I've been playing low limit cash games (1-3 and 2-5$) for probably 7-8yrs. I have consistently shown a profit year after year (4-8000$). I'm more of a tight player, but bluff at x's. For some reason, my game has completely fallen apart since the beginning of the yr. I have not had a single winning session and I've hit the same casinos around 6-7x's. I am finding that I've made some bad calls here and there when I know I'm beat...but, I have been known to lay down the winner when I shouldn't have. Seems like I've had a real bad run of cards. Sometimes not hitting a single hand for 8-9hrs...and sometimes playing decent holdings (AJ, 88, etc) or weaker holdings (A9s, 56s) for smallish bets (15-25$), which eats away at my stack. I usually wouldn't play Axs or small suited connectors, but I'm often getting the right price. I definitely see mistakes when I do play some hands, but I generally try to protect when necessary, get value when appropriate, play cautiously when necessary, etc. Definitely have been sucked out on by really bad calls and plays of other players, but I guess that happens to everyone! Not really sure what has changed...if anything. I think I've loosened up to play weaker holdings at x's, made moves that didn't pan out, and/or maybe just made too many loose calls, but even being ultra tight hasn't panned out either.
During my last session on the 1st day, I opened up with AQ from late position for 25$ in a 2-5 game and had 4 callers (my stack was about 260 after 25 bet). Flop came K, 9, 7 rainbow. Checked around to me so I decided to represent the king and bet out 75$ into the 107 pot. 2 very loose players called from early position. Turn was a 5 offsuit...checked to me, I went all in for remaining approx 190$...first player folded, 2nd snap called with 8,6 off. Didn't really think I played that hand badly even though i lost? I could've bet heavier preflop, but don't particularly like going nuts with AQ or AK offsuit. On the flop, pushing all in didn't seem like a great play as the 3rd person or the looser players could've had a decent king or slow played 2 pair or a set, and an all in bet might have actually looked weak. When the 2 loose players called, I felt like 1 or both were floating, but wasn't positive. The guy with 6-8 off was very loose and losing tons of cash all day. He frequently made bad calls and I felt like his preflop call of 25$ from UTG +1 with no money in the pot was really weak, but unfortunately got rewarded. I did see him fold hands throughout the day, but generally to larger bets. From this hand on, I was trying to climb back to even and eventually made a small profit for the day. unfortunately, the next day, I won all of 12 hands in 11 hours!! Totally card dead and lost most of the hands I did play, so I just bleed $ all day. I read books and magazine articles and watch tv commentaries and am now getting into the forums. Any suggestions to get me back on track would be greatly appreciated.