74 replies
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game (https://www.casino.us/poker/games/)? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
I think it’s a combination of both. Variance is obviously real, and sometimes you can play well for hours and still get crushed by the cards. But I also believe our own mindset and decision-making can create what feels like a “hot” or “cold” streak.
When I’m playing badly, I might be tired, impatient, tilted, or forcing spots that I normally wouldn’t take. On the other hand, when I’m confident and focused, I’m probably making better decisions and noticing things I might normally miss. So I try not to blame everything on being “cold.” I’d rather review my hands (https://www.casino.us/poker/strategy/poker-hands/) and see whether my decisions actually changed.
At the end of the day, you can’t control the cards, but you can control how you respond to them. ♠️
Everything Nameless said above. So no I don't really believe in hot and cold streaks. I believe it's either just variance(we can't control the cards) or like you said some days we simply play better then others and those stretches of either can last awhile. No matter how good we are....we all are human and have days where we play good and days where we play like garbage.
Cheers!!!
What people often call “bad luck” in poker is actually variance. You need to learn how to deal with it so you don't go on tilt or completely lose your composure.
I believe in cold and hot streaks and I believe electronic devices may favor gambling (https://www.casino.us/) institute.
But statistics are real. You will eventually have good stats and profits if you keep making good decisions.
I do believe in hot and cold streaks, and I've seen them. But poker is a game of skill because of the math involved. Yeah, there are times that we're gonna lose more than we should, but we're never gonna complain when we have those good streaks, are we? Poker is a long-term game, and in the end, the numbers will come out close to what they should be. And I think that's what we really need to remember. Also, when you're in a down streak, what I tend to do is look at my game more. I'll look to see if it's really the math or is it me. A friend of mine once was trying to prove to me how online poker (https://www.casino.us/poker/) was rigged because he had lost with pocket aces like 12 times in a row. And when I saw what he had been doing, yeah, he lost 12 times in a row, and most of the time was his fault. So it is a bigger thing than just math and variance and up and down. It's such a combination of all, and we as players really need to look into it deeper when we're having one of these streaks.
I don´t "believe" in hot or cold streaks - there is no mystical dealer that decides whether you are blessed this week/month/day and the other way round.
What tricks us there is our human brain that does not like chaos and poker can be pure chaos.
The human brain likes things sorted (each thing in the right box)and this brain also underlies some strange not only pure biological rhythms.
There are many things that influence these states (focus, confidence, well rested).
Our brain puts this together in a non conscious way like cold/hot streak sorting of events happened.
I definitely feel table confidence is strongly linked to results, sometimes it can be because of the type of games we choose to play, sometimes we play at a level that is higher than we are able to manage (especially when embarking on a poker career) but essentially, results dont lie - you can have a streak of run bad and run good and im a firm believer that good results breed more...thats why they call it a heater.
Poker is fickle and over the years ive developed a thick skin, i dont get over obsessed with results these days but thats through choice and lifestyle.
I play significantly less now due to prioritising my job and my fiancee.
Good luck and bad luck definitely can run in streaks, its what we do when its a run bad that defines our future results, self care, time out helps me.
What is real is the variance.
I am past the point of believing that good or bad luck controls how I do in a card game.
I get good feelings in knowing that I played solid and made the correct move...
When I lose focus and do something that I should not do bad things happen.
That is not bad luck, that is me being stupid....
The toughest part to accept in poker is sometimes you can do all of the right things and still lose.....
That falls in the category of "Cards Are Funny Things."
I would say hot and cold streaks definitely exist in a game like poker but its our own decision how we let that influence our game. Its definitely more easy to play your best when running good and also vice versa.
Hi🙂
Poker mirrors the recurring ups and downs of life; in the game, we choose when and how to confront the hand—whether good or bad—that fate deals us. I view every phase of the game, the highs and the lows as an integral part of the experience. Since any contest between two or more parties inevitably produces winners and losers, the superior player is the one who recognizes and capitalizes on winning streaks while effectively managing and navigating periods of loss.
Great perspective! It really does come down to human perception and variance. While short-term variance and downswings are completely real mathematically, our own focus, mental state, and decision-making quality heavily influence whether we turn those moments into a "hot streak" or a prolonged slump. Keeping emotions in check is definitely the hardest part!
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
I agree 100% I don't believe that I personally have good or bad luck runs caused by external factors. It's all me. Variance, or crazy stuff as I prefer to call it, happens all the time. Sometimes in my favour, sometimes not. What I don't understand is why the mathematical certainty of odds (https://www.casino.us/poker/strategy/odds/) is wrong so often. Those ridiculous/crazy draws happen much more frequently than the odds say they should. Again, not just against me, against everybody.
I think yes because luck is a part of the results in our poker career
I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse
That's exactly how I feel too. Sometimes, I find myself right in the zone, and sometimes I'm just lost.
But poker has its own mind too. You can be in the zone as much as you want and lose every single hand you play even if you start ahead and you can win every hand you play no matter how you play it. So, yes, you can have winning streaks as well as "cold" ones.
I believe poker definitely has short-term streaks of good and bad luck, but I don’t believe luck runs are permanent or predictable. Poker has a lot of variance, so even a very good player can lose for a significant period, while a weaker player can run extremely well. Over a large enough sample, though, skill and decision-making become much more important. So I try not to get emotionally attached to either a winning or losing streak—I focus on making the highest-EV decision on every hand.
i believe in bad streaks yes it happens many times sadly
I think hot and cold streaks definitely feel real when you’re playing poker, but I’m not convinced that they are caused by some kind of continuous luck that follows a player.
There is so much variance in poker that it is completely possible to have a long period where the results seem unusually good or unusually bad. The difficult part is that our brains naturally look for patterns, especially when we experience several similar results in a short period of time.
I also agree that sometimes what feels like a “hot streak” or “cold streak” can actually be related to how we are playing. When I’m confident and making good decisions, I may notice more positive results. On the other hand, after a few bad beats, frustration can affect my decisions and create a real downward spiral. In that case, the problem isn’t that the deck is suddenly against me — my decision-making may have changed.
For me, the best approach is to focus on the quality of my decisions rather than trying to predict whether I’m currently “hot” or “cold.” Luck affects individual sessions, but over a larger sample, I think good decisions and discipline are much more important.
I think it’s more about making bad/good decisions, distractions, and the need to pull everything off in a single hand. Streaks are what they are: consequences, not destiny.
What people often call “bad luck” in poker is actually variance. You need to learn how to deal with it so you don't go on tilt or completely lose your composure.
Hello, it's interesting what you say, but when the "variation" makes you lose on the river because he gives him a kinta or you with AA and he makes him a reki on the river or a flush or kinta, you get ideas and it destroys you emotionally and mentally, especially if you played well and you're getting close to the itm, the final top 50, right?
lol, you can win with crap hands too. So i think you can have favourable periods where anything you play not too well, can yield decent results, but in the end, only consistent good play will get you there even through bad periods. as much as AA is not a garuanteed win, the bad times may just be bad luck in a sense. but playing good and consistent should overcome that. i think people play loose and then lose more in the so called bad streaks.
idk. but good question
I like to think that I've reached a point where my game has become more or less standard. So I don't recognize any skill peak periods and total brainfarts occur less and less.
What remains, is just me being Donald...
The results tell the| truth . At least in my games . The unlucky or crazy hands usually deep in a tourney hurt my game a lot , and my willingness to dedicate time on poker . Thee hands reduce dramatically expected profits . Now , are they bad streak , bad luck , or maybe bad rng ?? I would choose the last option . So many crazy or unlucky hands one after the other is unreal . On the other hand good streaks , upswings are almost non existent.
Sometimes I find myself thinking about how unlucky I’ve been with money for most of my life; however, I have a wonderful family and great friends, so I believe God sometimes makes up for it in other ways—as the saying goes: "unlucky in cards, lucky in love."
Definitely, hot streaks/cold streaks in poker is real! One can be a good player but random variance can deal you the raw end of the cards in downswings & likewise a bad player could find luck in the cards for a limited upswing. Poker is never constant unless one is really bad in the game & unlucky.
The biggest upswing feels like you're completely invincible—every river card hits, your bluffs always go through, and you feel like a genius. On the flip side, the biggest downswing is pure mental torture where doubt creeps in, you question your entire strategy, and it feels like mathematically impossible beats happen every single session. The emotional rollercoaster is real!
it's simply called variance, and boy can it be a mfer sometimes. Good poker players have shorter/less dramatic downswings, but every player, good or bad will go through stretches where no matter how well you play, the cards will destroy you.
I do think so. That's not my case, but I've seen him in a lot of players. Now I do believe and it has happened to me that I have lost a lot of tournaments due to the great luck of the other players.
Each hand or game in poker is completely independent from the previous ones, so in theory there is no such thing as "being in a hot/cold streak". But its quite normal, that a period with poor results make us play worse and vice versa, and then it can become a self reinforcing thing. There are many subtle ways, this can manifest itself like making bad calls, avoiding thin valuebets or becoming overly focused on protection at the expense of value.
Every poker player has good runs and bad runs and if you do not get too happy when you win
or too down when you lose you will be a far better player.
During the time I’ve been playing, there are moments when I just don't feel like playing—this happens to me about 5 to 7 times a year. What I do is take a break for 4 or 5 days, and once that feeling passes, I go back to playing
Absolutely. For example: I play Stud H/L at PokerStars just about every evening to relax.
I play the $25,000 buy in. All play money.
From the bottom of $100 where I am now. I will probably go up to just about 3 Millions and then I will gradually go back down.
This has been going on for years.
In all sincerity, I believe so, because there are times when we play so well and everything goes wrong... And sometimes we do everything wrong and win the games, in other words, we have to respect the current phase!! 👍😂😉
i almost always run cold in cash games at the casino . of course it's not easy to win when the house is dropping 5, 6 even 7 dollars a hand in rake ! small stake brick + mortar games are a cash trap .
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
Somehow, yes. Luck, good or bad, had their streaks and it can be very hurtful if you're running a long streak of bad luck. It's been 2 months since I final tabled.
The object of poker is to improve your game to make better decisions and rely less on luck. No one will ever eliminate
luck but one can reduce reliance on it. There will be times when we all have strings of luck but we should never rely on them
Certainly believe it. I’ve seen players have fantastic years—Niklas Heinecker won a huge amount of money in a matter of days playing only cash games—while, on the other hand, Gus Hansen had terrible years; without a doubt, these were streaks that defined both players.
I do believe in hot and cold streaks, and I've seen them. But poker is a game of skill because of the math involved. Yeah, there are times that we're gonna lose more than we should, but we're never gonna complain when we have those good streaks, are we? Poker is a long-term game, and in the end, the numbers will come out close to what they should be. And I think that's what we really need to remember. Also, when you're in a down streak, what I tend to do is look at my game more. I'll look to see if it's really the math or is it me. A friend of mine once was trying to prove to me how online poker was rigged because he had lost with pocket aces like 12 times in a row. And when I saw what he had been doing, yeah, he lost 12 times in a row, and most of the time was his fault. So it is a bigger thing than just math and variance and up and down. It's such a combination of all, and we as players really need to look into it deeper when we're having one of these streaks.
I agree. Those long 2 months I have not reached ITM is mainly due to my wild plays. But, I still believe it's luck (bad one, in my case). Perhaps it's not meant for me. I don't, and never complain though.
I may have to revisit my previous hands (https://www.casino.us/poker/strategy/poker-hands/) and see what went wrong.
it can happen but its not a must.
I quite agree with that idea. In poker I would distinguish between “streaks” and “accumulated luck” .
A streak of good or bad results does exist statistically : you can win or lose many consecutive sessions simply because of the variance. 😀
Definitely there are hot streaks in poker but for sure there are cold ones too , for example you can play well a still bubble a tournament which is the worst feeling to me because you question your play even if you played perfect but when you win playing the exact same way its ok, so just accept that its just a game people win and people lose. I have heard of accomplished poker pros that had a 1 year losing streak and some had to take a break for months so just accept the game for what it is and I hope you never lose a hand.
As others have said, variance will inevitably lead to a perception of being on a roll one way or the other. It's probably a function of how human brains work that, when a pattern is so different from the norm, we will extrapolate a story beyond the maths.
Even if there is predetermination, or there is something profound about a particularly interesting new pattern, there is no way of proving it either way.
I admit to some cognitive dissonance here, as I have personally extrapolated meaning from patterns, and yet I both agree and disagree with my own perception.
i figure it is more human perception than anything else.
I don't believe in luck, I believe more in work, study and continuous improvement, knowing the faults and identifying them, to a certain extent, analyzing lost hands and hands won.
Hello, it's interesting what you say, but when the "variation" makes you lose on the river because he gives him a kinta or you with AA and he makes him a reki on the river or a flush or kinta, you get ideas and it destroys you emotionally and mentally, especially if you played well and you're getting close to the itm, the final top 50, right?
Variance works exactly like that. If someone doesn't understand it, they start getting in their own head and convincing themselves that the site is a scam, that it's full of bots, etc.
Just check out the wsop (https://www.casino.us/poker/tournaments/wsop/) channel on YouTube and look at some of the brutal bad beats they've had. I've watched more than one tournament there, and there are hundreds of hands like that
Yes, I believe so—after all, that’s poker: highs and lows, or sometimes just lows 😂🤣
I will let you know when I have a good run!!!! So far its been mostly bad runs with a sprinkling of a good game here and there.
You make your own luck to some extent, and luck does play a role in poker.
Luck will always definitely play a part in it, but it is by play you can definitely minimize some involvent of lady luck. You can have good/bad slumps in luck, but how you handle it is the most important part. So I would say its a real deal, but for player you just need to regognize where you are accordingly and knowing when to keep playing, when to have a break, and especially when just yeet and walk away.
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
The main point is that hot and cold streaks can feel very real, but they don't necessarily mean the cards are actually running hot or cold. Random variance can create long streaks, while confidence, focus, tilt, and decision-making can also make us play better or worse during those periods.
I believe it, but it's more psychological. 😄 In poker, there are long streaks of upstreaks and downstreams, and it feels like luck really alternates. But math, the quality of decisions, and the bankroll (https://www.casino.us/poker/strategy/poker-bankroll-management/) decide everything from a distance. The main thing is not to start winning back when bad luck strikes. 🎯
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game?
There are certainly downswings in the game, but I don't mind; it's part of the game.
You only avoid noticing these downswings if you play a very high volume of games; for those who play infrequently, they become quite apparent.
Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is?
That has nothing to do with it; these are just consequences of the game itself.
What do you think?
For me, luck—good or bad—doesn't exist in poker; it is your gameplay-related decisions that will lead to greater success.
I don't believe in luck as a magical force, but rather in real sequences of good or bad results, that is, statistical variations, which frequently occur in poker. This is normal.
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
i definitly belife in hot straks , and not believe in cold streaks its just bad choice , macimum pozitivity
I've played enough sports over the years to believe streaks are absolutely a real thing. Confidence and momentum can build on themselves, and the opposite is true when things aren't going your way. Poker obviously has a huge variance component that sports don't, but I still think running good can improve your confidence and decision-making, while running bad can do the opposite.
I`ve noticed periods of a tournament full of bad lack ( good luck), but they last about 30 min. When the luck is bad, I just stay calm and only fold. Another play is destructive. A longer period of bad luck needs poker education.
Good or bad streaks, I think, depends on luck, because we don't know what cards fall to improve or undo a hand.
While I do believe in bad run or good run, which is often connected with short term luck, I do believe in long term luck (or unluck) in poker does not exist, so the word "continous" here... gets "NO" from me.
I believe, when we have bad run, it influences our mental shape, the quality of our play, so we can suffer it longer we "should". But see, in such case it is no "luck" anymore (even if it could be in a beginning), we just play worse. The same with a good run, just opposite - when we have a good run, we usually just play better.
if you are unlucky in 9 tournaments, winning one can compensate for all losses and even make a profit, it's easy
Without a doubt, that’s poker variance. There are days when you go on a winning streak and days when you go on a losing streak—that’s normal.
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
I believe in hot and cold streaks in terms of results, but not in the idea that the cards somehow become hot or cold. Variance naturally creates periods where everything seems to work and others where nothing does.
What I do believe changes is my own performance. Confidence, fatigue, tilt, and concentration can make me play better or worse for several sessions. So I try to separate the cards, which I can’t control, from the quality of my decisions, which I can. GL, mate!!!
I think short-term hot and cold streaks happen because of variance, but over the long run, skill and good decision-making matter much more than luck.
I think there are good runs and bad runs in poker, but I don’t see them as ‘continuous luck’. It’s more about those moments when your play fits the table dynamics, and others when everything seems to go the opposite way. It’s not magic or destiny ,just a mix of decisions, rhythm, mindset, and of course, the game’s variance.
I believe variance can feel brutal when you're in the middle of it. A good run doesn't make every decision right, and a bad run doesn't mean you're playing badly. The key is staying disciplined enough to judge your decisions, not the results.
Yeap. Poker players have selective memory. We always remember the bad beats, never the suckouts.
Do you believe in hot streaks/cold streaks in your poker game? Or is it just another example of how flawed our human perception is? I definitely feel that I have periods when I'm playing better or playing worse, but I think that is a "me" thing, and not some blessing/curse of a hot/cold deck that is outside of my own control. What do you think?
I think it’s probably a mix of both. Sometimes you just run really well or really badly for a while, but I also notice that my own mindset can make a big difference. When I’m on a bad run, I tend to get impatient and force things. So I try not to blame the cards too much and focus on whether I’m actually making good decisions.
I'm sure that winning or losing streaks are just a matter of perception for the players. But I constantly feel the pressure during losing streaks, and it's very hard to be successful during those times. 😕
Every poker player runs hot and runs cold, the cold runs seem to last longer but I am
convinced that in the end they balance out.
I agree.
Most hot and cold streaks are just variance, while our own focus, confidence, and discipline can definitely change.
I try to judge my game by my decisions, not by how the cards are running.
Study, discipline at the tables, many disciplines
I believe in variance, not endless luck.
You can run hot or cold for a long time, but over the long run, skill and discipline win.
I think there are good luck and bad luck streaks in poker. I hope they will even out over time but I know I have experienced both of these (but I usually only remember the bad runs). There are times where I repeatedly get the wrong end of the flip over and over…with AK losing to QQ or JJ and then losing with QQ to AK. Or losing with a better pair to a lesser pair like 77 losing to 33, etc. I guess it is just part of the game but when it keeps happening, it’s hard not to feel it is a streak.
I don't really believe that good or bad luck continues because of what happened before. Every hand is different. But sometimes it can feel like you're on a bad run when you keep losing close hands (https://www.casino.us/poker/strategy/poker-hands/). I try to focus on making good decisions instead of worrying about whether I'm lucky or unlucky.
Some people in this world are just unlucky. You can sit for hours without good cards, and it will still cost you money because of the blinds. That's the truth of poker. Many here will disagree, but if you look at it realistically: just as there are people who are better than you at any sport, there are also people who will always be unlucky. If you're one of those people who just has bad luck (no matter how memorized the strategies are and how tight you play), I have some advice: accept your loss and stop giving them your money. It sucks, it can be frustrating and upsetting, but peace of mind is worth far more than just doing something you have no talent for.