Rich, I’m sorry you are going through such an awful streak, and the reality is extended bad runs can happen to even very good players. I remember reading something recently where Jonathan Little described his early career tournament winnings taking a massive hit for two full years when he was substantially in the red. I’m sure he didn’t suddenly forget how to play.

While it seems like if you play enough things should level out more, it is also clear that there is statistical variation in “luck” (e.g. getting good cards, hitting outs on strong draws, etc.) within a single player’s career over different time periods and between players in certain time periods. I think I talk about quitting at least 2-3 times a year when the runs are bad.

Sadly, I’m not sure there is a great answer, because you are smartly doing what you should – play within your means and hope to see a turnaround until your career variability in card quality swings back and the game becomes profitable again. Few players have the discipline to even do that. Most of all, continue to make solid decisions with the hands you have because going on some global tilt won’t go well.

I know you know all of this and these don’t even fall into the “idea” department, but we can only control the quality of our play with the cards and situations we are presented, and play with financial responsibility.

It’s not actually a “leak.” It’s just that I’m “card dead,” way out of proportion to what would seem reasonable. And it’s been that way now for years.

I routinely sit for hours without two starting cards. I don’t remember an event or a session where I wasn’t folding 93 offsuit for round after round. Then, even when I make a starting hand, I’ve been folding for so long I almost never get paid off.

I know, I know… “everybody goes card dead.”

Not like this. I don’t remember a session where I don’t go 30, 40, 50 hands in a row with nothing. I mean… nothing. No spots to steal, no cards to play, no bluffs to work, no nothing.

I don’t remember a hand when my opponent didn’t improve. I don’t remember hitting a long shot card “when it mattered.”

It’s not my imagination. It’s not “selective thinking.” It’s stone cold card dead, day after day, week after week, month after month.

I’ve had four cashes in the WSOP. I’ve gone deep in the Senior’s Event (Top 100 out of 4000, and lost when QQ got beat by K9 suited who flopped a 110-1 flush). So the point is I’m not a complete dummy.

Last year at the Senior’s, I lasted seven hours without the benefit of one legitimate starting hand. Just 73, J5 (my favorites are “jack-off” hands), just “bottom 20%” of hands… ad nauseum.

My losses at my local poker room, to two outs and three outs, have become the butt of jokes.

All that being said, my only salvation is I’m very disciplined about money. I just moved down in stakes. But that’s going in the wrong direction.

Does anyone have any possible ideas? I’m on the verge of quitting completely.

He stated that the biggest loser in the typical poker game may well be the biggest winner because to be a winner at poker the good player must strive to surround himself (or herself in this new era) with losers and weak players, the exact opposite of the people a winner in the game of life would enjoy being around.

And when you think about it that makes perfect sense. A prime example would be the late Stuart Ungar, the 3 time World Series winner who died of a Heroin overdose in a downtown Vegas hotel with $800 in his pocket. And think about the poker industry further. If you really get into the heart of it and play as a full time professional you find that the industry runs on borrowed money. People are in and out of the money all the time and are constantly borrowing to stay in action.

One last comment here. Contrary to what everyone seems to think and all the books that have been written Texas Hold-Em is not rocket science or even Algebra 1. It isn’t even as complicated as the now extinct games of 7 card stud and 5 card draw. It’s a simple game where people put in one bet hour after hour or even day after day to see the flop. Either you hit the flop or you don’t. If all the money goes into the center 99% of the time you either flopped a big hand or a big draw. If you play 40 to 60 hours a week at no limit for 50 weeks a year taking 2 weeks off for vacation, which very few poker addicts do, there will be perhaps less than 50 hands which will make you or break you during the year. And in the words of Mason Malmuth the cycles (luck if you prefer) run so severe you can be the best player in the game and lose for 2 years straight. I don’t know about you but the average player isn’t going to lose for 2 years straight. They will find a straight job and join GA and take the cure long before then.