how do you manage downswings?

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pokgai

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In one day a played over 50 $3 and $6 sng and im tilting like ****. I went from a 16% roi to 6 and im at $100 down swing. I lose every single coin flip, riverd , calling stations out drawing me when I bet almost pot. I got sets beaten by full hoouse or flushes so many times. Dominated hands getting dominated AK vs A7. I know its variance but EVERY ****EN TIME IM GETTING ****ED OVER AND IM PLAYING SOLID. Starting to tilt and i cant even cash anymore ITM 25%.

Heard cash is less variance should i just switch over because im getting sick of stt bullshit.
 
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dj11

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50 tourney in one day is a lot. Too many IMHO. Shows an impatience that will destroy you. Changing to cash could actually be worse, as you can reload faster than you can find another tourney to get into.

Relax, play less, and play better.

If you have an uncontrollable urge to play that hard, use play money games to vent your anger.:eek: If that doesn't calm you down, seek medical attention.;)
 
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pokgai

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i play this much cuz i multi 4-6 tables so its not like i play like 1 tourney every time . been make some profit by playing like this,
 
RaizeR1205

RaizeR1205

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I'm having the same thing happen to me right now. I've predicted all of my beats, so I'm taking a break right now. It's horendous.
 
Arjonius

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If by downswings, you mean extended periods of time where you continually lose money, I do what it takes to avoid them.

As a hypothetical cash game example, let's say I normally play 10NL and have a modest win rate of 2BB/100. I've played or run badly for a while, and have been losing 3 BB/100; i.e. I've been running 5BB/100 below expectation.

Maybe I drop down to 2NL where my EV is 10BB/100. Even if I run or play badly, there's a pretty decent probability I'll still win - not 10 BB/100, but even if I run 8 BB/100 below normal, I'm still winning 2.
 
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pokgai

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im talking about sit n go not cash
 
micromachine

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I think he knows that. The same principle applies, move down to a lower, more beatable stake during the runbad to minimize losses.
 
Logan2

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50 tourney in one day is a lot. Too many IMHO. Shows an impatience that will destroy you. Changing to cash could actually be worse, as you can reload faster than you can find another tourney to get into.

Relax, play less, and play better.

If you have an uncontrollable urge to play that hard, use play money games to vent your anger.:eek: If that doesn't calm you down, seek medical attention.;)
He´s not talking about Mtts. S&G´s takes about 30min avg (turbos, hypers take less time), so 50 games/day is really not a huge number if are multitabling.

To Pokgai, you mention 16% roi before your bad day, what is the example on this roi? (# of games played before). And mention $100 down, so if are playing avg buyin of $4.5 you lose more than 22 buyins.

I think you should set a stop-loss number. I mean 10-20 buyins down on S&G´s is not that uncommon (that´s why BR management suggest 50-100 buyins, even 200bi for larger fields) but if after that you get on tilt then the amount will increase a lot more, so having a stop-loss amount set (like 10-15 or w/e) then when you reach that amount just stop for the day and save you to blow your BR.

When this things happen the best is to just stop for that day and try to get on your feet next day, worst thing that most people do is keep playing trying to get back loses, lose more get on tilt and keep losing more. Take a break for a day or two and if still keep losing that bad need to review HH´s because maybe tilt and leaks could be helping to lose more.

Hope things work better soon, cheers.

Edit: and what Arjonius and Micro suggest is true. if see are doing that bad then cut the $6 games and stay just with the $3´s, even go down to $1.5´s if this mean lose less, also moving down can help if start to win again/increase your motivation/good feeling again, because the hard part is how you face the following time after the beats. After things calm down then you can move up again if BR let you.
 
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WiZZiM

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this helped me a LOT. by not looking at results, it stopped most forms of tilting for me and i was able to just get on with playing, each hand at a time.

[old link~tb]

also this might give you some insight into downswings at the $6 level. This wasn't even my worst one i don't believe.

https://www.cardschat.com/forum/poker-goals-challenges-wins-46/150-game-personal-challenge-185864/

They might contradict each other. If i wasn't documenting the challenge in the second thread, i would have liked to think that i wouldn't have bothered to check my results. At the end of the day, results are meaningless, you KNOW if you are winning or losing, so checking some graph isn't going to really get you anywhere, or help you learn. Instead put energy into finding and fixing leaks, it could be anything as small as fixing your raise sizes, or finding a poker background that relaxes you, literally anything so you can take a negative like a downswing and turn it into a positive.

Playing within a decent bankroll will also help you, as others have hinted if you have a lot of cushion to work with, you will not notice the downswings as much. All this stuff is a lot harder to do when you are playing only a few tables, as you notice when you bust more.

Remember that the only way to get better is to make mistakes, if you learn from them the results will take care of themselves in time.
 
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Arjonius

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I think he knows that. The same principle applies, move down to a lower, more beatable stake during the runbad to minimize losses.
And also to keep from falling into a mind set where I get increasingly concerned as I continue to lose, or even worse, where I get discouraged because it seems like my losing streak will never end. Winning small at lower than my usual levels is still winning.
 
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pokgai

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Now im at a $150 downswing my bad run isnt stopping i just keep losing. I cant even play properly now.
 
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nightmoves44

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Realize that you are in a rut and play very conservative,thats about all you can do_Or not play at all awhile.
 
micromachine

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Now im at a $150 downswing my bad run isnt stopping i just keep losing. I cant even play properly now.

Bolded: then you are tilting and it's not just variance anymore. Take a break
 
Arjonius

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I cant even play properly now.
What are you doing now that you don't when you're playing properly?

If you can answer this question accurately, then you know the first things you should address.

If you can't, then you need to work on analysis / self-awareness of your game.
 
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Fulltiltpro

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IS a tugh to do but if you have the skill to handle with downswing you prove in 90 presents to make money in online poker
 
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MIShroomer47

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Take a break and analyze some hand histories... if they're just bad beats they're bad beats, move to a lower limit and wait out the cards but at least take a break and analyze your game. Even winning at the lower limits will boost your confidence back up
 
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GWU73

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I complain, throw my mouse and take a several day break. Then I look at my game and see if i was playing like an idiot (i usually was), make adjustments and try to play my best.
 
BLACKSTACK

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most are saying take a break, but ive noticed in some sit n gos that theres sometimes 2 or 3 players playing the same sng to me thats fishy,they can easily cheat,also in sng's double or nothing ive seen people just stay out and win without even playing,just something for you to consider,good luck and we all have our down moments
 
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wagnert

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I normally take a break for a week or so if I'm in a similar situation and then start grinding it out again at the end of the week. Don't give into the temptation to jump to higher stakes.
 
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Iselo

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i play this much cuz i multi 4-6 tables so its not like i play like 1 tourney every time . been make some profit by playing like this,
If I had lost consistently over 50 tournaments I would consider the possibility that I might be making some incorrect descisions in my game. I'd look over my hand history and I'd probably realize that my losses wasn't all due to bad luck. Sure, some days you do get more bad beats than others but often it isn't as many as you might think beacuse it's those bad beats that really stick to your memory the most.
Whenever I lose with a hand that is a big mathematical favourite, e.g. 90%, I think to myself: "When I have made this very same descision in this same situation 100 times more in my poker career I will have won 90 times". That always makes me feel better and keep me from tilting :)
 
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rhombus

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most are saying take a break, but ive noticed in some sit n gos that theres sometimes 2 or 3 players playing the same sng to me thats fishy,they can easily cheat,also in sng's double or nothing ive seen people just stay out and win without even playing,just something for you to consider,good luck and we all have our down moments

If you suspect any collusion report it to Support. I used to have a cigarete, although now I dont smoke so as above the mouse gets it LOL
 
BLACKSTACK

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50 tourney in one day is a lot. Too many IMHO. Shows an impatience that will destroy you. Changing to cash could actually be worse, as you can reload faster than you can find another tourney to get into.

Relax, play less, and play better.

If you have an uncontrollable urge to play that hard, use play money games to vent your anger.:eek: If that doesn't calm you down, seek medical attention.;)

aside from impatience,why dont you try to play higher limit instead of trying to rush through 50 or so tourneys try to just do 10-20 at 2 or 3 times the higher buy in and try to kick ass there
 
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WiZZiM

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aside from impatience,why dont you try to play higher limit instead of trying to rush through 50 or so tourneys try to just do 10-20 at 2 or 3 times the higher buy in and try to kick ass there

more variance and better players.
 
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