Cure for starting out each session losing - Beginning Poker Questions

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Cure for starting out each session losing

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05-22-2017 , 03:05 PM

OilSpill

grinder

Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 553

Hey guys,

Just wondering what your experience is here. It seems whenever I start my session after about 50 hands I am down a bit. This is pretty regular for me and I know there's the variance thing and all that but I have tightened up early in the session to try and start off winning because who doesn't like that.

For example, it seems like the first hands I play at new tables always end up in huge pots by the river where I forced to either make a huge fold or a big call with little info on opponents.

Have you guys experienced the same thing? If so what did you do to correct it?

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05-22-2017 , 03:21 PM

Alvarez87

stranger

Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 7

fold pre

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05-22-2017 , 03:44 PM

King Spew

Just average

Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 15,224

wait to get involved in a big pot until after you have accumulated OPM (other people's money). burning money early is a sure sign of a player playing his own cards and not the table. so REALLY tighten up your playing (think premiums and/or BUTTON ONLY) until you have a better grasp of who you are playing against may do your BR a favor.

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05-22-2017 , 04:19 PM

AznblackhawkCo

journeyman

Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 306

Yea, get a feel for the table...usually "life is a long session" outlook applies but if you notice that you're losing session after session at the start, it might be a mental leak trying to exert dominance or a bully, or whatever psychological babble you want to put in there

You could also play some smaller stakes to warm up, like if you're a 100NL play 10NL or something that will get the creative juices flowing

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05-22-2017 , 05:31 PM

browni3141

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 5,678

It's probably just an effect of variance and selection bias. If you look at your net after exactly 50 hands every time, then you should expect to be positive if you're a winning player. I bet you are noticing you are losing first and not comparing different sessions in a controlled way.

I have to top up at some point in most of my sessions (usually do so if I lose 20% of the starting stack). I am very often losing at some point during the first 0-100 hands, however if I look at 50 hands exactly I should expect to have profited on average.

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05-22-2017 , 06:20 PM

MIB211

veteran

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 3,010

This is likely selection/confirmation bias + variance. At some point you've noted that you "always" are down early, so you note at some point that your below your initial buy in. Now presumably you're not actually measuring after 50 hands every time, so one day you're down after 20 hands then come back, another after 40, another after 50, maybe one day you don't come back, etc.

I wouldn't worry about it and just play your game. Only rational explanation for this is that you're better at getting a read on your opponents than they are at getting a read on you, and so over time your edge starts to grow. If that's the case not much you can do about it.

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05-23-2017 , 06:12 AM

redlineftw

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2017 Posts: 189

live or online? I used to do this live like ALL THE TIME. It was a cross between being over eager to play and not having any time to adjust to the game.. I wouldn't pass up a +EV spot but am defenitely more selective about certain hands OOP until i have an idea of how the table is playing...

You should try not to let being stuck a little affect your game though as you will just end up making bad decisions

Last edited by redlineftw; 05-23-2017 at 06:21 AM.

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05-23-2017 , 08:12 AM

Kelvis

banned

Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 8,737

By the way over a very small sample it is actually expected that you lose money on most tables that aren't extremely nitty.

If you raise preflop and get called by 3 people, even if you're 30% to win the hand you're expected to lose the first one or two hands before you win one.

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05-23-2017 , 12:43 PM

Bene Gesserit

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 6,365

This seems to be a fairly common experience for most beginners or occasional rec players. Likely tied to lack of knowledge/ experience with other folks at the table early in the session. I guess playing extra tight for several orbits could let you observe and evaluate the players before investing a lot of chips in speculative hands.

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05-24-2017 , 05:52 AM

#10

unbjames_poker

stranger

Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 10

It's all one big poker session. Bankroll goes up, bankroll goes down. Lose a pot? Next hand, please. Make optimal decisions from that point onward. Profit over time. Good luck.

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05-24-2017 , 09:47 AM

#11

OilSpill

grinder

Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 553

Wow,

A lot of great feedback here from each individual. I am playing 95% of my sessions online. That said, I think you are all making great points like tightening up until I have a feel for the table and making sure I am playing my first big hands with the positional advantage. Thanks for the replies everybody!

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