Online poker does its best to simulate the up and down swings that are mathematically probable for live-action players, mostly by delivering vastly unlikely beats upon players in predictable patterns. If you’ve had any experience online, you’ve certainly heard the complaints that online poker is rigged. While this is typically pronounced by players with limited skill and appropriately disregarded, I’ve discussed the phenomenon of quickly-turning fortunes with many players who have had success online and have always returned to the same conclusion: what goes up, must come down…and quickly.
One player described a run of taking down 5 straight sit-and-go tournaments only to encounter the predictable, immediate “downswing” afterwards. I’ve also had similar experiences with this specific situation following a minor winning streak. The next day I engaged in multi-tabling four tournaments (playing them all at a time) and ran into some unlikely “beats”. Pocket 9’s against a short stack all-in with 55 and the 5 comes off to give my opponent a set which steals the win. Very mild, but noteworthy. Simultaneously, in another tourney window I find pocket 5’s as a short stack and move-in to find myself up against the opponents 99 - and I flop a 5 to take the lead. However, a nine comes off on the turn to bust me out of that one. KK versus TT and JJ, the Jack falls. AK suited versus A4 off with a 2-3-5 flop after the A4 moved all-in pre-flop without provocation. Set versus a gutshot draw four times all of which catch on the river (it’s unlikely that many sets should occur, much less that they occurred within 30 minutes of each other and all lost). KK versus A8 with a flop of A-A-A puts me a bit behind. This is not including unlikely situations such as the three times pocket KK ran into AA preflop late in tournaments, or the six million times AK has lost to AJ or AQ versus QJ in dominated situations.
Meh. Just variance, still a skill game, keep playing, stop complaining even if you have to force yourself to call an all-in with AA when you know the set of Deuces is going to give your punching bag some action :)
