Learn Texas Holdem

Question: Hey!

Great site. I think i visit once a day, seeing if anyone can relate to the problems i have with cards. I honestly dont care about having this posted on the site, i just wanted some sort of answer, or possibly a little insight to my problem.

Anyway, the question: I know poker or most card games in general are about mathematical odds. I have read just about every article on your site, looking for anything dealing with luck and bad beats. Problem is,

I dont see anything in the realm of my problem. And, i also know, no matter what i write, there isnt a person out there that will believe what im going to write. There seems to be a black cloud that follows me when it comes to gambling or playing cards. i cant even play blackjack. i have one once in about 200 tries.

If we play for high card to figure out dealer in a home game, chances are im going to get a 2 or i will get a queen and someone else two seats ahead of me will get a k. Ive never once pulled high card, and we play 2-3 times a week, for that last 6 months! As i was writing this, i play 3 hands online. Each time, flopping two pair, only to be rivered on all three hands. Not bad hands to start with, pocket q's(lost to j5 suited, k-q suited, flopped 2 pair, lost to a straight on the river, last hand was pocket a's, raised it a lot, person called with a 9 10, flopped 2 pair and beat me). I cant even think of slow playing if i hit two pair on any flop, someone will stay in and out draw me every single time. I know, i know, you KNOW there isnt any way that is possible. Its not mathematically possible.

Im not dumb, i know this. But, if i play this hand 100,000 times, i would win 100 times, maybe. Every single one of my friends can attest to what im saying. This is not a joke, and im NOT exaggerating. I dont think i have even had one bad beat against someone, ever. Most people see at least one suck out, but i cant remember one. Then again, im probably focusing all my time on my bad hands.

Having said that, i can and do win at poker. Im not good, but im not bad either. I can read people, to a certain extent, and know when to get out. I have learned that to win any money at all, and i usually break even, i can only play top pair and i can only stay in with extremely good hands. But, i still need advice. Im a rock, no question about it.

And, from my standpoint, i have to be. Ive taken notes on hands, made excel sheets, trying to figure out where i go wrong. Out of 100 hands or so, if i played to the river on every hand, id win 1 or 2. I get my money in when i have the best hand, but most of the time, i make huge bets so i dont get out drawn. Is there any way to battle bad luck? Where most people with go a few weeks or months with decent runs, then a few times with bad luck, im the complete opposite. I can go 3-4 months, getting 8-3 off suit or those types of cards, game after game. In that span, there will be one game where i actually have decent starting hands, and can come out ahead. Most of the other times im up a couple bucks or break even.

Again, any comments are appreciated. And, i know you are going to say, its all math. Its not, really. I just dont have the luck to get cards, most of the time. I love poker, but at this point in time, im just wondering if im the exception to the rule and just need to quit playing in a game i truly love. Have you ever heard of anyone having over a year of bad luck?

Thank you for your time. I understand if you dont respond. Just needed to get my frustration off my chest.

Thanks,

Ken

Answer:

I don't agree that poker is strictly math. Knowing odds is a requirement, but that knowledge alone won't guarantee you are a winning player. There is much more that goes into poker, especially at a high level, than just math. Here is a short list of what I think it takes:

- confidence and heart, yet it has to be measured. The person who is very tight and takes no risks can't beat big games, yet someone who takes too many risks can't even beat small games.

- intelligence and logic, yet it has to be fluid. A gut feeling in a pro can be enough to make them call with bottom pair when all logic says it's the wrong move.

- perspective. You need to be able to think clearly under pressure and this comes from seeing the big picture.

- adaptivity. Adjusting your counter strategy to an opponents strategy...not all styles should be played against the all opponents.

- love of the game. You won't find anyone playing at a huge level who doesn't love it. Money can only get you so far. To really get good, you have to like playing cards and games.

Notice I didn't write odds anywhere there. Math is a prerequisite to everything else above. Because it is something everyone knows, it really offers no one that big of an edge. (Unless of course the opponents aren't aware of the odds.) Edges come from the characteristics above.

Now for your individual case. Do I think you can just be plain unlucky? Sure, why not? It is certainly possible. That isn't to say that math isn't still governing what is happening. Math allows room for the super unlucky. It may be highly unlikely, but it is still possible. Now, do I think you are just unlucky? I don't know.

If I had to guess one way or the other, I would say you aren't more unlucky than anyone else. You probably are just in a rut right now. Eventually things will turn around. Everyone goes through periods where no matter how well they play, they can't pull a pot. The best advice I can give you so you don't lose your sanity is to just mix it up. If you typically play cash games, try some tournaments. If you play no limit, try limit.

If you typically play full tables, learn to play short handed. If you play at one cardroom, drive the extra half an hour and play somewhere else for a while. Whatever the reason is that you are losing, it helps psychologically to just change the environment. I've done that many times before.

I would lose for a week at a cardroom and get sick of seeing the same people there bad beating me, so I would go to another room for a bit and get out of the rut, and then return. Conditioning is very powerful. If you always lose at one cardroom and you dread going there so much because of that, chances are that your fear alone will play into you losing (self-fulfilling prophecy). You can easily avoid this by just mixing it up like I said above.

On the brightside, you may actually have a run of good luck that is equal to your run of bad luck. It has been my experience that for every really bad rut I've had, I've had an equally good run of good luck (along with good play) that has more than compensated for the down time. That bad run can also teach you a lot of important skills that will help you win more when you are running well: getting the most value on your good hands, minimizing your losses, not going on tilt, etc.