ITH Poker Forum

[Llanlad]

Hi all

How do you deal with a really bad start to a session ... its something ive never been able to deal with that well ..

Ive just had a horrid opening 40 minutes .. I sat down full of confidence ... been playing well and showing good profit for the month so far ..

But in that 40 mins .. I hit my first 2 flush draws in 4k hands and they both lost ! , I lost to four flopped sets when i had top 2 pair in all four of them !! ( 3 of the sets where with 22 )

I also had to split a pot with a nut straight on the turn when a river 3 outer came in !

I did not win a single hand at showdown ... and im sitting here looking at my 6 tables and wanting to have a break allready ..

Im down nearly 2 buy ins ... and cant quite believe it

Ive taken some steps with dealing with poker varaince like no chatting and even removed other players chat ... basically so i dont get involved and concentrate on playing poker ...

Im feeling fine ... but i feel if i carry on on these tables ... i will possibly tilt ....so i will end the session ... even though i feel like playing ..

How on earth can you just ignore such a bad start to a session of poker ?

[Fumseck]

I did not win a single hand at showdown ... and im sitting here looking at my 6 tables and wanting to have a break allready ..

Take a break. Drink some water, take a walk, do something else. Come back in 15-30 minutes. Start your new session like nothing had happened. Don't play catch up. Don't try to get back to break even. Play good poker.

Variance is a bitch. But it's what makes us profitable in the long run. If it wasn't for variance, there would be no fish left to catch.

[Llanlad]

Take a break. Drink some water, take a walk, do something else. Come back in 15-30 minutes. Start your new session like nothing had happened. Don't play catch up. Don't try to get back to break even. Play good poker.

Well this is what i did next ... and all my problems can be seen in just this one session ...

I sit down .. feeling good again ... I open up a load of tables, start up PT and PAHD .. start sitting down on a few tables ..

After a few mins i start to highlight my current session tables in PT and see how im doing after 20 hands

I have the chat option open ... even though i said i would close it .. and after a while i get JJ in EP and do the standard raise ..i get one caller and the shortish stack in SB pushes ...

There is no way this player is trying to squeeze me but im wondering if i should call because im not sure what other caller might do ..but i call anyway .

Other caller folds and to my relief SB shows TT, the relief is shortlived because he hits and T on the turn and river to hit quads !!

Im not overally happy .. but then again this stuff happens ... but what is annoying me is the fact he did not apologies ... not a word after getting very lucky ... this has got me steaming a little ..

20 mins later i have AKc and a tight player i have postion on raises .. ewww .. this guy dont raise that much ... and i dont really want to reraise him here .. so i call ..

The flop is A83 rainbow .. and he puts in a smallish bet , I raise to see where im at here ... he flat calls ..

The turn is the Qc giving me a nut flush draw ... now i dont like this card at all ... i think he either had KK or QQ , maybe AQ at a push ... but whatever .. its a bad card for me ..

He fires out a decent bet, which kinda confirms his hand .. i flat call hoping to hit my flush which would be well disguised if i hit ..

The river is a blank and he pushes all in ...I just have to fold the AK and im steaming some more ... even worse when he does the " LOL " factor when i tell him i had yet another flush draw go begging .... his response makes me steam even more !

In the meantime im allways updating my hands on PT and have the session window open so i can see how im doing in the session ..

Im steaming even more when i see after the AKc hand im down over yet another buy in for the session ..

I also see my VPIP is slightly down .. which annoys me some more ... does this mean im playing crap or just getting crap cards ... nevertheless .. it makes me steam some more ..

I manage to keep my control and gain back over half of the loss without much really happening ...

But all that matters is im down half a buy in and can only remember the JJ and KAc hand ... which makes me steam just a little more ..

Now then people .... is it any wonder i can only play for 90 mins at a time ?

I think im making myself clear here ... and to be honest .. thats just the way i am ... Im well known for flying off the handle from time to time ..... my patience threshold is less than most people !

I hate it .. i really do .... and im trying my damnness to stop it happening ...Ive said it before .. but ill say it again ... i will switch off the current session in PT so i dont know how im doing or playing ... I will defo switch off the chat option so i cant start to steam after someones silly comment ...

Ive today put a load of fruit and water in the office to eat whilst im playing ... and will sit out for a few mins if i start to wobble again ... but i will not leave the tables !

Honestly you guys ... have no idea what its like being me

[Llanlad]

This is all very therapeutic ..

Granted im my own worst enemy at times ... but i know my downfalls and can remedy them eventually ... as long as i dont go mad in the meantime .

I played today ... felt good .. but was determined to improve on my last fiasco ..

To start with ... there was no session screen up on PT ... so i did not know how much i was up or down or how i was playing ... it is irrelevant at the moment .

I even had the chatbox closed

Things started off a little badly .. knew i was down .. but did not matter ...

Actually flopped a flush with T8d but ran into K9d

But old habits ...... i tempted someone into a river bet when i pressumed they had a busted flush draw ... he did no oblige ... but i told him what i had done afterwoods ..

Then as soon as the chatbox was opened ... i did not stop talking for the next 45 mins

Im easily distracted .. .. i will try again tonight .

[theOMEGAN]

Depending on the limit you are sitting at? the lower the limit the poored the quality of play. I just forgive those players for there poor choice of starting hands and the lack of reading a well presented image and style.
Then move on. Never go off on them for you only confirm to them they made the right play.

[NoPepperJack]

It is hard not to steam, but it never helps. Maybe trying something different.... fewer tables, go to a SNG, different site.....