A quick tip on how to handle a downswing

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this reminds me of the passage in ace on the river where barry says something to the effect of if you are stuck 100BBs, rather than trying to get it all back you should only be trying to win 50BBs instead...

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Barry is correct. The object of course is to stop the bleeding and try to get back on the winning track. To win anything at this point is better than continuing the downhill slide.

Winning back 50BB is your goal. In other words, you should forget about your 100BB loss and concentrate on just playing extremely well. If you can win back half of that loss that is a fine achievement, and sometimes you will win back all of it and perhaps more. It has to do with mindset, positive thinking, and controling your emotions.

If you're losing that much, there is also the distinct possibility (not for 2+2ers, I know) you might not be playing your best game. If you can't get the train back on the tracks, then you're going to have to eat the loss, because it is senseless to keep on playing when you're not at your optimal best.



But here is another way of looking at things. Suppose you are $1000 invested in a game, but you only have $500 in front of you. You have lost 50% of your original buy-in. In order to recoup your loss you have to increase your current stake by 100%.

100% gains are very hard to come by, and this example clearly demonstrates the concept of keeping your losses small.