Joined: Jul '14
Location: Australia
Age: 29 (M)
Posts: 218
I've been a poker player for years, pretty much playing for scraps online. I've read the books, adjusted the strategy, read the players, played thousands of hands, but I'm not a winning player. It seems to me (although my opinion may be biased) that I get unlucky. I win 55-45 flips seemingly 25% of the time, get outflopped in set v set situations from pre flop all ins, seemingly never make straight or flush draws etc. I also make bad plays, turning small pots into big pots where I have the second best hand and need to fire 3 barrels in order to get my opponent to fold second pair (something they don't usually fold in penny stakes). I feel as if I were to play against better players, my bankroll would increase fairly dramatically, but I keep getting it in good and getting out drawn by someone holding Q9 v my AQ (board reads AQJ, final table of tounrmanent and I'm reasonably short stacked so i shove, the turn and river runs out two nines and I am forced to laugh to stop from crying). I've always wondered though, if I do have my head up my ass and have always been a bad player? My bankroll has fluctuated between $5 to $500 (really not a lot). Recently, I have been playing a bit more and have been hitting my draws and winning my flips playing on full tilt using BRM's full tilt bonus and have turned that into $45 (largely thanks to a second place tournament finish worth $28), but wondering if it is luck or im finally starting to see results. Anyone else think this way?
Joined: Mar '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 7371
It's really difficult to tell if you are a bad player or not. I always seem to be up and down like you and some weeks i can't lose but other weeks, playing exactly the same way i lose. This is why we love playing poker!!!
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Croatia
Age: 43 (M)
Posts: 1738
Dont get too used on seeing results unless u really made changes in your game that might have somehow improved it. If you are playing the same way you did when you were losing, the only changing factor here is luck mate.
Keep in mind I don't know how you play.. You might even make all the right actions at the right time but if results vary without you knowing why, then probably is just lady luck helping there a bit.
Joined: May '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 38 (M)
Posts: 2064
First of all, welcome to the forum tonespoker
I have to say, that it seems to me that you are not a bad player - just by reading your opening post. But one thing you are not (and can't be at the age of 19), is an experienced poker player. In time you will plug the holes in your game and slowly but surely, trickling losses will turn into moderate profits.. then hopefully on from then.
You are clearly willing to learn (reading books, and registering on here (your best move in your poker career to date ))
So just take it easy... don't get too down about the losses, don't get to happy about the wins. Just try and learn something new every time you sit at a table.
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 1042
hi, I do not think you're a bad player, maybe you should read a little more and try to make changes in your game, the rest is bad luck and that changes from one moment to another, I wish you well and that your luck changes .
thanks for letting me be part of this community and please excuse my English and my writing errors
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
the fact that you are willing to improve your game and invest in it not just but you time and try to get advice from books is a great sign- i'm sure you will crack it at some point. of course a lot depends what are you playing- if it's tournaments (especially the big field ones) than it is pretty normal to see no results in a long time and be a losing player for ages it seems, but 1-2 good results and you're back in green. just keep on improving and fixing the leaks in your games whenever you find some. good luck
Don't forget, that being a winning player is quite exceptional. Are you really a top 10% player in the stakes you are playing? Because that is about what it takes.
Beating you opponents is one thing, but you have to do it in an uphill battle, with rake severely hurting your returns...
I've seen plenty of knowledgeable players, that seem to analyse the game just fine, that are self-proclaimed losing players...
One thing to do is use some software like holdem manager, to see if you really are unlucky, or just feel like that. If your all-in EV graph is much higher than your net result, you are unlucky, and should be less inclined to blame your playing style. And when it's the other way around, you might be having good results with bad play...
Joined: May '13
Location: Mauritius
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 2688
Well it looks like you have studied the game enough but do not seem to make any progress so far. I think you over studied and maybe learn the wrong things as you assimilated too much info and you got the wrong basics, my advice is to re start everything from scratch and learn the basis again with an open mind. Maybe go with a stricter bankroll management like playing less tables so your bankroll does not swing that much and get tilted with the swings. Anyway good luck mate hope you get back on track!
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
It can be either one or both. It depends. No matter what though if you are a determined player dont let it get into you. You will have good days of course thats for sure. Check your play history to see what you can change.
Joined: Jul '14
Location: Australia
Age: 29 (M)
Posts: 218
Yeah so card dead for 99% of the tournament, I had pocket tens at least 5 times, lost every time two overcards on the flop, and lose to 66 after a flop shove of 338 and he turns a 6. FFFFFFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING
))
but you time and try to get advice from books is a great sign- i'm sure you will crack it at some point. of course a lot depends what are you playing- if it's tournaments (especially the big field ones) than it is pretty normal to see no results in a long time and be a losing player for ages it seems, but 1-2 good results and you're back in green. just keep on improving and fixing the leaks in your games whenever you find some. good luck
