advise -- what to do when having a downswing

[Greg J]

I post about a week ago about how I had some pretty bad sessions, then it was seemingly turning around. Well, after that post I have been on a downswing approaching 80bbs. I know some of you more experienced guys have gone through these, by I notice a few trends that are disturbing me and I wanted to discuss them and ask how best to deal with them. (And also vent I guess.)

I'm playing expecting to loose. I get KK or AA, I play it like I should, nice and aggressively, but when things are going well I play them and get a little excited. Recently I get a powerful hand and think "oh great, now watch it loose." And guess what? It does! I get a mid pocket pair and say, "it doesn't matter if i call... I'm missing my set." And it does. I get a flush draw with AXs, and say, raising for value on the flop, but I say "it doesn't matter, my flush will miss." And it does. I haven't hit a flush in a week. As I consciously address this while I'm playing, I think I am making mistakes, and playing weakly as a result. It's not tilt... I associate that with anger. This is more like resignation.

Now I'm not asking for a "there there Greg, things will turn around." Statistically I know this. I'm not trying to bitch. I'm just wondering what (if anything) you guys have do when this happens. I'm thinking take a few days off. The problem is I enjoy this game, except when I'm loosing like this I don't... it's weird. Whenever I sit down to play the last few times I'm not initially expecting to loose, but then the beats start, and so does this attitude of KNOWING I will loose.

Even sitting here writing this I'm itching to go back to playing. I'm not on my game though.

So, take a while off totally?

[Malarky]

When I lose continuously I try to suffocate myself with my pillow. What you are doing seems to be working a little bit better, though.

[Dispatch]

Welcome to the club. I hate to say that, but it is part of the experience.

Take solace in the fact that this will only make you stronger. Remember, through much pounding, heating, pounding, reheating, polishing, pounding, reheating and more polishing - well, thats how a sword is made.

If all we did was win, we would never be strong.
Good luck.
Dispatch

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
Take solace in the fact that this will only make you stronger. Remember, through much pounding, heating, pounding, reheating, polishing, pounding, reheating and more polishing - well, thats how a sword is made.



[/ QUOTE ]


Thats some deep [censored].

[tacoshooter]

I just dug my way out of a 90BB downswing, during which I felt my play wasn't off. It was just that I was hitting a stretch where my draws didn't make it or my big pairs were getting rivered by some retarded junk two-pair.

Throw a cold streak of cards in there and it's pretty frustrating. You just have to keep telling yourself that while the idiots taketh away, they also giveth.

Sometimes during downswings I take a couple days off to get my mind right or just cut way back on the number of hands I play. Others say to play through it -- it just depends on if the loss is affecting your play and if time off will get your mind right.

[nopants]

Ever notice how, when sports reporters are doing locker room interviews after the big game and talk to the winning team, the winners never fail to claim that "God was on our side" or they thank their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Nobody in the losing locker room ever seems to claim that they lost because God hated their team.

I think when you're on a losing streak, it's simply because God hates you. Don't worry, though, he hates all poker players at one time or another. He was particularly vengeful at my home game last week and I was distinctly, and furiously smoten.

You'll get over it. See you in hell.



PS - I'm kidding, people. Since I'm already going to hell, there's no need to flame, here.

[rjc199]

well, I'm on a similar run. Just 10 seconds ago I had AKs on simultaneous tables. On one I flopped a flush draw, on the other I got top pair. I lost both hands, the top pair hand lost to a flush on the river. The flush draw hand I ended up picking up a pair of aces on the turn but I lost to a backdoor flush. I was expecting to lose both hands, but I played them the same regardless of what I expected. Just play the hands the same regardless of what you feel, you will be fine. As long as you don't change your style to more weak/passive and play correct poker you will win.

[chesspain]

I had been down about 40BBs since mid-week. In fact, according to Pokertracker, I was averaging -2.4BB/100 hands at 2/4--of course, I only got Pokertracker earlier this week as well, so it only included my last 800 hands [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].

However, in order to get back on track, I did the following:

1) I continued playing my usual tight-aggressive style,
2) I didn't get irritated at the cards or at my opponents,
3) I flopped a set of queens in a multiway pot, fell behind to a LAG who turned a Broadway str8, and after four of us capped the turn, I rivered a full-house, which was capped three ways.

Indeed, winning a net of 28.5 BBs on one hand goes a long way to reminding one about the variance leading to short-term results.

[Haupt_234]

I've dipped down about 150 BBs in the past few days.

<violin> The days seem much darker now...</violin>

But seriously, I think it is a mixture of cold cards and sloppy play because of them. I know I wasn't playing up to par, but I know I wasn't too far off. I also know that I got more than my usual share of 3 outter suckouts and what not.

Haupt_234

[antidan444]

Jst wanted to say that, since I'm a sportswriter, I appreciated (and laughed at) this post