Is online poker too streaky

[Stocks]

I've played online poker on and of for years now and I've found it to be kind of streaky not sure if the software is set up that way so even bad players can get on bit of a winning streak, it also seems like when you first start playing at a new site you start out on a hot streak.

Now i'm not the best player but I think I'm ok I'm up money long term and I just got finished well hopefully its over but I just got finished the worst cold streak of my life. I'm not one of those people that complain about bad beats or one of those people that are like only poker stars or this only happens on fulltilt. But this cold streak was 100 times worse than anything I've ever seen I had more bad beats over that time it was crazy no matter what I had it was like the software was set up so I could'nt win.

Over that 3 weeks I probaly played over 100 tournaments and a few sit and gos and cashed 5 times max and they were just barely making the money and I'm usually pretty good at getting to the money. I could barely get through the first hour hitting draws at a way under 10% clip and losing hands that I was not just a favorite but a hugh favorite like Ak vs AQ, AA vs 55, AA vs Ak I was losing them one after the other all in pre flop. And if I pushed post flop people were hitting runner runner striahgt and flush draws, inside striaght draws didnt matter what I had.

I think saturday I played 8 tournaments, 3 I was allin pre flop against AA and lost thats kind of annoying but thats just bad luck. 2 I was allin pre flop I had Ak vs AQ and they hit a Q and lost, 1 I had KK vs 55 allin pre flop and lost. And in 2 someone hit runner runner allin after the flop one of them was the flop came A K 2 all the money goes in on the flop I have Ak other guy has AQ turn was a J river was a 10 and I lose again. And there was 3 weeks striaght of this.

Anyway sorry for the rant but I had to get that out I almost quit poker after that last beat, I figured losing money is one thing but losing money and spending a ton of time doing it whats the point.

I'm going to give it a couple more days before I withdraw all my poker money seeing yesterday went ok not good just ok and maybe I'm off the softwares shit list.

 

[Kruser6]

we've all been there man, and yes it always feels like you start out on a hot streak at a new site. . . but I think maybe you play well at the start and get a little careless once the money starts racking up.

Cold Streaks can last for months, just keep doing what you were doing and it will turn around.

I turned $20 into $1100 at Bodog. I withdrew a g, and proceeded to lose the $100. Took a break and now am back playing. I deposited $50, lost it. Deposited $50 again, lost it. Deposited $20 3 days ago and am up to $142. I just hit a bad streak of cards, but I know if I keep playing solid hands and am continously ahead in hands before i move my stack that things will straighten out.

Try taking a bit of a break.

 

[DodgerFan1]

I support what you're saying completely.... Ive been struggling to find a decent site... PokerStars-FullTilt-Carbon-Reefer.... no good..... Im yet to try Titan-MansionPoker-DoylesRoom.... PartyPoker I know for a fact that they're streaky... Dont ask me how.... lets just say they offer guidelines to win at this site everywhere, just based on how the software usually works and how it redistributes the money. The thing is that, the faster players lose the faster new tourneys will start and the faster they will get more rakes...

 

[sparticus]

same here very cold streak after a lot of winning days, i kind of went over my last 2-3 weeks of playing in my head & got in a tourney last night muted the tv & gave the tourney all my attention watched every hand finally got to the final two & beat the other guy out with a set of 10's to his A's &10"s, but when it was over i felt mentally whipped as it was a very tough/tight tourney i hope that turns it around for me a maybe the same for you ,GL

 

[Stocks]

I see what your saying but I think i'm for the most part still playing my same game and I went from $2500 to $700 playing low limit tournaments in 3 weeks and for the most part not even a little bit close to cashing in most of them. I just find than strange

we've all been there man, and yes it always feels like you start out on a hot streak at a new site. . . but I think maybe you play well at the start and get a little careless once the money starts racking up.

Cold Streaks can last for months, just keep doing what you were doing and it will turn around.

I turned $20 into $1100 at Bodog. I withdrew a g, and proceeded to lose the $100. Took a break and now am back playing. I deposited $50, lost it. Deposited $50 again, lost it. Deposited $20 3 days ago and am up to $142. I just hit a bad streak of cards, but I know if I keep playing solid hands and am continously ahead in hands before i move my stack that things will straighten out.

Try taking a bit of a break.

 

[Stocks]

Ya I got back playing poker again 5 or 6 weeks ago started out good a couple final tables playing good on the sit and goes and up around $5000 then for the past 3 weeks just so many really bad beats I dont think its mathmaticly possible about the same as hitting the lotto while getting struck by lighting.

same here very cold streak after a lot of winning days, i kind of went over my last 2-3 weeks of playing in my head & got in a tourney last night muted the tv & gave the tourney all my attention watched every hand finally got to the final two & beat the other guy out with a set of 10's to his A's &10"s, but when it was over i felt mentally whipped as it was a very tough/tight tourney i hope that turns it around for me a maybe the same for you ,GL

 

[krk1030]

I turned $30 I got for free into $1500 and lost it several years ago.

Since then ive deposited been up and down but thelast few months ive been doing very well. I think i figured out how to win the stakes i play and avoid letting bad beats crush my bankroll.

 

[sparticus]

krk, care to share with us what/how you figured out? Thanks in advance.

 

[MrJ]

It is mathematically possible. The hands/hr rate of online games makes us perceive results differently (i.e. appears more streaky). Online games are also tougher. Finally, many 'bad beats' aren't actually bad beats, but just poor play.

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

Yes, online poker is streaky. So is live poker.

No matter how good you are, you need to win a few coin-flips.

You could play 100 coin-flips and lose 70 of them. Statistically, it isn't *that* unlikely. Play enough poker, it will eventually happen.

Play good poker and win 50% of your coin-flips, you should grind a profit.

Play good poker and only win 30% of your coin-flips, you're going to lose. Nothing you can do.

If you play tourneys, that's part of the game. Need to emotionally handle the bad streaks.

 

[Stocks]

I dont mind Losing coin flips I lost all those too at a high rate too but I lost these had at atleast a 75% clip

KK vs 55 80%
AJ vs J10 71%
QQ vs QJ 89%
99 vs A5 69%

These were the hands I got hammered in plus coin flips plus hands that I was a dog in. I can take a bad beat better than anyone but all of them I had the past few weeks was rediculous.

Yes, online poker is streaky. So is live poker.

No matter how good you are, you need to win a few coin-flips.

You could play 100 coin-flips and lose 70 of them. Statistically, it isn't *that* unlikely. Play enough poker, it will eventually happen.

Play good poker and win 50% of your coin-flips, you should grind a profit.

Play good poker and only win 30% of your coin-flips, you're going to lose. Nothing you can do.

If you play tourneys, that's part of the game. Need to emotionally handle the bad streaks.

 

[primetime21+]

Have this friend that always bitched about bad beats he would get in tourmanents. I told him that it happens to everyone, but he would insist that it happens to him more often than he gets the benefit of a bad beat.

Anyway, i have him send me the Hand histories of his most recent tournaments that ended in bad beats. I sorted through some of his bigger pots (thanks to pokertracker) and i was able to show him all of those times he get it all in with AQ vs AK and sucked out or had 77 vs 10-10 and hit a 7 on the river and that without those suckouts he never would have been in the position he was in before he got knocked out.

That pretty much shut him up. I bet for all those times you see your overpair lose, you have sucked out someone else's overpair. Thats just poker.

We never see a post on this site where someone says, "HEY I just won a tournament thanks to 2 or 3 suckouts" It NEVER happens. Meanwhile i know that i have won plenty of tournaments (and big pots in cash games) thanks to a suckout here and there. Not proud of it, but I also don't come on here bitching when i lose.

 

[MrJ]

80% is only 80%. You will go throughs stretches where it seems you just can't win a hand or get a break.

I can take a bad beat better than anyone

Obviously not true as you're complaining about something that many poker players experience. The ones who then question the software are usually the inexperienced and losing players, and while profitable players may have a bit of a whinge and go on tilt, they do realise that it's just variance.

but he would insist that it happens to him more often than he gets the benefit of a bad beat.

As your story points out, the human mind has a bias towards remembering bad experiences. We also seem to expect good luck while whining endlessly about how we were 'unfairly' treated.

 

[TheBrainiac]

I used to play heads up NLHE s&gos at FTP but I just cant take it no more with all clowns pushing with nothing and hitting the river . I am very pissed when I lose one of those and its not that much about the money . This shit just tilts me big time and makes me very angry so I stopped playing them .

 

[WorldNumberOne]

i have found their isnt a bigger waste of time than playing online poker..

and i'm up for my lifetime..

if my 80 / 20 hands would just hold up a little more than 50 % of time , i would be way up..

 

[Stocks]

I hear what you guys are saying I'm just saying I find online poker streaky and I've found that ever since I started playing 4 or 5 years ago. I've always found that there was'nt much middle ground it was either hot or cold.

As for my recent streak of bad luck I've never complained ever in poker getting bad beats but this was just so much beyond anything I have ever seen and has made me question plaing online poker and I gaurentee most of you guys also have never seen anything like it thats how bad i'm talking about something like going 5-100 betting sports picking all -200 favs that kind of bad.

Anyway if it was just the worlds worst poker cold streak I hope so because I'm due for a pretty good hot streak.

Also on the same note it looks like things are starting to turn I'm back to winning a few coin flips and most hands I'm a big fav in so hopfully this is the start of that hot streak

 

[TheBrainiac]

I dont play holdem cash games , only pot limit omaha hi and h/l , stud high and h/l because I think theres a lil bit more of skill than luck in these games .

 

[Stocks]

Ok I guess my cold streak is'nt over I was just playing 2 tournaments

One I was kind of shot stacked $2900 and the BB were $250 in middle position I go allin pre flop with AJ the guy next to me with $7000 calls with KJ and he wins.

Tournament 2 I had a pretty good stack $20,000 BB $1000 average stack $28000 and about 30 spots from the money. I was on BB and everyone folded to the SB and he raised 3 $3000 and this was the 3rd time he did that in the past few minutes and both times I folded. I call with Q7 suited flop comes Q 7 4 he checked to me I bet $5000 he goes allin I call. He has KQ and I'm another hugh favorite to win from here but guess what comes not a K that would be too easy the turn a 10 and then the river you guessed it another 10 another runner runner.

Well on the bright side I made it past the first hour in both tournys that hase'nt happened much lately

 

[MrJ]

All you can do is keep on playing and don't let it affect you.

 

[Stocks]

All you can do is keep on playing and don't let it affect you.

Or quit which I am very much considering its not even really about the money its almost more a time factor I got plenty of time on my hands but when I think about how much time i've spent playing poker I could have played a lot of xbox in that time lol I've had tiger woods 08 for 2 weeks and its still in plastic.