Getting out of the rut

[Jesse K]

Warning: This post is a little on the longer side, beware.

I'm the typical story of about everyone on the site. I started off and lost money. I knew nothing about poker except a flush beats a straight. It ended up some guy I work with lived in Atlantic City (until his divorce) and now plays online for a living. He worked 2 days a week at my job just for some spending cash. He eventually wrote out a few sheets on how the game should be played and gave me "winning low limit holdem" by Lee Jones and a Slansky book.

I was 17 and opened an accout on Pacific Poker (the site he told me he noticed the most fish and least amount of good players). So i deposit money and following his guideline to 300BB I play .05/.1 games. After going up and down learning the game I bust out even though my game got much better.

That was 2 years ago. Now I have a moderate bankroll that allows me to play in the 25NL games. I also frequently play 100NL (1/2) at Turning Stone. I am a constant winner at home games. When it comes to Turning Stone I am a little above even but I feel as though I can beat the lose game given more hands to give me a good sample size.

But online is killing me. I can't seem to do anything right lately. a 5x BB raise with AA and then a 4x the size of pot bet after flop gets busted by K3s. How? A 3 on the river. A raise then another re-re-raise by me with JJ preflop. Flop all unders. I go all in for about 20 more. Called with AK who hits a K on turn. Pocket QQ? All in preflop after a reraise beat by a strait on river. Even better it was the wheel he played A3o to my all in.

I can't take down a pot. People are outdrawing me left and right. I'm getting all my money in the middle with the best hands and I come out with nothing. Odds? no one knows them on line. People will draw to a flush no matter how much the bet. And they always seem to catch. Gutshot draws? Its like ESPN is filming them and they hit their miracle 6 on the river.

I know in the long run I'm suppose to take all their money but its getting fustrating that people draw so often and hit. Why fold bottom pair to a 4x the size of the pot bet I have 5 outs. I'm starting to think high PP are worthless online and I should just start playing suiting connectors of Axs of Kxs.

Sorry for the rant but I pretty much needed to type it out even if it was just for me.

Jesse

[bearcats05]

if you are getting your money in with the best hand thats good.
dont worry about if you lose that one time, just know that you made the right move and in the long run you will make money on those hands

[m3laNcholy]

Maybe you belong to a certain percentage of the earths population that are unluckier than the others. If so, quit poker, you will continue getting outdrawn for the rest of your life.

[Jesse K]

Maybe you belong to a certain percentage of the earths population that are unluckier than the others. If so, quit poker, you will continue getting outdrawn for the rest of your life.

haha I've considered that but I'm to lucky in every thing else so it can't be the case.

[littlewashu]

belive me i know where you are coming from see my post on blowing up. I mean I started of great but this one guy kept pilling things out of his ass left and right. I ended up loosing the 140 i was up and 100 more. I am going to take a week or so off and think about my game a bit. One idea I do have is if it looks like you got a lucky jackal just get up and leave and try youre luck at another table. I noticed a few people did this before I went into tilt mode maybe that might be a food answer for you

[Rondavu]

I noticed a few people did this before I went into tilt mode maybe that might be a food answer for you

Are you hungry?

[BankItDrew]

The thing with loosing to someone who was on a drawing hand from the getgo is this:

We always seem to notice when this occurs, and take note of it. Each time this happens, it is engraved into our concious and sub-concious. We remember the last time we were outdrawn last in a big pot when the next situation arises.

What we don't notice is when we flop TPTK and bet accoringly against the draws and our opponent flat calls to the river; where they ultimately fold.

The key is to stay consistant. I know it's hard to understand that "I'll win in the long run blah blah blah I know this is just a temporary thing blah blah blah," but we must remain consistant.

Although we may have lost a big hand to some donk drawing to a gut, we did the right thing - which is the most important thing. The second most important thing is to not alter out game when a bad beat occurs, so long as we were playing the hand properly.

Don't get upset and frustrated when a donk outdraws you in a big pot, get upset and frustrated when you played a hand like a donk.

[DaHorror]

Good advice BankIt.

And your friend is right, Jesse - Pacific is a gigantic fishpool.
Especially for the draws, but often enough for top pair vs. your overpair too.
It does even out in the long run...though the streaks can be nasty!

[Miffed22001]

why do people get so pissed off at being outdrawn
1. Most often they get their money in behind. LET THEM!!!
You make money in like 2/3rds of these situations.
2. It happens. DOnt bitch when it does, you might win 2/3rds of the time, but 1/3 is still a large chance, even though math says a BAD chance.
3. Outdraws and bad beatz happen. If you dont tilt off cash afterwards it doesnt matter how much you lose because the 9/10 holds will make you money.
Last.
If people wanna draw, play for stacks. They'll soon learn not too. I took 1k out of pacific in 4 days against chasers at 100NL. Thats 10 buy ins. It was probaly a case of finding 15 who wanted to play for stacks, 5 hit 10 didnt. Unlucky for them.