First post - Handling bad card streaks

So I had $2000 to burn and wanted to learn to play hold'em. I've read and taken notes on HOH 1-3 and SSH, and also played around with writing my own THE simulators based on ideas in these books. I've played in 4 live $30 tournaments and 3 live $60 tournaments at local casinos here in Iowa as well as 7 $100 1/2 NL and 12 $3/6 LHE cash games ($100 buy-ins each time). Most of the cash games are loose with 4-9 players pre-flop (even when raised) and 4+ seeing the turn consistently. In the tournaments I've consistently placed in the top 20% of about 110 starting players, but never ITM.

Initially I made some bad plays and lost about $500 in cash games, took a break, and re-read the books. I went back and played some more cash games and lost $400 mostly to large pot bad beats (flopped Q set, lost to A set on the river; pocket K vs pocket A; flopped Q set, lost to gut-shot wheel draw; etc). Otherwise, I was winning hands and doing ok. I eventually got on a great card streak and won back around $500 over a few weeks and I was feeling good. Still down a bit money a bit, but confident in my play.

The last 4 sessions (each around 4-5 hours) I can't get good starting cards to save my life. According to my session logs I've been entering about 1-2 pots/hour with playable starting hands besides playing my blinds and an occasional cheap limp (~2-3/hour) with something like Q-Jo or medium SC's and folding when they don't hit. Even when I do raise pre-flop with hands like J-J or higher, A-K, A-Js, K-Qs somebody always shows down something better. During this time some of my blind hands have paid off so I'm only losing $20-50/session, but it's very frustrating. I still have around $300 to burn before I give up and only play an occasional $30 tournament for fun.

Anyway, my main question is how should I deal with an extended run of unplayable cards over many sessions,and is something that I should expect to deal with again over time? I understand that it's all cards, but how common is this?

I would appreciate any input....

it just sucks.

I notice that after I run really hot, I tend to create a downswing for myself because I get frustrated when I don't get the dream hands and good flops that I've been getting.

Then you get ahead of yourself, and just expect that every time you play you're going to make a profit.

I think it's just an acceptance of the fact that you can't win all the time and sometimes you just have to take your medicine. Only thing you can do in those situations is lose less. Tell yourself that losing less is the same as winning, although it feels so much shittier.

It's like trying to put the charm on girls. Something that I don't have much natural talent for, but I've worked hard at. I do a great job when I just meet a girl at a dance, or an exchange student who leaves in a couple of weeks, etc. and I kinda like her, but not that much, but she's pretty and we can have a good night together... in those situations I am very, very good. When there's a girl I REALLY like - I met one a couple of weeks ago and I just couldn't stop thinking about her - I lose all sense of timing and perceptiveness and just completely maul it. Kind of the same in poker; you have to open yourself to letting the money come to YOU, rather than you trying to force yourself to reach for IT.

You'd think after 2 years, and tons of upswings and downswings that I'd get this by now. But nope. Dropped 2k in the last few days after a nice heater and feeling frustrated again. GRRRRR

oh, that all assumes you're a better player than your opposition. if you lose because you're outmatched, then you need to improve your card playing skills first and then you can apply what I just said

This is why I only play online, far easier to analyse your play. You're also gonna see a hell of a lot more hands online, so it's easier to play tight disciplined play.