How do you handle variance/poker swings

goaldriversv

goaldriversv

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I currently play $1 sng and $1-2 mtts. I have about a 18% roi on both (not sure of the split....is there a way to figure out the split?) and have made a couple $ hundred profit. I know my game can handle the "better" competition at the $2 sng and $5 mtt level, but problem is, I don't handle variance very well. My br is ready to handle the swings, but mentally I'm not there. Variance is inevitable so the question is...

How do you handle variance?
 
Mase31683

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I had the same problem back when I started. Super competitive want to win every hand I'm in.

I actually had to read some books on zen and that helped a lot. You need to change your way of thinking honestly, it's hard. I played sng's a little back when I could still play on Stars. My technique to caring less for those was I would be running 9 SnG's simultaneously while I played.

If I got knocked out of one be it a beat or simply running into a better hand? Whatever, I'm still playing these 8 others, let me register in another....and back to 9.

If you're concentrating and focusing all your energy into a single tournament, then it's going to hurt that much more to take a bad suckout. So that's my quick fix suggestion, and longer term read a bit on removing yourself from the emotional side. I believe Mike Caro wrote a few articles on similar subjects as well if you wish to search for those.
 
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WiZZiM

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don't look at your results, focus on making better poker decisions.
 
Kimpel17

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Variance is easier to handle if you have the bankroll to manage short term variance, but always remember that you cannot win every hand. Make solid decisions and don't play results based.
 
magicius

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I bust my roll and go and make deposit :-(
Should change room asap :)

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Tapatalk
 
XXPXXP

XXPXXP

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play more games at the same time frame
and
build a larger bankroll to reduce the chance of bust.

because when player have small edge, the large variance happens.
 
goaldriversv

goaldriversv

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don't look at your results, focus on making better poker decisions.

unfortunately, this has nothing to do with my variance. variance is part of the game...it's inevitable. there are days when aa/kk get beat by 1010/99/aj
 
goaldriversv

goaldriversv

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I had the same problem back when I started. Super competitive want to win every hand I'm in.

I actually had to read some books on zen and that helped a lot. You need to change your way of thinking honestly, it's hard. I played sng's a little back when I could still play on Stars. My technique to caring less for those was I would be running 9 SnG's simultaneously while I played.

If I got knocked out of one be it a beat or simply running into a better hand? Whatever, I'm still playing these 8 others, let me register in another....and back to 9.

If you're concentrating and focusing all your energy into a single tournament, then it's going to hurt that much more to take a bad suckout. So that's my quick fix suggestion, and longer term read a bit on removing yourself from the emotional side. I believe Mike Caro wrote a few articles on similar subjects as well if you wish to search for those.
i get where you're going regarding multitabling. when it's a leaderboard promo such as the one on carbon a couple months ago, i would multitable 8 at a time at least. nowadays, i multitask while playing 1-2 tables at a time. i'm studying for the gmat while playing and i wouldn't be able to handle more than 2. if it's an mtt, i only focus on that 1.

i'll definitely look into those mike caro articles you mentioned. i get too emotional when it's something competitive. i'm a very bad loser. if i win, it's like who cares, i should.
 
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taban13

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To cope with the steady need dispersion psyche. And to do that you need to not play in a bad mood, rest well, work out. Then in poker the case gathers momentum.
 
goaldriversv

goaldriversv

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play more games at the same time frame
and
build a larger bankroll to reduce the chance of bust.

because when player have small edge, the large variance happens.
i'm not worried about my bankroll or going bust. i have a large enough private roll to deposit anytime i want...however, that's not the point. even if i had a million dollar bankroll playing $1000 sng/mtt, i can't handle the swings at this time. perhaps it's the super competitive side to me similar to what user Mase31683 alluded to.
 
XXPXXP

XXPXXP

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i'm not worried about my bankroll or going bust. i have a large enough private roll to deposit anytime i want...however, that's not the point. even if i had a million dollar bankroll playing $1000 sng/mtt, i can't handle the swings at this time. perhaps it's the super competitive side to me similar to what user Mase31683 alluded to.

In that case, you may rethink about the level of Buyin you are currently playing.
If you feel not comfortable about accept the variance in your level, then switch to the level you feel comfortable.
think it is not the variance, but you are mentally accept it is variance and feel comfortable about the possible bad results/bad beats comes.
 
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WiZZiM

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unfortunately, this has nothing to do with my variance. variance is part of the game...it's inevitable. there are days when aa/kk get beat by 1010/99/aj

It has everything to do with it. Your mindset can be terribly affected by looking at results. You ask how do you handle variance, well get a proper bankroll and play within your means, and don't look at your results in the shorterm, aim to look every 500 games or so.. These two things the the most common issues poker players face. if they are not applicable to you then great. The only other thing you need to do is ease yourself into playing higher. So instead of playing 8 $1 games, play 4 $1 games and 3 $2 games, then gradually move yourself into playing $3 games full time. So you will gradually get used to the higher swings.
 
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hffjd2000

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Since no problem with BR, just play many games.

Have to witness those painful suckouts / badbeats and at the end, you will be used to it.

I suggest you try live games- less suckouts/badbeats. Most of the time, it follows the odds.
 
magicius

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It has everything to do with it. Your mindset can be terribly affected by looking at results. You ask how do you handle variance, well get a proper bankroll and play within your means, and don't look at your results in the shorterm, aim to look every 500 games or so.. These two things the the most common issues poker players face. if they are not applicable to you then great. The only other thing you need to do is ease yourself into playing higher. So instead of playing 8 $1 games, play 4 $1 games and 3 $2 games, then gradually move yourself into playing $3 games full time. So you will gradually get used to the higher swings.
I agree...
When i run bad i tend to check br and hm2 every 5 hands... Which is stupid thing to do....
 
JPoling

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Just wanna put my 2 cents in. When I first started poker I was very result based. Made very poor decisions all the time, especially in MTT's. Now that I have gotten better and I understand look at bigger picture not just the course of one hand that helps. Now if I lose or get sucked out on I just shrug it off and chalk it up to variance or bad play on me, depending on what happened. Reason I am able to shrug it off, because even if they suck out on me, I suck out on people too. It is part of poker. Just have to not lose focus and remember, one bad hand doesnt determine everything.
 
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joe777

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Dont be too result oriented to the point that you lost focus on the more important aspect.In other word,dont get tilted.
 
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thatgreekdude

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you don't get surprised or mad when a team scores a basket in basketball so why any different with poker, like you said it's inevitable bad beats and variance are going to happen so why let it affect you, that's out of your control, what you can control is your emotions and how you let it affect you, you're never going to be playing your best poker if your constantly thinking about and flaring over variance. Them thoughts don't do you any favors at all just encourage bad play, just keep your focus on improving your weaknesses and making good decisions.

Accept it and embrace it.
 
goaldriversv

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as WiZZiM stated, i've been taking his advice pretty much exactly as stated. i'm starting to mix in $2 sngs and it's working so far. i think getting used to the higher swings while playing my usual/comfortable buy in is a stepping stone to gradually moving to the next level.

for mtts, i'm already playing $1-2 buy ins with great success so i'll start mixing in $5 mtts as well. the swings of mtts for me isn't nearly as bad as sngs. i think that's common though.

as much as i thought i wasn't, i'm sure i was too results oriented in the short term. it's hard not to notice especially when i register for games and my br is clearly next to registration. i just have to change my mindset and think long term. in the short term, i might be going downhill, but when i look at the bigger picture, my graph is a positive slope.

great advice by everyone, thanks.
 
vinylspiros

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variance is easy to handle once you come to terms with the fact that you will have very long losing periods. If you dont accept that and think that good play will lead only to consistent wins then it will be hard to accept variance and to deal with it properly.
 
crocoduck11

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for me variance happens when I win (luck ) :D
As a response to this I quickly get confident and donk it all away (and then some ) :D
 
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Variance can push you to win much more or lose the whole stack, no matter what's the result, you never go to lead the army without saving bullet for next battle!
 
JaxA

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Some good advice ITT. Could try meditating.
 
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analyse realisticly: is your bankroll managment solid? is it a truely statistical swing? if it is, you cannot change it, so live with it;)
 
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