Poker: Losing Days: When to Throw in the Towel

Recently I have been having some hard luck at my cash games that I consistently clean up. Variance in poker is unavoidable, even the best players in the world will have bad losing streaks. What bothered me was not how long the streak persisted, as it was only over a course of three days. What bothered me was the extremely violent downswings I was having on consecutive days. There is nothing that can be done about these downswings, but different people handle them in different ways.

Some people really don’t play at their best towards the end of a losing session. This is commonly known as tilt. When you tilt, you aren’t playing your best game and you make mistakes that you would not typically make. Some people are barley affected by losing sessions, and some are drastically affected. Given that I have a good deal of experience, I am pretty good at handling losing sessions and not tilting. I have noticed however that sometimes on a losing day I begin to play a few too many suited connectors is early position hoping to catch a big flop. That is probably the biggest flaw in my game. But some people begin to play so poorly when they are losing that it becomes impossible for them to win their money back.
If you are the type of player who really begins to play far too many hands after a horrible day, you really need to quit while you’re behind. Playing more hands will only hurt and let you dig yourself into a deeper hole. You should allow yourself some time to recover before you hit the tables again so you can bring your A game. You only want to play poker when you are thinking clearly and playing every hand to the best of your ability. It’s important to be able to handle losing days when the cards don’t go your way, your goal should be not to have losing days when the cards do go your way.

If you are a sound player and are capable of playing your best game even during a losing session, it’s ok to keep playing. There is no reason to stop playing if you feel you have a positive expectation in a game. Just remember that you don’t have to make all the money back in one night. If you are $500 in the hole, it’s better to play your regular game and try to grind out some of the money then to tell yourself “I have to get even tonight.” Sometimes you can’t get even, that’s just part of the game. Sometimes you will get on a rush and win it all back, and sometimes you might win back a small portion of your losses. The only important thing to think about is, “Am I playing at my best?”

This concept seems very simple, but many people would be shocked to see how many players can’t just take a step back and evaluate their play when they are tilting. You must have the ability to call it quits on a losing night. If you can’t do that you shouldn’t play poker. Always play your best game, and if you feel you can beat the game you are in, by all means keep going. Just always be honest with yourself about the level of your play and when you need to take a short break. The best poker players maximize their winnings and minimize their losses in every situation. Once you can do that there is no stopping you. Good luck at the tables!

Written By Gabe Benson specifically for Cardschat.com
Copyright ©2004 - 2005.

Good advice Nick. Sometimes, when on a losing streak, I'll switch to a different type of game. I might start playing heads up sit & go tournaments, or play some of the multi table tournaments. A lot of times I'll switch to Omaha Hi/Lo. Perhaps it's not the choice of game I make, but rather the changing of my train of thought that provides the relief.

Wow, this helps a lot. I don't really need my post too much anymore, you've cleared up a good bit for me. I think that I just need to quit for the day when I start heading down. I seem to always tell myself, "Well I'll just get back to even and then I'll quit." As I've gotten better I've tried to keep that thought out of my head because it does cause a lot more losing when the cards ust aren't helping. I think I do go on tilt a bit when I'm losing too. I think I start to play more hands in hope that I'll hit something big. I've gotta keep it consistent to myself, but not to other players of course.

Thanks for helping me do that nice self-analyzation Nick.

Jon

You guys are on top of everything,this is great advise.

That is excellent advise. I fell into the trap of playing hands just trying to get back to even. I found that as I have progressed as a player I am able to walk away when enough is enough and realize that from time to time you will have bad streaks. Thanks for being human too.