So I mainly play 2/5, sometimes higher if it runs.

Lost 7 sessions in a row now. Today KK to AA first hand I'm dealt.

I haven't flopped a set in maybe 5 sessions. I know it's 11.8% so I wonder how often I should get them if my average session is 5.25 hours.

May has destroyed me: -5.6k or 11.2 buy-ins.

Taking some time off and reading a poker book (more mental)

I just don't know how to handle my badluck, I blame myself for the first two losses I was up 300-800 each time and didn't leave after 2-3hours.

After that it's a mix of standard variance from semi-bluffed big pots and straight up coolers like today.


I think I already have the answers, but it doesn't hurt getting advice

Dunno man these things happen in poker, although if you are a solid winning player a 10 BI swing at low stakes can indicate you could really work on your game.

For example you wrote you should leave a poker game when you are winning? Why? Are you afraid your good luck is going to run out? That shows some weakness in how you approach the game.

Yes you can go long stretches before hitting a set, but hitting one gives no chance you might win. In my worst downswing live I lost 4 times in a row when I hit a set of KK on the flop. Had the nuts all 4 times and cbet, V shoves a semi-bluff all 4 times and gets there.

You are probably running bad and would lose regardless, but can you honestly say you could not improve your game and lose less?

Imo reading books for poker strategy in 2022 is not optimal. Get a training website subscription (not Jonathan little) and put in solver work imo.

7 sessions at 5.5 hours each, guessing 30 hands per hour (max) is maybe 1100 hands of poker. "Run Bad" over this stretch is not too unlikely. Probabilities over small samples plays havoc on human minds that are evolved to over-focus on negative results. This is an advantage when persistence hunting for food among other predators on a savanna, but quite a stumbling block for playing poker. Humans remember the bad luck and forget the good luck. The clear solution is to avoid live poker like the plague it is, and to also avoid online poker where live players go busto.

Vec - I guess it could be worse when you put it that way. Semi bluffs are big part of a pro's game, unfortunately nothing has gone my way this month.

Knox - Don't doubt books, especially mental game. This book isn't teaching me to play... it's just some psychology, nuances, and how to conduct yourself as a professional. Solvers are overrated for those who live, breathe, and die poker. I have over 10,000 hours played. I used to play online 24/7 years ago. Now I've "gone pro" (mostly live) since March.

Robert - Appreciate the insight, but you lost me at the end. Quit poker in general? That's not an option mate... this game is my life!

The best option I can give is to move up in stakes where they respect your whining, fold more rivers and get more lucky.

I agree books on mental game are great!

Solvers are not overrated bro. Thinking like that will get you clapped by every 25 year old that studies 20 hours in the lab every week.

Planning my first 25/50 game or a weekend full of 5/10 soon!

They're really useful if you haven't played as much poker as I have. I think they are much better for MTTs as well...

I honestly think I've spent a lifetime studying GTO, which is by far the most important, but exploits can be bread and butter at the cash tables.

sample size is lol

it's runbad but pretty standard

my honest suggestion is move down to 1/2 where you won't be so mentally impacted by losses because you're never going to not face downswings like this from time to time

You're right I just find the play atrocious and the early game is often all retired pensioners. Not enough action for me, probably an easy game though...

I think I should try playing at night vs morning. Usually I'm playing against 3 good regs on average, sometimes more. I just like the morning shift, got my whole day open still after.

I never game select, but there's usually only 2 tables of 2/5 anyways...

I agree you can beat the games with exploit and sound logical reasoning. Which my guess is you already have.

Solver work can boost your winrate even more, and as a result it decreases variance. Also you won't be losing much or even start to beat some of the other strong regs if you have a fundamentally GTO understanding of the game.

A little confused what you mean by you've spent a lifetime of studying GTO though.