downswings are fun, aren't they?
i motivate myself to play by just trusting the process and knowing what to expect. i play mtts and i know that i'm not going to cash in ~80% of them. that's just how it is and that means i'm going to lose/bust out with a lot of big hands in key spots when i play.
just as i'm typing this i lost a big pot in a pretty important spot. i was 16/58 (55 paid) with jj in the bb, 29 bbs. mp1 limps (14 bbs). it's folded to me and i raise 3.7 bbs. they shove pre and i lose a4o < jj, knocking me down 38/58 and costing me a pretty significant pot. and it doesn't matter because that's expected due to
equity. everything i wanted to happen did: i got my opponent to commit their chips while way behind. after that, it's all out of my control. and that's what i have to expect when i play mtts; that i'm going to lose a lot.
so, why get upset and worked up over something that is inevitable? i expect to bust out of 80/100 mtts. that's a lot of flips i'm losing, a lot of hands i'm losing as a huge favorite (or a 'bad beat' as some like to call it), a lot of big pots i'm losing that could have projected to the final table, etc. and guess what? it doesn't matter because it's all standard. the top mtt pros have an itm finish of 10-20%, so your 2 week downswing isn't anything special.
instead of focusing on your results, because that's stupid as you have no control of what happens, focus on making sure you're making the most +ev decisions you can because that's what's going to get you out of your downswing. trusting that the process is and knowing your big hands are going to hold, they're going to win big pots, and they're going to increase your chances of running deep. but, you have to be willing to go for it and take some risks, and not allow bad results to affect your decision making.
going back to the jj hand that i lost, i'm sure some will say i should've just went all-in preflop and villain would've folded. or that i should have just checked and folded when i saw the ace on the flop. or whatever. but guess what? you don't win mtts if you're afraid to play for big pots with big hands. it's practically impossible to win an mtt if you don't build your stack and a lot of the time, there is a lot of risk in doing so. so, don't let bad results affect your decision making negatively. again, you can't control the results but you can control your decision making and poor decision making due to being negatively affected by bad results will affect your game.
it's also important to know how to make the proper adjustments when you lose a big hand but you're still in the mtt. just because you lost a huge pot doesn't mean all is lost, but you have to know how to make the necessary changes in your strategy. it might not always work out, but it's still all about your decision making.
funny enough, i'm in another mtt on betonline and i lose aq > ak for 36 bbs effective, leaving me with 9 bbs. but, by making proper adjustments given my situation i was able to slowly build up my stack until i doubled up with a set, eventually putting me at 55 bbs at the break. all was not lost with 9 bbs but by adjusting and not being negatively affected by the loss did play a big role as i am able to focus on making better decisions.
things i do that i find helps when i'm in a downswing are:
1. drop down in stakes. even if you're properly rolled to play your current stake, don't be afraid to drop down and play there until things improve. it's less impact on your
bankroll, which helps if losing money affects your mental game. my mental game isn't affected, but i do like slowing my bankroll bleed out as much as i can.
2. play games you know you have a better edge in. i know that i don't do well in larger field, long late registration mtts on betonline. so, if i'm on a downswing, i'll avoid those games and play smaller field mtts that i know i have better chance to well in.
i apologize for type so much.
