When do you move down/what do you do?

[JoshuaD]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a little ritual that I go through. When I drop past a certain point, say 10 buyins (I play SNGs), I drop 3 levels and play an hour there to blow off some steam, then play an hour at the next level, etc, and I don't move back up to my preferred stakes until I've shown a profit for a day or two at the lower stakes. I think if I had implemented this earler it would have severely cut down on the tilt aspect of my downswings, because this helps to maintain your confidence level. It feels good to be able to laugh when your QcQh gets outdrawn by QdQs, because the money doesnt matter. So ride out the downswing at a lower stakes, then move back up when they flip back the doom switch.

But for 6max...I used to play a lot of 5/10 and a little 10/20, and the downswings were always so stressful. I was rolled well enough, but I just found that if I sunk past 100BBs or so I'd just keep on sinking until I took a few days off--NO poker, NO 2+2--do other stuff for awhile, like exercise, sleep, hit on some ladies, etc. And come back mentally refreshed. IMO that's all you can do. "Working through it" is something some people can do, but not I. I prefer to take a step back and regather myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you feel like you were tilting before you moved down? When I start feeling burn, I just stand up. When I sat down today I felt good and ready to make money. When that feeling disapeared, I stood up.

[Femto]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you feel like you were tilting before you moved down? When I start feeling burn, I just stand up. When I sat down today I felt good and ready to make money. When that feeling disapeared, I stood up.

[/ QUOTE ]It's more a preventative measure. When I feel like I could start to tilt because of all the ridiculous beats, then I take action--rather than waiting until I know for sure that I'm tilting.

[Oilcan]

I've seen you, and your stats at the tables, and try to avoid playing with you or others like you.

The downswing will pass.

Cut back on the tables and/or stakes until you "get your groove back"..(you know what I mean).

Once every couple of months when something similar happens to me, I play 1 table only of my regular game and 2 tables of the next limit down until it ends.

good luck

regards

[Pog0]

[ QUOTE ]
Cut back on the tables and/or stakes until you "get your groove back"..(you know what I mean).

[/ QUOTE ]

All the advice pertaining to getting through downswings is really just advice on how to be in a good mental place.

Downswings just rip on our emotional state (especially before we're used to them. I imagine someone with 300k+ hands is used to them and doesn't worry much if at all anymore). If we can find a way to not let the decrease in winnings negatively affect our play, then we can avoid getting into less profitable situations like moving down in limits or playing fewer tables.

I actually tend to play more tables when I'm losing so to make up my lost money in less time. I told myself I'd play fewer tables today, but it just didn't seem to make any sense. I know I'm a winning player. I am confident that I can win the most by playing x tables. I can't justify playing any fewer than x tables.

The advice that makes our poker experience easier on our psychological state is typically good advice, but it's more of a work around than a solution.

Teach a man to fish. Grind your way through it.

--
for 6max, I wouldn't feel comfortable playing with <500BB for my limit though. I understand why the high limit pros don't like having <1000BB.

[Emmitt2222]

Dude, I had a 200BB downswing at both 3/6 and 3/6 6max. I know you have run incredibly well up to this point so its probably harder for you, but this isn't that big a downswing. I feel like I go through these weekly at least, but thats also because Im not as good. Seeing as how this is your only income I imagine its scary, but just hang in there and you will make it back considering your stellar track record. You can bitch to me anytime if you get pissed off.

[mungpo]

160bb is the worst downswing of your life? I hope not. Move down when you hit 3k.

[JoshuaD]

[ QUOTE ]
160bb is the worst downswing of your life? I hope not. Move down when you hit 3k.

[/ QUOTE ]


What can I say, I ran really good at 2/4 and 3/6.

[Victor]

160 ain bad. ive had 2 300+ and countless 200.

[Lmn55d]

yea 160 is a walk in the park. Welcome to the cruel world son

[robinsons]

quit being a pussy. if anything cut down the tables to 2-3. there is no point in dropping down in limits, unless you have raped your BR.