Help... hellacious July

At the risk of sounding like an incredible whiner, I'm asking for help, mainly to get my head back to a safe place. I feel like I can't even think any more. I'm wondering if this type of losing streak is to be expected, if others have gone through as bad, and what can be done to pull out of it.

Here are my monthly PT stats at 25NL for this year, starting Feb. when I bought PT:

(month, winnings, hands played, BB/100)

Feb. $600 25K 4.86
Mar. $440 20K 4.35
Apr. $665 21K 6.38
May $429 38K 3.33
Jun. $678 28K 4.81
Jul. -$392 7600 -10.25

Aren't those July stats way outside of statistical probability. I honestly don't think I've changed my game at all, though I will admit there is a certain amount of tilt going on. But also lots of full stack hands of AA getting cracked by sets, straights on the river... more of these than usual. Or I get KK all in pre vs. AA.

I'm not even sure what I'm asking here. Just how do you get out of this? I've had bad days where I've lost 4 buyins, but just shrug that off mostly and say, hey, I'm a better player, it will all come back eventually.

But 4 days in a row of that? Makes no sense, just feels like a nightmare. Any help?

You play at Stars, right? Pretty sure I've seen you @ some of my 25NL tables in the past. Anyways, assuming you do play on Stars, 1 reason could be the whole double VPP week, which seems to have made the majority of games tighter (regs grinding more hands & clogging up more tables, etc.).

Move up or learn 6 max if you haven't already.

Yes, I'm on Stars. I think it's right what you are saying about more tight regs. But I generally play tight against them and normally don't get beat bad, although this week I was felted several twice with KK vs. tight players when I flopped sets.

Actually, a lot of the beats I'm taking are from the real donks who call raises with 75o and hit the straight on the river. I should love these players, but lately they have been just killing me.

The one good thing for the week is the VPPs. I'm already half way to GoldStar for the month.

Like this one from this morning. Villain had exactly what I hoped he did, until the river. Just bad luck, but I've taken so many beats like this in this week I've lost count long ago.

Bright side: my BB/100 for July is up to -9.14.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (8 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($39.90)
MP1 ($30.85)
MP2 ($29.15)
CO ($25)
Button ($23.90)
SB ($24.75)
BB ($7.75)
UTG ($25)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 5, 5.
1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, 2 folds, CO raises to $1.25, 3 folds, Hero calls $1.

Flop: ($2.85) J, 8, 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $1.5, Hero calls $1.50.

Turn: ($5.85) J (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $4.5, Hero raises to $9, CO calls $4.50.

River: ($23.85) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $6, CO raises to $12.75, Hero calls $6.75.

Final Pot: $49.35

Results in white below:
Hero has 5d 5c (full house, fives full of jacks).
CO has Qd Qs (full house, queens full of jacks).
Outcome: CO wins $49.35.

that sucks, but as we all know it happens. Only thing I see would be to play the set faster on flop and turn. Raise flop and shove turn. the baby raise on the turn just seems to much of a slow play and sure, his two outer is rarely going to come, but get the moneys in!

You answered your own question, when you said, "I'm tilting..."

Being a long-term winner in this game is NOT about how you play (X) cards... it's about how you react to what happens before, during, and after you play (X) cards. Obviously, understanding basic strategic principles are mandatory, but right now, you should be focusing on your mental and emotional control during these losing days.

LESS TILTING should be your primary focus, no matter what your stats say.

I'm pretty decently tuned to tilt signals, so I've been good at taking an hour or two off when I tilt. I'd say my losses over this time are maybe 10% tiltish. The rest are maybe 60% tough beats on close hands (like my overpair pocket JJ loses to pocket QQ) and 30% nasty beats similar to what I've posted (and those tend to be the huge pots) that have been piling on.

Just finished a short 1 hr. session ahead just over one buyin.

BB/100 = -7.92
going in the right direction....

The latest. I had just gotten stacked when I got my pocket AA all in preflop vs. pocket KK. Flop came KQx and I knew I was dead. $60 pot.

This hand came about 2 minutes later. I may have misplayed it, but I don't really think so... let me know if you think so. (villain 32/0 over only 34 hands)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP2 ($15)
Hero ($25.70)
CO ($5.55)
Button ($26.05)
SB ($18.05)
BB ($24.10)
UTG ($10.60)
UTG+1 ($24.30)
MP1 ($23.90)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Q, K. MP2 posts a blind of $0.25.
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP2 (poster) checks, Hero raises to $1.5, CO calls $1.50, 3 folds, UTG calls $1.25, MP2 folds.

Flop: ($5.10) Q, 7, 2 (3 players)
UTG bets $3, Hero raises to $6, CO folds, UTG calls $3.

Turn: ($17.10) 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $18.2 (All-In), UTG calls $3.10 (All-In).

River: ($38.40) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $23.30

Results in white below:
UTG has 7h 8h (two pair, eights and sevens).
Hero has Qd Kh (one pair, queens).
Outcome: UTG wins $23.30.

Quit minraising, just put him AI on the flop. But yeah that seems pretty standard against that that villain with a 40BB stack.

i am not so much a NL player right now, so i can only tell you about what has happened to me before. i cant comment on the specific RIVERS that have beaten you. (both times you were AI before river card...dont worry about those)

heres the point. you asked if this has happened to anyone before? i cant believe we ALL havent answered "yes." anyone that has played for a few years has hit random stretches like this. but, like socal said, its about your REACTION, not about the hands. some things i have done to rectify suddenly pissing off the poker gods...

- post in the bad beat forum for awhile.
- play a different discipline of poker (ie stud8, PLO, LHE, 6max)
- DROP a limit for a short while
- call family on the phone and bitch about poker
- contemplate quitting poker altogether
- READ my arse off about poker
- play more tables
- short-stack
- play less tables
- play for PLAY money
- watch vids

you see the point. you can do whatever you want/need to do to keep some of your sanity. we all lose some self-control during these times. these arent all good suggestions, btw. but, they are all things i've done.

bottom line: realize that this is a GOOD thing in your poker "lifespan." this will teach you what works and what doesnt work in dealing with this type of cooler. it will help you find leaks you have...and dont have. it will help you learn more about poker than a heater will. it will humble you in case you were starting to think "i love poker. i never lose over any 30 day stretch."

believe me, you NEED this education right now because if you continue to play poker, you WILL go through something like this again. its inevitable.

just make sure you use this month as a learning experience to make the next time even shorter.

sample size.

I've started to level off a bit. Still down 13.5 buyins for July over 12K hands, but BB/100 is up to 5.55.

lol

Was running slightly positive for today, until I got my pocket aces. One caller in big blind. Flop 234, turn a blank, I value bet each street. River an ace, he bet out and I raised. He had 55.