You see slumps in baseball. A guy is hitting well for a few games and then, all of a sudden, he can’t hit to save his life. He is on a bad streak.
The same can happen with your poker game. You feel you are playing the same game and playing well, but are having bad results. You can’t figure it out. For myself, a bad run can constitute finishing out of the money in 2-5 straight sit n gos. For other players, it can be other criteria. Each person has their own definition of “running bad”.
Just remember, everyone will have bad runs and luck over the course of their poker life. The key is to how you handle it when it happens. Do you go on tilt? Do you keep betting more to try and get even? Do you keep your head and realize that these things happen, bad beats, etc. and just keep playing solid poker and it will turn around.
You need to take a look at your overall game. An honest look if you feel you are truly running bad. It might just be a few losing sessions and not a long term thing. If that is the case, then your game is ok, if you are losing consistently over a long period of time, then it is probably major leaks in your game.
Most average players, if they start running bad and have a few losing sessions, panic. They go on “tilt” and try everything they can to get back to even. Change their basic style, bet wildly, play hands they shouldn’t, etc. It creates a self fulfilling prophecy, they lose because they are running bad and they’re running bad because they are losing.
The very good players will step back and look at their game. Look at the way they played some of their hands. They will be honest and say, I played that correctly it was just a bad beat, or they will say What Was I Thinking There!!!
Bad beats happen everyday, and many times a day if you play a lot. Flushes get beat by full houses, 2 pair get beat by trips, Aces don’t hold up, etc. If this is happening and it starts to really irritate you, then fold the cards, cash in, and leave for another day. Cool off and go play golf and REALLY get irritated.
The last thing to remember about trying to recover from a bad run. Don’t make the mistake many average and below average players make, don’t move up in levels trying to get your money back. When you move up, the competition usually gets tougher making it harder to win and you are risking more of your money to try and get even fast. Do the slower and safer method and move down in levels, Less competition, smaller risk of your money, and it costs far less to get your bad run over and your game straight.
I have played countless hours of Hold Em both online and live successfully. I am not a pro but have studied the games of various pros extensively. I have compiled a mini e-course designed to improve your game and bankroll. Please access this free course at:
hstrial-pokerbook.homestead.com/indexpoker.html
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