Dealing with Downswing

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KrazzzyKyle

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Hey all. I am relatively new to poker, only having about 18 solid months of online micro stakes experience, and a couple of years of regular live play.
I have been following the threads here for some time, and would like some advice from some grinders on personal opinions on how to properly handle downswing.
I know. You all have been there, you have plenty of data and spots that prove you are doing things right, but in the end things just continuously and neverendingly ruin you. 70% feels like 35% and you just can't win.
Honestly, I've grinded my way through to new levels online a few months ago (I grind online NL hold em tourneys and also play PLO for cash tables online, an odd specialty, but its my current endeavor) and for the first 50k hands or so online things ran relative to my expectations. I made mistakes, and I would usually lose. I would make a good move, and I would usually win.
However, this year, particularly the last few months, I have been crushed and find my bankroll slowly but surely dripping backwards, despite all mathematical certainty that I should be trending the opposite direction!
This has also come into play in the higher $ live buy ins, you know the drill. Top 2 pair counterfeited on rivers for chip leads, set over sets, bubbles everywhere, 75% is not being kind to me at the moment!
However, this last session of mine I had the spectacular pleasure of bubbling 4 tournaments in a row, within one table breaking on the bubbles, involved in 3 70%+ spots and one flip.
This feat, for whatever reason or another, absolutely left me just plain angry, nihilistic, and full of that good ol bad teenage attitude towards the game. For the first time since I started playing, I wasn't having fun, I was in mental agony.
All this has led me here to ask some of you, how did you come to deal with a extended downswing? How did you mentally focus on your own game? Did you take a break from the game? Did you completely retool your styles?
I would love to see some replies asto how everyone who does enjoy the grind responds. Just a curious recreational who aspires to be something better 5 years down the road!
-Kyle
 
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PHX

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Hey all. I am relatively new to poker, only having about 18 solid months of online micro stakes experience, and a couple of years of regular live play.
I have been following the threads here for some time, and would like some advice from some grinders on personal opinions on how to properly handle downswing.
I know. You all have been there, you have plenty of data and spots that prove you are doing things right, but in the end things just continuously and neverendingly ruin you. 70% feels like 35% and you just can't win.
Honestly, I've grinded my way through to new levels online a few months ago (I grind online NL hold em tourneys and also play PLO for cash tables online, an odd specialty, but its my current endeavor) and for the first 50k hands or so online things ran relative to my expectations. I made mistakes, and I would usually lose. I would make a good move, and I would usually win.
However, this year, particularly the last few months, I have been crushed and find my bankroll slowly but surely dripping backwards, despite all mathematical certainty that I should be trending the opposite direction!
This has also come into play in the higher $ live buy ins, you know the drill. Top 2 pair counterfeited on rivers for chip leads, set over sets, bubbles everywhere, 75% is not being kind to me at the moment!
However, this last session of mine I had the spectacular pleasure of bubbling 4 tournaments in a row, within one table breaking on the bubbles, involved in 3 70%+ spots and one flip.
This feat, for whatever reason or another, absolutely left me just plain angry, nihilistic, and full of that good ol bad teenage attitude towards the game. For the first time since I started playing, I wasn't having fun, I was in mental agony.
All this has led me here to ask some of you, how did you come to deal with a extended downswing? How did you mentally focus on your own game? Did you take a break from the game? Did you completely retool your styles?
I would love to see some replies asto how everyone who does enjoy the grind responds. Just a curious recreational who aspires to be something better 5 years down the road!
-Kyle


Thread posted in wrong section should be in the poker strategy section. Maybe under learning poker.

With regards to your question downswings always happen just part of game take a break for a day then try again. If it does not help repeat again. Eventually you will be on the other side of the coin.
 
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