ever.

When that happens there"s no recourse but to be ruthlessly determined and objective until you put the puzzle back together again"

Dan Harrington on Hold'em Vol 1

[AMRN]

I find it be cyclic. My bankroll graph looks like a roller coaster with peaks and troughs.... BUT, the trick is to effectively manage the times when you"re on a downward streak and not go bust... and this is done through proper bankroll management. I will never risk more than 5% off my bankroll in a session, and no more than 10% in a day.    

There will be periods (days/weeks, or perhaps even months) when you feel invincible. You will hit every draw you go for, and will suckout when behind. Everyone will call you a fish, but you will play more and more hands cos you"re on a hot streak. The flipside occurs when you lose every draw, and when you get in with the best hand only to be sucked out on..... and like the hot streaks, this can sometimes last for several days/weeks/months.

The danger is that when you find yourself on a hot streak, you think you"ve made it and that you have cracked the game... this is not the case. The person who can claim to have cracked the game is the one who doesn"t go bust when on the downward spin!!

[deanp27]

i am a tournament player and the variance is tough, i definitely seem to go through streaks.
I also think this depends on your style of play also.

[APAT]

I have just added the first in a series of videos from CardRunners, looking at MTT strategy.  The first video looks at the early stages of a tournament and it is definitely worth several viewings.

The author has produced very strong results, winning the PokerStars Sunday Million amongst other major tournaments, during the last year.

http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.msg15103#msg15103

[GiMac]

I have just added the first in a series of videos from CardRunners, looking at MTT strategy.  The first video looks at the early stages of a tournament and it is definitely worth several viewings.

The author has produced very strong results, winning the PokerStars Sunday Million amongst other major tournaments, during the last year.

http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.msg15103#msg15103

I better watch it, if only so that i recognise the strategy when you all apply it in Cardiff.  ;-)

[kinboshi]

I have just added the first in a series of videos from CardRunners, looking at MTT strategy.  The first video looks at the early stages of a tournament and it is definitely worth several viewings.

The author has produced very strong results, winning the PokerStars Sunday Million amongst other major tournaments, during the last year.

http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.msg15103#msg15103

I better watch it, if only so that i recognise the strategy when you all apply it in Cardiff.  ;-)

LOL - how very true!  Same goes for the Harrington books.   There are lots who don"t agree with Harrington"s advice, but they should still read the books as they influence a lot of other people"s play!

[GiMac]

I have just added the first in a series of videos from CardRunners, looking at MTT strategy.  The first video looks at the early stages of a tournament and it is definitely worth several viewings.

The author has produced very strong results, winning the PokerStars Sunday Million amongst other major tournaments, during the last year.

http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.msg15103#msg15103

I better watch it, if only so that i recognise the strategy when you all apply it in Cardiff.  ;-)

LOL - how very true!  Same goes for the Harrington books.   There are lots who don"t agree with Harrington"s advice, but they should still read the books as they influence a lot of other people"s play!

Dan Harrington, the Steve Davis of poker.  

Or is Steve Davis now the Steve Davis of poker? hmmmmm.....

[jacklevel06]

I have just added the first in a series of videos from CardRunners, looking at MTT strategy.  The first video looks at the early stages of a tournament and it is definitely worth several viewings.

The author has produced very strong results, winning the PokerStars Sunday Million amongst other major tournaments, during the last year.

http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=951.msg15103#msg15103

I better watch it, if only so that i recognise the strategy when you all apply it in Cardiff.  ;-)

When do i ever have a strategy .