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How to Deal with a Downswing
A downswing is a period of time that a player consistently loses
money no matter how well or poorly you are playing. They happen to
everyone at some point in their poker careers and can often make or
break you.
Emotionally and mentally they can be extremely tough going. To
put it into perspective, it’s like going to a ‘normal’ 9-5
job and having to pay someone the privilege to do so. Most sane
person would never do this, but unfortunately as a poker player its
part and parcel of the game.
Many players say that it’s how you deal with a downswing as to
how far you can progress as a player. If you can accept that they
are going to happen and just concentrate on playing your best poker
for the most part of the downswing then there’s really nothing
else you can do.
The downswing is basically a factor of variance in poker and is
something we simply cannot control. All the coaching, game
improvement and community input in the world to improve your game
may still not get you out of a downswing. It’s something that you
just need to grind through and hopefully come out the other end a
better and stronger player as a result.
Whilst by no means easy, the quicker you understand why its
happening and the quicker you accept that it’s simply out of your
control, the better you will become as a poker player.
Throughout this article we will be looking at some key steps to
help you get through your downswing by looking at; take time off,
keeping perspective, dropping down in limits and reviewing your
game before looking at some key points.
Taking Time Off
A downswing can be an extremely stressful time and whilst it’s
true that the only way to get through is to grind it out until you
‘reach the other side’ sometimes taking a bit of time away from
the game can be a good thing to gather your thoughts and just
either chill out or forget about your troubles.
By time off we don’t mean a few hours away from your computer.
Don’t play for a week or so and if you can afford it, get out the
house and get away from it all. More often than not you will return
with a fresh, positive outlook and your commitment to the game will
have improved.
It’s important that throughout this down time that you totally
switch off from poker though. If it’s still stewing in your head
about how bad things are going then it will become almost
impossible to relax. You need to go somewhere or do something that
will give you time away and also make you forget, if only for a
while, of your tribulations in poker at that moment.
Keeping Things in Perspective
This is often one of the toughest things to overcome in the
midst of a downswing. Often thoughts of “I’m the unluckiest
player ever” or “what have I done to deserve this” start
running through your head, but it’s vital you understand this
happens to a lot of people and is almost a certainty that at some
point everyone has to battle a downswing.
At the end of the day, no matter how bad your downswing, there
is always someone, somewhere in the world who is much less
fortunate than yourself. Whether that be the friends you have, the
family around you, the money in your back pocket, the food at your
table, if you are reading this article then I can guarantee someone
is less fortunate than yourself.
Poker is only a game and there’s likely a million other things
you can do whether it be in a recreational manner or a career
changing role. There can be more to life than poker!
Dropping down the Limits
Now you may think that if this is something I cannot control
then why should I drop down the limits if I know the plays I am
making are optimal and I’m just on the other side of variance at
the minute.
Well, if your bankroll is a substantial one then this may be
fair enough, but the longer you go on, the more money you will lose
and then the smaller your bankroll will become. So when the time
comes and you are starting to come out of your downswing you may
not have any bankroll left to fall back on.
By dropping down, don’t look at it as a defeatist way by
thinking you can no longer cut at whatever level, look at it as a
temporary fix to something that sometimes you cannot control. It
will drastically limit your loses and by the time things turn
around, you will have the bankroll still intact to go back to your
original stakes and start to re-build.
Reviewing your Game
We’ve spoken a fair bit in this article about variance can be
a cause of your downswing, but another cause could also be that of
your game deteriorating over time. There are countless poker
professionals out there who 3-4 years ago were beating mid stakes
games and making a very tidy income from it. However, now they
struggle at stakes much, much lower than these simply because they
have failed to put the time and effort into keeping their game up
to scratch and failing to improve.
Whilst you are in a downswing always look to improve your game
and get others to look at your game to see if they can spot any
glaring mistakes you may be making but are simply unaware. You may
not find any major leaks, but just simply addressing this situation
with an open mind to the fact that you could be the reason for your
downswing is a positive outlook to have.
Key Points
- Realise that downswings are part and parcel of the
game
- Learn to deal with them, once you come through you
WILL become a better player as a result
- Drop limits in the midst of a downswing to protect
your bankroll
- Actively look to improve your game and find any
leaks
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