How do you deal with a cold spell and losing buy-ins?

How do you all get on with losing several buy-ins in a session when you feel you have played your hands well and just been sucked out?

I started playing cash games again 4 days ago because I built my bankroll from my all time low of $8.00 after I had a bad run playing out of my bankroll and cash games. So for the past 2 months I've been grinding out SnG's and MTT's low buy-ins, 0.25 cents and I got myself to around $50.00. I then won a UK&Ireland game which was another $33.00.

Since then I carried on playing SnG's and collecting points/rewards/bonuses etc and got my bankroll to around $120.00 last week. So last week I decided I had enough to play cash again and try again and all been going well. I managed to turn a profit for the first time in cash games $0.01/$0.02 and the past 3 days been playing mega sessions and made around $30.00 so I had an all time high of $150.00 last night which is great for me.

I carried on today played around 1500 hands in the space of 2-3hours and felt I was doing things right but was getting sucked out left right and centre and anyway I lost 4 buy-ins ($8.00) Now I understand this is probably normal but it really has effected my confidence and wonder if I should go back to SnG's again and how best to deal with my down swing? I know its not much but it still effects me which is odd I dunno...Anyone any ideas on how to deal with it and keep that motivation to just do another session another day and pretending it hasn't happened? I just think now that I'm a really bad player again even though I believe I'm getting better. So now my BR is at $140.00 (I also lost $3.00 in SnG's!) It's like it all goes wrong at once and the worse thing I don't want to happen is go into this big losing run and lose my BR or most of it!

It makes me want to stay till I at least break even. I'v gone down like $4-$5 before but always managed to end the session at least breakeven but it just seemed to be getting worse so I just got out of there before I lost more.


I hear of people going on like 20=buy-in down swings yet you see them grinding away like it doesn't bother them! How the hell do you manage it?

Thanks in advance.

Take a break. Sometimes there is a tendency to start playing bad because of a few bad beats. Go outside and enjoy the fresh air and come back in a few hours, you'll feel better and also play better.

The worst thing you can do for your bankroll is to start chasing after losses. Poker is a game of variance, you are going to have some very good days and some very bad days or even weeks. Sometimes, especially when your irritated or mad or not in the game, you just have to count your losses and take a break. Poker is a lifetime game, there is always going to be another game. Dont unnecessarily lose more of your roll than you have to playing sub-par or when luck is just not on your side. If you do have a couple losing days at the cash tables and your confidence is shot, take a break from them and go back the SNGs until you feel like you can take on the ring games again.

Well the advice I got from members of this site is to look at your playing and not your results. So even though if you lost as long as you make the correct play you don't worry about it.

You're playing good size stakes for your BR, losing $8 is a drop, but a very small one and you should not really be bothered about it, over the next few days you will start to see your hands winning and your BR rise again...as long as you keep at the low stakes for now, you will have no worries.
I never won a thing since Thursday but i had a good night last night so im back on track, just give it time, patience and good bankroll management. GL on the felt

dont ever think "ill just play until i get break even" because already you're not playing for the enjoyment and are making it sound like a chore, which it shouldnt be at micro stakes poker, just keep your head clear and play your best game that has worked in the past, everyone gets a little unlucky and sucked out on, there would be no poker if we didnt lose our buy ins every now and again. If you're bored though and want to go back to sng's then go for it... Well done on building the bankroll btw i have just done basically the same in the last month, and have encountered a few downswings but just kept telling myself that its gotta happen and took a break when i needed.... good luck

I know this is a bit unorthodox but I like to switch games when I have a bad streak. I will go play some limit holdem, Or Omaha Hi/Lo. Just some game I have an Interest in but have not fully mastered yet. Then when you revisit your favorite game its fresh again and you forget some bad habits if you are lucky.

When I used to play golf and my game started to suck I would quit playing for a while and when I came back to it I would revert back to my good practised swing. I think something similar happens when you play cards. You get some bad habits without realizing it. People start exploiting those holes. Bingo you are on a downswing.

your not on a cold spell if anything i would say your on a hot spell. your down four byins after winning a lot recently. im pretty sure you are running well ahead of your expected ev. 4 buyins is nothing out of the ordinary it still sucks though. ive worked my bankroll up from 13$ at the start of this year to 120 and several occassions ive had 10 buy in swings. currently it is now at 60 after dropping down levels. it sucks. you have to get used to it and accept it. i hated it so much and got stressed until i was sick. you just need to accept that it will happen as the odds arent 100% for you to win all the time. just focus on trying to make the correct play all the time and you will win in the long run. Ive looked at it like that and am recording my stats. it helps and dont get as frustrated no more.also dont think about the money or start playing scared. play with the levels you are rolled for
gd luck

Your confidence is shook after losing $8 after the nice run you mentioned in your post....really??!! I guess my first question is why are you playing ring games if you're successful in SNG's? Do you prefer ring to SNG's? If you do, that's fine but I'd play a ring game for very small stakes until I improved. Why risk your hard earned BR on a game type that isn't your best right now. Also, if you're not ready to handle the ups and downs of a ring game (and it sounds like you aren't) I'd consider not playing them at all.

Honestly, dealing with cold spells and losing is a big part of poker. I don't think there's a magic solution in how you deal with it. Playing experience will help because you'll have dealt with bad steaks and beats before and even if you handle it badly....you'll know you don't want to do that again.