A question from senior players!!!

[TitanPoker_TH]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for reading the post and will highly appreciate your advise for this.
Been playing poker CG Nlh plo4-5-6 live games only for the last 7 years and always been stable & overall positive side. Since september last year i am on downswing, first i thought may be table selection not good, but i tried almost every tables available, still downswing. Infact, its getting worst, worst and worst. Playing my best, keeping head cool, taking regular breaks but since sep last year till yesterday only sick coolers making me feel so bad. Even losing to fishes who calling my pf raises, ps bets on turn river, but all in vain.
I recorded few hands, studied with fellow seniors, all said just downswing else nothing wrong with play.
Example, my last hand of yesterday night;
Table size 9max
9 players on table.
Game 5/10$ comp straddle 20
Table has 3 best value fishes.
My position, C/O.
My buy in 2500$ (started with 1500 later topup 1k more)
Active stack 4800 (been playing for 3hrs)
Actions!!
Utg std 20 (reg rock)
+1 (hv fish player) opens 120
+2 and rest fold.
I re raise to 400
Button (another reg all in 900)
Sb (normal player not rock not fish) folds
Bb folds
Utg folds
+1 (initial raiser) calls the all in 900. Behind 5200 around.
Best value for me, i call 900 to keep +1 in pot. (I had KK s&d)
Pot is 2735
Flop, Q48 (2 diamonds)
+1 check
I bet 1100, +1 just calls
Turn Q.
+1 asks dealer to count my chips. And he placed a bet = my full available stack (all in to call for me)
I read him, observed him & his expressions, he start laughing and start saying me "AQ will be a bad call, trust me fold bro"
Any how i know his style, when he has nothing he always go over bets. I made the call and showed KK while what he shows is 57 off.
God bless the dealer, River is 6
(Btn who went all in having JJ)
How !!!!!!!!
How to handle it, where i am wrong to play? Or is it just take a 5-6 months off better.
Can someone please advise, whats the best for me to do atm.
Thank you for your time & suggestions

 

[monkeytilter]

It sounds like you need to take a break. maybe play a lower variance game? It's sounds like you got sucked out on but this was a great spot for you and you should not be feeling bad about it, something is badly wrong if you do.

 

[pentazepam]

Variance can be more brutal and last longer than most players think. Especially LIVE players.

I did win a lot online between 2003 and 2013. Not because I was great but I played against totally clueless opponents for the most part (as everyone tried poker when the online poker boom was).

I won almost every month during this 10-year period, but here is the relevant point for you: I had a 3-month period during my longest downswing, during which I broke about even (a small loss).

I played 6-8 tables of NLH Cash during this period against total droolers.

So since you can only play one table at a much slower pace LIVE a downswing can last YEARS!

If you feel you have an edge - and since your opponents seem to play very loose and chase with worse hands/draws you probably have - you just have to keep on playing as long as you can keep your A-game.

It is tough when everything seems to go against you - but if no luck was involved there would be a lot fewer bad players.

 

[Poker Orifice]

It sounds like you need to take a break. maybe play a lower variance game? It's sounds like you got sucked out on but this was a great spot for you and you should not be feeling bad about it, something is badly wrong if you do.

A lower variance game? If he can play on a table where a guy is calling OOP for 90bb's w 75o I'd suggest sleeping there & having meals delivered.

 

[eetenor]

Variance in poker skews outcomes however, you seem to have some feelings of entitlement which is a form of tilt. This suggests that your prior success has aligned your thinking to I should win every hand, which is not the case the player had 17% equity preflop and you allowed them to realize that equity by not 5 betting preflop--further by not bumping the pot again preflop you allowed the player to see the flop and get away from their hand if they hit nothing- Also KK is not so strong a hand that we want to let players see flops easily. Yes before you won doing this- that does not make it the right play every time.

Looking at this hand you have 4800 to start and the pot is 2200 when it gets back to you so is shoving preflop not a very good play? You have KK and 2x pot?
Allowing your V to realize their equity vs your strong but not nut hands because you have been winning before could be a reason that you are on a losing streak now.
I would review all my hands to make sure I was using equity denial tactics in the correct places rather than allowing Villains to get to see flops and realize equity.
We make bank when we get players to fold because then they have 0 equity ---they cannot suck out!!!

For all of you who think this is scared play we have 2x pot not 5x pot- understanding that point is the key to understanding when to shove preflop! It is cash NL, get your stack in the middle preflop in the right spots!

Also, this player is horrible why do we feel like we have to underplay KK right now? We shove- this player calls dominated hands why not get the stack that way?
If they fold, we just get their stack later- we do not have to be tricky to get their stack, they are trying to give it away.