long losing streaks

How do the best of card counters handle long losing streaks where you get absolutely no breaks? The dealer seems to make every hand out of bust cards especially when you have big bet after big bet exposed from what seems like an endless amount of positive shoes. I have recently had a really hard time handling my emotions, losing control and pressing at times when the count is marginal. When down I have even played when minimums have been raised during peak times to try and chase losses. I have given up part of my edge and with the losses this amounts to a large percentage of bankroll. Anyone have some personal rules that they follow or suggestions during these periods of difficult swings?

Learning to deal with losing is without a doubt the most difficult part of this game. I am currently down 930 units from my years high of 2915 in early July. This has been my worse such period in 7 years of playing. It can be a struggle mentally. You get to the point that when the count rises and you throw out a big bet you expect to lose. lol You have to work hard to be disciplined, believe in the math and keep reminding yourself that everything is about longterm results and this type of period is completely normal and to be expected along the road to 'longterm'. I try to view these types of experiences as a learning experience that with better prepare me for the future.

By playing through it and not overbetting.

Kewljason and bigplayer have told you like it is. At times, I've done what you have described and many advantage players probably have too. This game can be very frustrating. Another frustrating scenario is whenyou sit because the count is negative and the remaining players win almost every hand. Many times when I have my big bets out and lose every hand (along with everyone else), others get up and leave and I should be in a great situation playing heads up in a juicy count. It's a great feeling until you keep on losing. Take the advice of kewljason and bigplayer and I'm sure there will be more variations on the same theme. Leave the table or the casino if you have to and regroup. You are human, and not a machine. We all are.

Some larger than others. I too watched as session after session was a loss, and max bet after max bet were beaten, sometimes in unthinkable ways.

I attached a link to another similar post that is farther down on this page.

My best advice is to be patient and trust in the math. Do not chase the loses as you will end up digging a larger hole to crawl out of. And you will crawl out if you are playing a decent game with a decent edge.

Would not wish a long losing streak on anyone - it plays with your mind something fierce and makes you doubt all you know and your capabilities.

Just remember, "This too shall pass" and you'll be back in the black, hopefully in the near future.

When the count goes up you keep digging until your knuckles bleed and you keep shoving the chips out. That is, of course, if you are playing a worthwhile game. If you're not, you just keep digging until you go broke.

I will just trust the math and keep moving forward. I play in a better than average game and have made a lot of money playing it in the past. It almost works against you when you hardly lose for such a long period of time and then run into such devastating losses. It makes you wonder if you have lost your touch. It definitely does mess with your mind. Thank you for all the posts everyone.

So, hang in there, underbet your bankroll and put in the hours. There are no shorcuts.

The first thing you learn about the game of 21 is that it can be beaten. The next thing you learn is how to win. The hardest thing to learn is how to lose. It is a test of yourself and a test of your character. Learning how to lose is a lesson of life and you learn many things about yourself. I have known quite a few excellent counters that have given up the game because they could not handle the fluctuations. If you hang in there long enough you will come out ahead. During those long downward spirals it's easy to succumb to the pulls of playing too long, overbetting, anger and doubt. I have been there many times and my biggest challenge is knowing when to quit losers. Knowing when to quit and accepting the loss is a hard thing to do but you have to be able to do it. When I have had long losing streaks for long periods of times (weeks,months) my advice is to take a little time off and regroup. Let the moon move a little. Think about your strategy, count, betting, bankroll, etc. and get your confidence built up again. Practice a little here and there and pretty soon you will get the fever again and you will want to play again. The most important thing is not to over bet your bankroll. Have a large bank to bet ratio so when and if you lose you have plenty of bank backing you up. Then there is less worry. My rule is don't drink when you play, don't overbet and don't play to get even. When the winning streaks come then it's just the opposite. You get lots of 19's and 20's and blackjacks. You draw good cards to stiffs and hardly ever bust. All your doubles win and the dealer busts on almost every stiff they have. Those times do come. OMG would it be that way all the time.

I feel one of the reasons that people who can beat the game often do not is the emotional thing.
Loss after loss in a high count where if the dealer is showing a 6, there is a 5 in the whole or if that dealer has 16, he will pull perhaps the only 5 left in the shoe for a 21, can be more frustrating to a counter than a regular player because you know how unlikely that combination of cards was. So you keep increasing your bet to get the money back even after the count has gone down, overbeating whatever advantage you might have, perhaps overbeating your bankroll and also increasing your risk of ruin. Ever wonder why so many people try counting and fail, even if they read the right books and practiced a ton.
We are not machines but in order to beat this game often we must play like a machine while looking like a gambler, not an easy task.
After many years, today I think I can look like an extremely stressed losing gambler during one of these streaks and at the same time put out the proper bets.

You will get the money back eventually but only if you do not blow your bankroll overbeating based on emotion.