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Sooner or later, no matter how skilled he may be, every poker player is going
to hit an extended run of poor results. There are few things in poker that
will test a player's mettle more than running bad. Some melt under the
pressure, even going so far as to leave the game completely. Others find
that they thrive when they have to break their game down and rebuild it from
the ground up. Whatever their response, everyone who runs bad inevitably
questions their game and looks for a way to stop the bleeding. The most
important thing to do in such a situation is to step back and make sure
you're asking yourself the right questions. If you do this, your chances of
getting back on track should improve.
1.) How much of your bad run is your fault?
While it isn't a very comforting thought to someone in the midst of a losing
streak, it's very important to note that many players who think they are
running bad because of poor cards are really running bad because of leaks in
their game. Even worse, these may be leaks that don't actually appear until
a bad run begins. Players who find themselves unable to win can be prone to
making basic mistakes because they find themselves jolted out of the mindset
they maintain easily when winning. These mistakes can pile upon one another
and make a bad situation even worse.
If you're having a bad run, it's of the utmost importance that you sit down
and analyze your game in detail. This is where having access to a program
like
PokerTracker can come in handy. Start with your preflop hand
selection and make sure you aren't playing too many hands. Try to figure out
whether or not you're maximizing your position. Are you chasing draws
without the proper pot odds? And are you making the most of opportunities to
build big pots when you're on a solid draw? Do you play too many weak or
mediocre hands from the blinds? These are all holes in your game that you
may not see when you're having poor results, but which can be fixed easily.
Repairing them may not stop the bad run completely, but it will go a long
way toward getting you back to respectable results.
2.) Do you need to step down in limits?
Bankroll management is a skill that not enough players learn - and it's also
one that can be crucial to saving your stake if you go on a bad run. Players
who have built up a bankroll over time through playing in low-limit games,
and then find themselves running bad in a middle-limit game they've grown
accustomed to playing, can fall prey to a dangerous sort of pride. Even if
their shrinking bankroll justifies a move down in limits to protect their
stake, they feel too embarrassed to do so. They worry about what other
players will say if they see them haunting the low-limit tables again,
continue to play above their bankroll in the middle-limit games, and then
find themselves completely broke or crippled to the point that they're
forced to move down.
Don't make the mistake of being too proud. It's better to step down
voluntarily to a game you can crush than to be forced to because you lost
all your bankroll playing above your head on a bad run. Stepping down can
often be the extra cushion you need to weather the downswing you're
experiencing.
3.) Are you playing the right game?
Many times a bad run can be at least partially attributed to your game
selection. This can apply both to the specific game you're playing (e.g.
limit hold'em, no-limit sit-and-go tourneys, etc.) and also to choosing the
right tables. The urge to "get back" when losing repeatedly can cloud your
vision, leaving you stuck at an unprofitable table when there are plenty of
loose, crushable games to choose from. You may also get into a rut playing
your usual game that can only be done away with by playing a different game.
Tournament players can be especially susceptible to this because a bad
tourney streak can come about even when you're playing well.
4.) Do you need to take a break?
If you examine all the question above and find you're still playing a solid
game, usually the best answer to a bad run is simply to keep playing. Your
results should even out in the long run. But if you've found flaws in your
game, your bankroll management skills, or your game selection, sometimes the
solution is simply to step away from poker for a while. This can be a
painful choice for many players, but it's also sometimes necessary. Many of
the lessons we learn when playing poker don't sink in all at once, and
continuing to move forward with too much unprocessed experience in our minds
can be counter-productive.
If you find yourself unable to fully concentrate, get away from the game for a
while. Use the time you would normally spend playing poker to enjoy other
activities. Clear your head. When you decide it's time to come back to the
game, you may just find yourself playing the best poker of your life.
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