Your Worst Poker Loss

[David Floyd]

Well, talking about stretches, I lose almost every time I play online, and have lost almost every time I've ever played online in the past.

That's why I don't play online anymore. I absolutely hate it - the players are ridiculous and I don't trust the software.

[Kassiopeia]

In that case, again, I haven't played enough, because it looks like I started playing with an upswing. I'm on an 8*buy-in downswing right now, but I started with a huuuuge upswing so I'm more than solid with over 30 times the buy-in in my bankroll. I'm not quite sure I'm a winning player yet, only played a couple months. On the other hand, I'd probably have to be retarded not to be a winning player in those insane online games.

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Well, talking about stretches, I lose almost every time I play online, and have lost almost every time I've ever played online in the past.

That's why I don't play online anymore. I absolutely hate it - the players are ridiculous and I don't trust the software.

I can understand why someone would hate playing online. Unfortunately, the opportunities for playing live over here are inexistent, as the only licensed place to arrange poker games is a state monopoly casino down in Helsinki, 300 kilometers away. So I play online. I'd probably be an open book in a live game, in any case.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Well, talking about stretches, I lose almost every time I play online, and have lost almost every time I've ever played online in the past.

That's why I don't play online anymore. I absolutely hate it - the players are ridiculous and I don't trust the software.

a) There's nothing wrong with the random number generators.

b) You weren't playing high enough stakes. The 100 + 8 SNGs are solid as hell.

[Pekka]

David, right, right.. going all-in with AK, it's a coin flip situation, you have to go for the pocket pairs when called or re-raised. You raised first, so he should have put you on at least a small pair, or at least the all-in guy for a big pair. After you went all-in with it, it should have been a sign to get out, the pot would have been... he would have paid $50 at this point, or then some if it was the raise. If it was about $1000 worth of a pot, that means he went for ~$300 more with best possible scenario of a coin flip for him.

You're right, it's a stupid play. Horrible. It's quite obvious. A lot of beginners always go all-in with AK. Or AQ, AJ.. offsuits too. But seems to me if you were playing 1/2 game, he either had extra cash to spend and wanted to gamble, or just wasn't very experienced at all. If you're not even pairing up in that situation of possible 3-way action, only commited little over 15% at this point and risk for everything what is at best case scenario 50/50 (not likely though).. it's kind of double edged sword. On the other hand, you'd love to play those guys. Then again, if they play like that a lot and have some extra cash, you're bound to get bad beats with them and it's quite frustrating. Stick to your guns, keep playing it though.

[Kassiopeia]

TV poker is probably why players are going all-in with AK-AJ - using tournament plays in a ring game. This is not a bad thing, for you that is. Poker on TV

[David Floyd]

b) You weren't playing high enough stakes. The 100 + 8 SNGs are solid as hell.

Fair enough. If I ever have enough extra money to stake myself $1000 or so, I'll give it a shot. I do fine playing those types of stakes in live games.

Pekka,

Stick to your guns, keep playing it though.

That's why I am a consistent winner when I play live cash games. Make the same correct plays over and over again, and if you lose 30% of them, you still win money in the long run.

[Provost Harrison]

This thread may as well be written in Esperanto, it would make as much sense to me

[Pekka]

That's true. Many new players don't know that there's a difference playing tournaments, ring games or what ever. If its ring game, SNG.. or even fixed limit, pot limit or NL.. it's different every time.

[Pekka]

David, right, you can't win them all.. that's just what happens when you play enough .. it happens a lot. I guess the trick is to survive those waves and enjoy the high moments more .... I've beaten myself making stupid plays that only cost me few dollars. But then again it's easy to forgive yourself when you lose more in one hand, but you played it correctly. I mean, what can you do, you're playing consistently and not trying to win every hand.

[David Floyd]

Howard Lederer once said that every time he takes a bad beat like that, he just thinks to himself, "Those people are why I come here to play poker." Lesson being, they're gonna give the money back soon enough.

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
This thread may as well be written in Esperanto, it would make as much sense to me

That's exactly what I thought about six months ago, before I started learning to play.

[Pekka]

It's kind of fun though, I play more conservative style in ring games especially and spot weak players and then gun them down with various plays, and keep tight against others. But I don't use any charts or anything, you gotta just get the sense of other players, so you know when you're covered and when you can drive them out etc.

However, my favourite players are crazy ones like Gus Hansen and Sammy Farha... Especially Farha. You can't but love the guy, crazy as hell.. but he wins a lot.. I just plain don't like seeing lots of flops. Sammy doesn't mind and he pays a lot to see flops.. but he's a winner. He just likes to play a lot of hands and that's what I like to watch, not do myself though. Unless I'm steaming!

[Pekka]

David, right, and also what Lederer says, he has like steps to being a great player, one of the KEY elements is to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself the past bad plays. Forgive youself right now. Because then you can make the right plays easier. It's true, you remember bad plays, bad beats more than the good plays and good luck.

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Howard Lederer once said that every time he takes a bad beat like that, he just thinks to himself, "Those people are why I come here to play poker." Lesson being, they're gonna give the money back soon enough.

Damn straight. It's all in making the right decisions. Of course, if they sit out immediately after that miracle two-outer with your buy-in in their pocket and vanish... again another problem with playing online. *sigh*¨

Edit: OTBOT