My Poker career may be on life support!

You all know a while ago I posted how well I was doing, and I was. Since then however I cashed out all but about $300-400 to help with some bill cause my wife lost her job, and I have been on the worst run since I started playing.

I have tried MTT's, SnG's, and Ring games, and none of them are paying off for me right now. Im currently around $150 left, and if things dont change soon that could easily be gone.

So I plan on finishing the league, and then I am going to take a break for a while. Im gonna read some poker books, watch some videos, and just study the game some more. Then see how it goes.

Also, if any of you could help me out I would appreciate it. I know that some of you have played with me often enough that you must have some advice as to what I am doing wrong. I know there are days when I just make stupid plays and then there are days when I feel that I am playing well, but cant catch a flop (not even a draw). I keep ending up where there are about 2x the number of people left in the tourny that get paid and at that point my position is in the payout area, but I run into a hand that gets me busted. For example I will be in like 30th place with 120 left and 60 pay, then BOOM im out.

Well, sorry about rambling, but I have to vent. If anyone could help me out I would appreciate it......

__________________
"I started with nothing. I still have most of it left."

"I find your lack of faith disturbing"

http://live.xbox.com/member/JediSlayer76

theprofessor@texasholdemforums.com

Stop playing now, don't wait. Come back to the tables in a few days/weeks.

I don't know if I can give advise, but to me it seemed you lost a bit of confidence. In the early league games you would play a hand very strong, good bets and good play. You scared me with that kind of play. Just as xtra, to know when and how to play a hand.

But in the last few games you seemed to have lost it. You don't know anymore when to make decisions that made you a winner. In my case, when it happens to me, it is because I'm not clear in my head. I don't know you so I'm not going to say anything about you. But if you say you are going to have a break then I say that's good. Having a break and thinking about the game will do you good.

Also having a break will hopefully bring back the feeling to play good poker which is needed to finish a MTT. One bad decision out of boredom can cost you the tournament.

Not really helpful I know. I was just telling what I noticed about you.

Well, Prof, I'm new here, and I dont know if I've played with you, but I can give you some general advice.

Sounds like with the loss of your wife's job, you may be playing under some stress. Never advisable to play when you are worried about money. YOu end up pushing premium starting hands to a bad board, folding playable hands in good position, and other things that aggressive, winning poker play would dictate you not do. Too worried about winning on your premiums and losing with a marginal. I may be way off here, but I've noticed that in myself.

Take a week off of poker all together. Dont read about it, dont watch videos on it. Dont even watch the WSOP on ESPN. It'll clear your head, renew your focus and envigorate you. I do that sometimes even if I'm winning. I just feel the spiderwebs coming on. I take a weekend off, or a couple days away and just read or watch TV, or workout.

Also, I'm sure you know this, but I have a friend that tells me when I get on a bad streak: Poker is cyclical. You'll have downswings. And you'll have big upswings. I was down $40 the other day, sat down at a ring game, and was up $60 in half an hour at a 1/2 game. Ups and downs. Good play will help you maximize the ups and minimize the downs, but they will happen. Just play your game and relax. Maybe lower the stakes if it helps you relaz and find your groove.

OK, now I've rambled on. I hope I haven't said too much. Just relaz play your game, and if you find you aren't playing your game, take a few days off altogether. Your bankroll wont go away. It'll be there for you when you get back.

Bob

I'd go with 27 or 45 player $5 SnG after a break of a few days and rebuild my bankroll and confidence. Sometimes we try and play too perfect mentally and forget our instincts, playing not to lose instead of to win. Your a quality player who can turn it around. Good luck.

Your plan seems like a good one. Play the last three league games, hopefully cashing in at least one, and then hopefully the Jedis can pull out a team victory. After this, if things have not turned around, take a break. Do exactly what you said.

Until the league if over, I think PokerRef is correct. Play $5 SNGs. Try to rebuild your bankroll off of those. Regain your confidence, and you will start winning.

With whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck and hope to still see you around.

__________________
cky12 - PokerStars
cky12 - FullTilt

My Poker Journal

Well, if you have never played Poker when you really needed money, then maybe you are playing with scared money, or you are playing hands you shouldn't be, just hoping for that great flop. If you are playing good, i don't think there is anything you can do about it. Hopefully your luck changes.

OK prof I am reluctant to post here about my reads on you here where others could read it but will give it a think and send you a pm. I would be able to give you better advice if you e-mail me hand histories of your tourney play say 10$ and 20$ games - just 2-3 examples.

You should also look at your HH's yourself

OK heres some general advice for anyone in your rough position - learn omaha and omaha high low. Do so at freerolls if you dont know the game well. Play in these games is qutie frankly terrible. play at far less than your limit. Find the most reckless table you can. If you find a table like .1/.25 with an average pot of 9$ then that is perfect for your bank roll. You would more or less see at most 40$ flops (pr arround 20$) if you are playing PLO and can see flops cheap. Play the nuts, call chasing only nuts or near and only call if you have odds (inc implied odds of catching). After a few hands if you havent seen terrible play - leave and find another table. This is the safest way of building bankroll. Once you get to 2* what you sat down on leave and if you still think it is a good table to be at sit down again with what you originally sat down with.

Continue if you are losing go down stakes if you are winning be patient before you go up. Always chose good tables - never chose a table without some clearly poor players on it. NEVER sit down with more than 1/4th of your BR and ideally never more than 1/10th (particularly in PLO)

Will send more specific advice tomorrow via PM

I appreciate everyones feed back on this. And I spent much of last night thinking about what you guys had said, and I think many of you made some really good points.

I think there are a lot of things effecting my game right now. Too many things going on in my life to concentrate on poker. My wife lost her job so I am worried about money, Im opening a new lab at work and things arent going the way they should, and me and my wife would like to have another kid on our own (dont take that wrong we love our son very much wether or not he is ours biologically) and we just found out that Im the reason its not working.

So I think you guys were right about a few things, like playing scared because of being worried about money, and playing bored because there are just too many more important things to focus on.

So I think I will play a little until the league is over, and then take a break until I get things figured out. Again, thanks for the input guys especially Jones and Ben for the PM's. They were very insightful.

__________________
"I started with nothing. I still have most of it left."

"I find your lack of faith disturbing"

http://live.xbox.com/member/JediSlayer76

theprofessor@texasholdemforums.com