How do you deal with a bad run?

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ljstephens11

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I have successfully built a small BR, first with a freeroll, then a few smaller buy-in tourneys. The last two days, however, it seems like I am having a bad run of cards. I'm not superstitious enough to think I have a run of "bad luck", but I am finding it hard to sit through the variance. My first goal was to just be patient and wait for the cards to come, but I sat through 3 tourneys and either sat until I got blinded out, or (worse I know) try to make plays with the crappy cards I got toward the end with no stack to be able to intimidate anyone out of the pot.

How do you guys deal with runs like this? Should I remain patient and rock on through it, or take a poker break for a couple of days?
 
robertocoelho

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pause is good, review your game to see what you missed.
 
Marcwantstowin

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Personally I think a break would be a good idea. I have personally been going through a similar period and am thinking of not playing any buy-in tourneys for a while. I have other poker commitments so won't be giving it up totally, just the buy-in tourneys ~ it may help.........I'll let you know....gl :D:D:D
 
maniaka68

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Stay calm and everything is gonna be alright :)
 
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ljstephens11

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Thanks guys. I think I will try to stay away from poker today, possibly longer. (If I can..I LOVE playing. Admittedly, even when I lose) Hopefully I can jump back in refreshed and ready to play. Marcwantstowin, I hope the break works for you. Let me know how it goes.
 
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Ray Sliva

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Something I read in Doyle Bronsons' book "Super Systems" and I'll paraphase, that if you are having a bad run then someone else is running good, if you are running good then another player is running bad. Being able to get your money in while running good is important and tighten up while running bad. At least that was my take on it. In practice I have I been able to stay cool and understand that this is part of the game.
 
joker131

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some times u can go weeks not just days in mtt buyins but stick it out things will change
 
LD1977

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These are good ideas:

1) Take a break, after a few days review your play objectively and see if you can improve something

2) Don't take a break but instead go to a much lower level (2+ below you normal) and keep playing. This should rebuild your confidence in most cases assuming you can actually beat the game at all. After a few days review your play objectively and see if you can improve something.

3) Talk to people about strategy (whining about downswings kind of helps blow off steam but is otherwise fairly useless).
 
StArDemonn

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Swear....take a brake.....go outside...drink water..
 
AvaPoker13

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You know you do not always win right but relax for awhile do well, study a little more play, deepen their knowledge can be a good one.
 
Mason Pye

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You shouldn't worry about your previous hands, you should focus on the hand you're currently playing. If you keep on dwelling about your bad run of cards, you will only feel sorry for yourself and ultimately you will make bad descisions when at the table. As others have suggested, you should take a break and do something non-poker related. You should go outside, get some exercise, get some fresh air and come back feeling focused ready to hit the tables again with a stronger mentality. Hope this helps.
 
thetick33

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had a bad run of two months wound up losing like 6 dollars in all but man the variance was insanely ugly for me and took time and took more time etc..

i refused to throw my bank away and it worked out now is running ok last two weeks its iffy not holding up on all in ahead hands

you got to know variance and deal with it i play sat sun and once a week basically for now so 10 hours maybe

i was playing 10 hours a day and was frustrating when hit my bad stretch but thats poker

the key is awareness and following your rules you play by and if you do then variance is handled accordingly:)
 
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That's a great question with no true answer.
 
arielakarel

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I have successfully built a small BR, first with a freeroll, then a few smaller buy-in tourneys. The last two days, however, it seems like I am having a bad run of cards. I'm not superstitious enough to think I have a run of "bad luck", but I am finding it hard to sit through the variance. My first goal was to just be patient and wait for the cards to come, but I sat through 3 tourneys and either sat until I got blinded out, or (worse I know) try to make plays with the crappy cards I got toward the end with no stack to be able to intimidate anyone out of the pot.

How do you guys deal with runs like this? Should I remain patient and rock on through it, or take a poker break for a couple of days?

Last time i lost all my BR, it was 2 years ago and i didn't play poker for 1 year.
Today i feel a lot more mature, and a better poker player.
 
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When things are running bad, I make a conscious effort to buckle down and focus on making the right decisions. That allows me to know that I am doing the right things, but just having a bad run. Otherwise, I begin to change my play subconsciously and it takes longer to get out of the funk.
 
maximjd

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it happens, i think you have to take a break, 1 or 2 days.

yasterday doesn't matter what hand i played, all hands beat me. Incredible draws beatme.

Smarters player are who knows when stop (im not smarter, lose so much money :p )
 
PapaC

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What I do when I'm running bad for a few days is not to quit but to play less. I mean instead of playing 3 MTTs, play 1. I also set a limit on how much I can play with in one day at cash tables. Your BR should tell you how much you can put out there. I think if you do this, you will play tighter and win more, because you want to play more that day. And I know it can get boring, but I would not play more than one table at a time while I'm running bad. Also as best you can, push all negative thoughts out of your mind. If you think "what's the use, I'm going to lose anyway" you are sure to lose. Always keep in mind that your cards will come if you just hang on. You can't win by trying to make something happen with bad cards. I sit for 1 1/2 hours the other day before I started catching cards I could play, and the result was a 3rd place win. Sorry this is so long, but I want you to see that you can't make the cards come to you, you have to wait on them to come. GL
 
AvaPoker13

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Has no solution, you may not want to recover everything they lost at once, that's all I can say. The risk of being eliminated or losing everything at the moment is huge.
 
Poker Orifice

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How do you guys deal with runs like this?

Take each situation as it comes,... play as optimally as possible given the situation.

There's no need to 'take a break' unless you're letting your results affect your emotions.
 
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