We can all agree that nothing is worse in poker than losing money in sessions of poker. This is what you experience when you are on a downswing. This is a period of an extended losing streak. As a result, you lose money rapidly. Downswings are often considered to be crucial in poker games as they can put your mental strength to the test.
The interesting fact about a downswing is that it is an inevitable part of poker. Regardless of your level of experience – a beginner or a seasoned player – nobody is immune to downswings. At some point, bad variance can start taking its toll on you.
The inevitability of a downswing makes it crucial to understand how to handle it. In many cases, what distinguishes a good poker player and a great poker player is the ability to handle downswings well. This article will discuss the different ways to tackle downswings.
How Can You Handle A Downswing?
No method can totally guarantee the end of a downswing. However, certain steps can be taken to handle the situation and significantly reduce its adverse effects on your bankroll.
Keep a healthy number of buy-ins for your normal game.
One of the most important steps that can help you reduce the adverse effect of downswings on your poker game is to maintain enough buy-ins. These should be reserved for the stakes you play. Usually, for a live poker player, an upswing requires that about 20 to 40 buy-ins should be kept. If you are an online poker player, 100 buy-ins should be sufficient.
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Try to move down in stakes
Another step to follow if you wish to handle downswings is to move down in stakes. For instance, if you start playing with $1000 to any $0.05/$0.10. Yet, your bankroll has been reduced to $700 by a downswing. This implies that the 100 buy-ins you had have been reduced to 70. As a result, it is only reasonable to move down in stakes as you try to build your bankroll again, as well as your confidence. Poker is similar to a marathon. You will always get another game you can win.
Review your hands
Ensure that you review your hands with seasoned players that play poker around you. Are you making mistakes? Are your losses simply down to bad luck? These are the essential questions you need answers to. Even though it might prove difficult to do, by analyzing your hands, you can understand where the issues are coming from while also getting the opinions of others.
Take a break from playing
When things are not going your way, what if all you need is a break from playing? Indeed, you might be tempted to start chasing your losses during a downswing. Yet, this is never a good idea. After all, a series of poor results can affect your mental capabilities.
Your level of experience does not make you immune to a downswing. As a result, it is imperative that you accept downswings as a normal part of the game. This will help you accept the results of games better even when you are not winning. It becomes easier to walk away, which can help you assess your situation.
While you stay away from playing games, you can still expose yourself to research as you think about the game. A great way to avoid tilting in poker is to simply stay away from the game.
Tackling Tournament Downswings
While this article has focused largely on how to handle downswings in cash games, this section will briefly list some tips to embrace for tournament downswings:
· Maintain a healthy bankroll
· Sell action when required
· Move down in stakes when required
· Avoid playing when tilted
· Temper your expectations
· Study more
Conclusion
Poker is a game that combines skills and luck. When the latter does not present results in your favor, you start experiencing losing streaks. As mentioned above, no one is immune to this bad period. However, you should acquaint yourself with some steps that can help you tackle a downswing.
