Recovering from a downswing.

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MattJM68

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So i've been trying to build a bankroll playing 2NL on pokerstars after depositing £10~$12 two weeks ago. All was going well, build it up to $60, until i lost $20 in one night. Now I know that was because of some ridiculous bad luck, lost with AA five times after shoving pre, as well as some poor decision making, which I realised when going back over my hands. After that I played 2 short sessions and remained fairly stagnant, before beginning to win again tonight. PHEW!!!

It really knocked my confidence of whether I could even beat 2NL, questioned if my winnings were luck and that this was the reality.

Basically, what would you guys say the best way to recover from a downswing is?
 
eidikos

eidikos

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hi!
2 weeks is very sort time to have a clue about your game
keep playing a couple of months in these stakes to analyze your game
besides you need a bigger bankroll for a proper bankroll management
good luck
 
snaxks1

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You need a much bigger bankroll.

60£ is good if you want to play 1/2 cent games if keeping proper money management.

Then you continously increase that the more you play. It will be easier for you psychologically with handling the natural downswings that occur due to variance.

There is no rush. Take your time and be patient.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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Take a break in the game.
 
BentleyBoy

BentleyBoy

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Hi Matt

The best and really only way to recover from a downswing is to firstly realise that things aren't going your way and then walking away from the tables and go off and do something else instead. This way, you will stop making the same mistakes, have time to reflect on how you were playing and what you were getting wrong and then refocus on the things that you did so well.

The other aspect to consider is variance. This happens at the best of times in poker and as you discovered there is not a great deal you can do about it...other than to walk away and refocus. Maybe take a day or so to get your head clear and forget about the negative stuff.

As for time.....a couple of weeks is a very short period in poker. Take a look at most players performance graphs and what you want to see is progression and improvement over time.

Keep playing more poker and variance will start to balance out and your profits will return in the long term.

Best wishes.

Bentley Boy
 
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Backlash

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Online cash games have to be the most ridiculous attempt at bankroll growth. Unless you have a 50k bankroll I think it might be the most ridiculous dynamic in poker to date! I mean come on, someone show me some stats where you built a bankroll through Cash Games with a small bankroll. Seriously, I challenge someone to show me the coming up of stats...LOL
 
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MattJM68

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Online cash games have to be the most ridiculous attempt at bankroll growth. Unless you have a 50k bankroll I think it might be the most ridiculous dynamic in poker to date! I mean come on, someone show me some stats where you built a bankroll through Cash Games with a small bankroll. Seriously, I challenge someone to show me the coming up of stats...LOL



It's definately possible, since this post i've made $250 from my initial $10 input, now playing $0.02/$0.05. Seen some poker pros do 'Bankroll Challenges' on youtube to prove it can be done. However playing online is much tougher than live and if you can fit it in your schedule and find good games, that's the way to go.
 
Ahoy

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I am also on a downswing. I managed to grind some freeroll money, about 15 dollars and then started playing NL2 zoom, with some really really good people taking care over me and my game. I managed to build it up as high as 75 dollars but then, last weekend, I lost almost 45 dollars in about 3 sessions. I dont feel like doing any big mistakes, just really bad spots and some of them straightforward bad beats. But of course I do a lot of mistakes. I still think this was a brutal downswing and it will be hard to recover from it.
 
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MattJM68

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I am also on a downswing. I managed to grind some freeroll money, about 15 dollars and then started playing NL2 zoom, with some really really good people taking care over me and my game. I managed to build it up as high as 75 dollars but then, last weekend, I lost almost 45 dollars in about 3 sessions. I dont feel like doing any big mistakes, just really bad spots and some of them straightforward bad beats. But of course I do a lot of mistakes. I still think this was a brutal downswing and it will be hard to recover from it.

I'd recommend trying non zoom as it's much less swingy, if you're trying to play more hands try 2 cash game tables, get yourself a HUD and you'll find the ability to put your opponents on a range saves a lot of heartbreak. The ability to fold QQ preflop because you know the guy only 4 bets KK+ is heavenly. Don't have that in zoom, but if you can beat it, go for it.
 
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So i've been trying to build a bankroll playing 2NL on pokerstars after depositing £10~$12 two weeks ago. All was going well, build it up to $60, until i lost $20 in one night. Now I know that was because of some ridiculous bad luck, lost with AA five times after shoving pre, as well as some poor decision making, which I realised when going back over my hands. After that I played 2 short sessions and remained fairly stagnant, before beginning to win again tonight. PHEW!!!

It really knocked my confidence of whether I could even beat 2NL, questioned if my winnings were luck and that this was the reality.

Basically, what would you guys say the best way to recover from a downswing is?


I'm just curious: Do you play zoom or regular tables? 9-max or 6-max?
 
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MattJM68

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I'm just curious: Do you play zoom or regular tables? 9-max or 6-max?

I've tried them all, when this was posted I was playing 6max 2NL, but have since moved up to 5NL. Safe to say it was just a downswing.
 
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