Come on. Everybody thinks they're unlucky. Everybody faces as much bad beats as you do. Nobody wants to hear these stories.
Just improve and grind. Whining doesn't get you anywhere.
Come on. Everybody thinks they're unlucky. Everybody faces as much bad beats as you do. Nobody wants to hear these stories.
Just improve and grind. Whining doesn't get you anywhere.
Maybe I was quite emotional, but that was really an 'interesting' evening,. The funniest set-up was probably when I play 65s, of flop got flush draw against made straight (as usual yesterday), turn 5, river 5.
>>Just improve and grind.
I better take a break. So no more whining for now
Break helped a little, but then things return back to 'normal'. Last 800 hands lost 135BB. Another break?
This is the highlight of the last session - classical 1 outer.
FL 6 players
Fold, fold, CO raise, Hero BU KJ 3-bet, SB calls, fold, CO Caps, Hero calls, SB calls.
Flop 9 J K - SB raises, CO calls, Hero re-raises, SB calls, CO calls
Turn K - SB raises, CO calls, Hero re-raises, SB calls, CO calls
River A - SB raises, CO re-raises, Hero re-raises, SB calls, CO caps, Hero calls, SB calls
SB shows AQ, CO shows AA, wins with Aces full of Kings.
Not again ![]()
Today played very short session, just for a break. And on one table where I just played 30 or so hands, I got my 'usual' opponent - always calling guy on my left, to the end reaching VPIP 92. And 7 times I played heads-up with him, 7 times raised and get called, 7 times having better hand preflop (including AKs, AK, AT and 2 other Aces), and losing 7 times, because the guy 7 times had a pair on showdown (even playing like 83o), and I'm not. 0%.
Another day, another record. This one graphic, better seen with picture:

As you may see, on 16 premium hands AK-AT, only 1 time I nervously won with the help of the board, getting 2 pairs (and even in this case could lose to any T),
And only 2 times got an A, and lost BOTH. What's funny, both time there were T on the river, which gave one Villain 2 pairs with AT, and another straight with 69.
And also collected one flush, that also was lost to 64. Yeah, my favorite - give me flush, when I'm already done, as I didn't lose enough already ![]()
And that's all after similar situation seen in previous post.
Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Another day, another session, another I spy picture :

You see a bunch of Aces in Hero holdings. Now try to find an Ace in board cards!
Hard task? OK, try to find if any Hero's card paired, and see the result.
We make two assumptions:
1. The cards are truly randomly dealt.
2. There is no cheating taking place, i.e. every player has the same information available to them.
I think that you accept these assumptions as true poger8, otherwise it would be really silly for you to play for win.
Given these two assumptions you have to ask yourself whom or what you are complaining to (even though you might object against the word 'complaining', but in fact that is your objective with these posts anyway).
- Are complaining to the cards (yours and that of your opponents and that of the board), which are but pixels on you computer screen?
- Are you complaining to the way others play, who are human beings of free will and have every 'right' to play any hands as they wish?
You have to realize that there are no actual 'subjects' whom your complaint is addressed to. Would you talk to a wall and get angry that you don't get a response, than make posts about how this wall is just not going to say anything? Think about it.
But then, why are you complaining at all? In fact, complaining comes from expecting something and then not seeing those expectations come to realization. You have to ask yourself why do you expect, or what's more demand anything from poker (or from other people or situations and life in general). You see, expectation and hope (or their opposite, fear) is but a projection of a particular possibility of the future in your head, and as the future unfolds and reality doesn't conform to your expectations you feel betrayed (simply because the brain cannot distinguish 'imagined reality' from actual reality) and start to complain. You want reality to be accountable and responsible to your expectations, i.e. your figment of imagination which is but one - usually favorable - version of the future, when in fact, reality (in this case, the truly randomly dealt cards to you, your opponents and of the board) has no obligation whatsoever to confirm to your version of how things should be. In fact, the majority of your opponents are there to win, and that means that indirectly they want to take your money. All in all, this construct which we call poker is not a zero-sum game nor mathematically (rake) nor psychologically (others want to take your money), yet you still complain that things don't work out the way you want them to.
The reason why you and most of us expect anything in poker, is because in the human society our expectations most of the time are met. From childhood if you were hungry you got food from you parents. If you asked somebody nicely most of the time they complied. So by years of conditioning you learned that if you expect, you get delivered the majority of the time. It's all subconscious so don't even try to deny it. This method works pretty well among humans, but in another construct, it is simply pointless, meaningless, futile. You should apply a certain way of thinking in environments where it works. I mean, you would never in your life try to swim on the ground in a running competition, do you? So why are you using this 'expectation - reality doesn't confirm - complaining' cycle when it just doesn't work in poker (or in trading for that matter). No matter how natural it seems to you, it is ridiculously absurd and nonsensical, similar to my above example where the guy talks to the wall, gets no response and is furious as to why not.
So then what should you do? Just the opposite. Don't expect, not even subconsciously, but accept what has already happened. If you find yourself angry about how things went, again just think of the absurdity of it. You again complain about something which is unchangeable; in fact you apply your 'expectation - reality didn't confirm - complain' cycle in the other direction on the scale of time, in the past. When there is a gap between what happened and what still lives in your head as to what 'should' have happened, you are torturing yourself. You must confirm what's in your head to the reality, i.e. you must accept things as fast as possible, without hanging to it, by simply acknowledging it.
There are a lot of things which we cannot change. In fact, the area which we have no, or just imagined, or just partial power over is overwhelming. But - apply what you have learned - accept it. Don't see it as the world (of poker) is unfair (again, because you expect it to be fair), or that the odds are against you, just acknowledge it by observing how things work ("Well, this is the nature of reality. It is not against me, nor for me.").
But things are not all lost. There is a range of things that you, and only you - even when it seems you have no - control and power over: your thoughts, emotions and actions. And since (sometimes subconscious) thoughts give rise to emotions and emotions and thoughts give rise to actions, I would start by changing my thinking if I were you poger8. And change it, you can; and then see, with it the world will change around you.
Sincerely
your humble zen master
dember
Wow, that was a Response. I agree that complaining here has no real effect on what cards I get next, but still prefer to talk to this forum (even if it may not listen) than to the wall. To read or not to read is your choice, to post is mine. Leave me this chance, please.
But a little Zen is very helpful. Definitely it worth nothing to spend any nerves in situations that should only incur healthy laughing. Even if dollar result of current games has absolutely no effect on my life, still often I become too nervous about "unfairness" of poker sites. Moreover the important skill to accept life as it with gratitude is important not only in poker, but in whole life. Thank you for giving me one more chance to think about it.
BTW comparing online and offline, just watched on TV 2 following plays one after another in some tourney:
1 Esfandiari all-in AQ vs some guy's AA. Board xxQ x Q. That's what differ great players from others ![]()
2. Immediate next hand, all-in AA vs K8. Board x88 x A.
Both losers left the table, probably saying 'bye' to hefty fees. And I wanted to complain about losing 3 consecutive flushes for a mere few bucks ![]()
Playing poker for fun, let's have fun playing poker
Another session, another 'cool' start.
What do statistics say: 1 pair each 16 hands? On my first table today I decided not to wait, but pay bb to start from CO. 1st hand TT - won, 2nd hand TT - won, then in next 8 hands I got QQ, KK, 88 and AA - and lost all of them in a row, plus 2 other raises and for 11 hands I had following stats VPIP 72, PFR 72
and negative balance...
Suddenly. Stars decided to return me some debts. Yes it may be just a joke, but with basically normal stats (WTS 40% and W$SD 56%) I had the best session of my prominent
poker career. Nothing strange happened, no straight flushes or quads, just as it supposed to be?
I knew it was a joke, I knew it!
Next session, all returns to normal, big chunk of winnings lost, WTS 33% and even with this W$SD 35%, big AX hands are almost all red and three biggest losses are to the same guy with hands:
AJ < QT, flop QJx
KQ < K9, flop Kxx, turn 9
K9 < K5, flop K5x, turn 5, river, oh yes, yes, 9
I'd like to forget about this blog, but Stars gives me no chance. Another losing session with big loss despite reasonable 45% W$SD. Why? 2 big reasons:
1. Finally start getting Aces. When under domination. Lost AJ <AQ twice, AQ < AK, AT < AK and A9 < AQ and in 4 cases there were Ace on da board. And it's SH. Ouch.
2. My 'favorite' hand at Stars: TT. Long ago I played SH, and when I started playing for bonus, I went up limits and got a big downswing, when my TT had winning rate of 10%. For comparison 27o against AA still has 11% ![]()
Today lost 3 of them, but they were interesting, because despite all odds, in 3 hands I saw only one overcard on the board, and even that one doesn't seem scary. Hit-parade of my Tens
N3. Board 863 5 3 Lost to BB caller with A3
N2. Board 9J5 5 T, lost 9BB to only possible hand to lose - JJ
N1. If not for this hand, I would't make this post. This one of series - It blows my mind. For 2 reasons - first, things just seem to get better, second - how it went.
Hero with TT on BB.
MP2 (or UTG ) Raise, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero re-raise, call.
Flop 863. Hero raise, call
Turn 5. Hero raise, call
River 2. Hero raise, MP2 re-raise, Hero call.
MP2 shows 62o.
Some people understand Zen better then others
He-he, new record. 21 minute played, 124 hands, 41BB lost, losing speed is amazing - (minus) 117 BB/hour. But during peak 15 minutes when I fell from +7 to - 47BB, it even reaches spectacular -216 Big Bets per hour. And this is after already 2 losing sessions. Wow!
What to say, start with my favorite again:
TT board 692 2 2 < 66,
another 2 times ran into sets with top pair and two-pairs, also lost 99 and JJ, and more and more, at the end with QQ collected blinds that today may be treated as success. Finally got trips, opponent 'suddenly' folds on the turn, called it a day. Seems like FR is waiting for me, and it's time is coming fast. Amen.
Yahoo, I'm back on FR and I'm OK. Better or worse, but I lose 95% less nerve with it. Yes, losing some great hands, but no sense of gloom I got time by time during short short-handed career.
For example, suddenly, I started winning AK hands unimproved. Suddenly for me after SH. Today I got 11 AK (strangely only 2 AJ) hands, 10 times see flop and lose only 2, despite (as usual) getting only little help from board - only 3A, 0K for 10 hands, but even on showdown I was able to win 5 of 6 hands with 3 not improved. How it reminds me of a guy who won all 7 times against me with worse preflop hands. Now we're talking business
He-he, no hiding place from my beloved Stars. Even in FR they pushed my records higher ![]()
Starting today's session, playing Full-Ring I could beat my speed record by losing 34.5BB in 8 minutes, which leads to spectacular negative speed at almost 260 BB/hr
Hurray, I'm gold again ![]()
Previous time it happened when I play for New Player bonus at PokerStars. Result was terrific - without clearing even 25% of that bonus, I lost all my bankroll, consisting of all previous winnings and bonuses ![]()
Hopefully this time on reload should be more exciting, at least I already cleared half of it.
Being gold probably imposes on me responsibility to complain less, but I still want to publish small picture reflecting my last 3 FR sessions at another poker site. Just look at my W$SD percentage in last 2 sessions - I think even hardcore losers have better stats ![]()

Fixed Limit can be so sadistic sometimes, it's just amazing. How many times today I got reinforcement to top pair, 2pair or even trips when I was already dead. Also today in short session I got exactly 1 of each top pairs:
AA - blinds,
KK < JJ,
QQ < AKs (flush)
JJ < A6,
And my favorite hand ![]()
TT, capped multiway pot, had enough (as it seems at the moment) odds to call flop and turn:
Board AJJ K Q, can you believe it - runner-runner, why? Because one guy had AJ.
Of course it was my last gutshot of the night
Together with FL, I play occasional freerolls. Today was PS freeroll on PS.
And third time in a row, I'm gone with AK ![]()
3. Lost almost all stack with AK < KQ
2. Went pre-flop all-in into three-way, and got six juicy outs, still AK < TT < 33
Today:
1.1. Got first AK, reraised original raiser, got nothing on flop, and fold to push.
1.2. With crippled stack went A8s against AK, board 789 K Q closing my flush.
1.3. Same raiser as in 1.1, reraised him with AKs, flop gave me only flush draw, responded to push and lost to JJ.
I know, I know, winning small banks and losing big
I found the fix to this kind of bad beats !! Study more, dont try and steal pots from the fish, only go in with solid hands. (Seriously, I was doing it uncousciously and losing so much money...) Learn to drop your high pair when they spike the flop with aces you dont have.
And the best: put your stats over your money so you dont know how much you won/lost. Since its limit its not important, as long as you remained staked enough. I play my a game all the time now and I dont tilt anymore.