Tips for Running Bad in Poker
One of the worst things that can happen to a poker player is not being drawn out on, on the river. Although that is bad indeed, having a bad run or a major downswing is much worse. Unlike being drawn out on where it is over in a matter of seconds, having a bad run can last days, weeks, or even months. A player feels as if they cannot win and are ready to point the finger in any direction possible other than themselves. That's right I said it, it is very well possible that the bad run you are having is your fault. How so?
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While many other articles start by telling you that it is your fault because you have a leak in your game, this article will not start that way. Sure, it is possible that you chase too many hands, bet too big or even play outside your bankroll. These are all possibilities, no doubt about it. However, this can be your fault simply because when most players realize they are running poorly, they continue playing!
This is the last thing you should do when you are not playing well at poker. You are only setting yourself up for further disappointment and even worse, a big serving of tilt. So what should you do when you realize you are running badly? Our Top 5 tips below should be able to answer that for you and they are in order in which you should concern yourself with them.
Note: One good way to improve the way you view your game is to get feedback at a place like Felt Poker Strategy Forum, this forum has tons of great poker players and they love to help and chat about poker!
Top 5 Tips When Running Bad
1. Play the Right Games: Did you just start playing 7 Card Razz or maybe H.O.R.S.E and now you are losing every game you play? Have you only been playing poker for a month and now you are trying to learn every variation of poker under the sun? While this may not be a big deal to some, others take a while before learning a game well enough to make money. You may need to give yourself time to learn as a few months is simply not enough to have a good concept of some poker games.
2. Analyze Your Game: You need to analyze your game and see where there may be leaks. When you advance in stakes, not only do you need to focus on picking up on your opponent's mistakes, but you need to focus on yours as well. The leak that you may have may have been undetectable in the $1/$2 game, but once you get to the $5/$10 game, it may be something that stands out like a sore thumb. Before continuing to play, you should really do some careful research on how you play and what you can do to get better.
3. Analyze Your Bankroll: Are you playing at too high of stakes for your bankroll. Poker is a complete mind game so it is possible that a couple big losses could be mistaken for a bad run. If you are playing tourneys at sit n go's at $50 a game with only a $500 bankroll, never mind your skills, you can simply be facing a normal variation and your bankroll cannot withstand that type of loss..
4. Steer Away from Tilt: Your emotion is rearing its ugly head at you and letting you know that it has taken over your common sense. It is too easy to tilt in poker and before you know it, you are making horrendous plays, starting with bad cards, and continuously playing catch up. Tilt can be easy to spot but since you are analyzing yourself, it is just as easy to point to a bad run of cards as well.
5. Stop Playing: Although this is the final straw, if you cannot find the problem to why you may be doing poorly, why would you waste more money playing? It would not make sense. You need to stop, and take a break from the game, regardless of how difficult it may be. The length of time will vary on the person, but the game will be there tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. The more you continue to blame the cards the harder it is going to be for you to stomach loss after loss. It will just end up being a snowball affect that will not only take its toll on your wallet, but on your mind as well.
Now of course these tips are not the only things you can do or be aware of, but surely, they are the most important. If you do each of these things and you still cannot find the problem, then maybe it is a bad run of cards. Some players have been known to have extensive downswings that last a long time. The best thing that you can do during a bad run is try to keep loses small where you can and learn from this experience. Always remember that the first step to recovery is admitting when you have a problem. In poker, this would be similar to you realizing a bad run and getting back on the road to recovery utilizing our Top 5 Tips.
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