Hi guy's.

I am a reg on a 5/10 uncapped full of big whales. Some massive 10 to 15k pots are common.

I've been crushing this game for like 2 years but in 2019, variance is hitting me hard. Never had a wining session on almost 20.

Whales are getting 2 and 3 outer every time against me. My premium hands never hold all in pre this year, and I am getting it in an amazing ratio. My strong combos never hit, etc, etc

I am aware of variance and big swings but this used to happen on different pools (more decent) and never 20 sessions.

The pool I play is around 30 players and only 3 or 4 competent players are in the game.

As a high variance game (they just won't fold) I never get it in with TPTK, 3! or 4! pots get 3 or 4 callers. As juicy and action game as it gets.

I know sh*t happens and variance is real but how do you guy's adapt to this? Or you just don't adapt if you're playing your A game.

I used to enter with 3.5K and sometimes 5K. After some losing sessions I am reducing my buy in. Is it possible that this is affecting my results?

Preflop raises are huge, 3BB raises never happen

Thanks in advance.

Get me a seat at that game and I'll tell you all my secrets.

awesome reply.

Despite my good will you would need Visa to enter this country and assuming you live in USA you won't come to Africa to play.

So, any hint for me?

I play in a 2/5 uncapped home game but it's not as crazy as your game. Sounds like your whales are a lot bigger than mine, but the skill level sounds the same. It's common to open UTG for 8 BBs and get called in 6 spots.

I've been on a breakeven swing for about a year now. I only play 1-2 times a week for maybe 4 or 5 hours at a time. I've had sessions where I played 8 or 10 big pots, ranging from 50% to 90%+ equity, and lost every one. I've had sessions where I've bricked every single straight and flush draw, but my opponents stack me with their draws. Yeah it sucks. Just keep getting it in good because as good players that's all we can do.

Good luck!

And yeah... probably not going to Africa to play in an action junkie 5/10 game.

yeah, lot bigger whales. Oil related guys, retired military, business me....

Even a 4 bet pot wil get 4 or 5 callers... and a 100BB shove with MP on flop lol

I put a little more volume than you, I play almost every day around 5 hours and 10 on weekend days but it seems that I'm experiencing what you are saying.

As crazy as this game is, I try never to put it all in high variance plays. Am I doing it right?

Before the breakeven time were you crushing that game on a large sample?

I make decisions based on the EV, not what I think the variance is.

I was killing it for about 3 years but it only runs twice a week so not really a large sample. I'm sure I had plenty of run good and since it's basically the same group every week a lot of them have picked up on some of my game tendencies that are hard for me to change.

I play on a small pool but since >80% of them are just splashing chips they don't care how you play or about money.

Whales only play attention if you are playing scary money and they hate nits and try to get them out of the game (in many ways).

I got a "stupid" way of been welcome in the game, sometimes I drink and do some crazy plays. Although this seems -EV, this is keeping me welcome to a game that I am (was) crushing.

Take a minimum one week break/vacation. Live poker is a soul sucking activity. It will drain the life out of you if you live an unbalanced life.

GL

I have a 9-5 work as a mechanical engineer. Only play in spare times. Since there's almost nothing else that I like in this country, I play almost daily.

But yeah, you are probably right. Some time out may be good for my game and my soul.

Thanks

Cliffs:
Op had two year upswing in soft live game. Upwswing ended.

Nice nickname

I've been playing for about 12 years now, mostly live cash games and 8 of them with profit.

2500h upswing in this specific game I think is a nice sample size.

Not a virgin in swings and variance hit but as I said, never in a game as soft as this.

What do you want us to say? The human mind is not equipped to understand variance. If you think it cant get worse you are probably wrong. Every few years I have a soul crushing downswing that I can barely stomach. In my mind I think its "as bad as it gets", and then the bottom falls out once again and I'm another stage deeper in hell. There is no certainty in this game. Take solice that you are one of the better players and you will eventually win again

That was exactly what I needed to ear. As simple as it is, it's way easier to absorve when someone say it to you.

Thanks for those words, gl at the tables

Enviado do meu SM-G965F através do Tapatalk

Life is suffering. Wherever we go there is inevitable injustice, disaster, disease, malevolence, chaos. It's built into the fabric of Being itself. Find pride in your ability to endure, find the spirit of the warrior within you. Pick that suffering up and bear it and be a hero. That's all you can do.

Not to he a dick but nobody cares or feels bad for a pro/winning player running poorly.

Any idiot can play well when running well.It means nothing.Those who can play well when running horribly make the money in the end.

Would like to see someone play the same way when getting these downs. Think our brain won't let us play equal.

Just an example of a hand played this weekend.

NL 5/10 Hero is BB with 7 5 off. 4 limpers and the small complete.

FLOP: 7 5 9 rainbow

Villain bet 30, 2 callers, hero raise 130, Villain shove around 800, everyone fold.

Given the player history I would never ever fold my hand, since he is capable of jamming A9,K9 etc, even A7 and some gutters. And once 2 other players call the first bet, some outs to the straight might be on those players.

Hero fold and Villain shows 6 9 off . If I was running on the EV side, I would snap it. As I'm running my inner voice tell me that he is hiting 2nd pair or his gutter will come

You're proving my point.
It doesn't mean anything if you play well when running well.It's really not that hard to be at least halfway decent at poker and it's not the least bit impressive to play well when running well. I agree most people can't play well when running bad and many people play ****ing horrendous when running bad who play well otherwise.

People want to debate hand histories arguing over 3 dollars in ev when it doesn't matter. What does matter in poker is being mentally tough and making the right decisions time and time again.You need to get over that inner voice. It doesn't help you. You can't control how you run, you can control how you play.

If you're in a game where bottom 2 is a fist pump call in a limped pot on that board you're in an amazing game. You're fortunate to be in such a great game. You're fortunate to be able to afford to play in such a game. You're fortunate to be healthy.This may sound harsh but i'm actually trying to help you. Don't be a ****ing baby about running bad for a few months or whatever in some poker game you're lucky to be able to play in.Wow poker is going to be tough sometimes what horrible problems you have! Boo hoo nobody cares. When you think about what you're crying about in the proper context you should see how absurd it is. Make the right decisions and get the money in the end.

Think about how amazing you had to run in life just to be able to play poker for decent money and stop complaining about your bad luck of late in poker. It's entitled,misguided and extremely counter productive.Realizing all of this is exactly how I deal with running like dog **** productively. If you deal with running horribly well you become a much stronger player.

No advice until you say where this game is.

Just read the thread

And the run bad is finally over

In for 1.5K... 4 hours later 9k

Some sick run good in between but I needed it.

Hand of the night NL5/10

80$ straddle, folds around. Hero in Button make it 230 with J10c (~2k effective), 40 and 80 straddle call. (both players cover me)

Flop come 7 8 9 rainbow

Asian guy bets 500$, oil guy shoves ~5k, I call, asian guys calls

Asian guy shows 56, and oil has 106h.

We scoop a massive one

Mod can we lock this ridiculous thread please

Payback's a *****.

Why do you bother? Is so ridiculous that you bother on commenting twice.

You find your blackjack thread crying that you can't win more useful than this??? https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2...29/?highlight=

Or the one that you find a genious way to crack mid stakes live poker? https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...82/?highlight=

:

Good to here that OP finally got a winning session - and one of those larger winning sessions I would assume.

It is easy to list all the advice already given ... "You know poker is a game with swinging success rate", "You can only get it in good and hope for the best" etc.
I focus on 2 aspects when I hit a down-swing:

1. Am I still sufficient funded to keep playing my normal, winning A game ?
2. Does my A game still beat this game ?

On #1 my point is as long as I am sufficient funded - e.g. have 30 buyin's - life is good. Really, it I can dig out a new buyin if I loose a 60/40 then life is good. I know that the numbers will even out and as long as I have 30 buyin's still will hopefully be sufficient.
I that number drop to like 10 or 15 buyin I might need to re-group and step down to a lover limit game for 2 reasons:
1. earn some $$ to play the higher game sufficient funded
2. get back some confidence in my game by having a couple of winning sessions

On #2 ... I always work the hardest off table with my game when in a down-swing. Going through my ranges, bet pattern, considering bet-sizing against specific opponents, making mental notes of regulars etc.
Confidence is your game is everything - and doing a down-swing it is easy so loose that ... which mean that you will play sub-optimal (like folding bottom 2 where it is an otherwise snap call for that specific game).



Bye the way - I am from EU so I should have an easier time getting a visa ... so where is that game ??