Any tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.

jfofla

jfofla

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in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.
 
Pokerstudy

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Some ideas

in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.


I highly recommend listening or reading “The mental game of Poker” by Jared Tendler

It did wonders for my mental game. Also listening to the final chapter of Decide to play great poker, has some awesome tips and explanation about variance and having a solid mind frame with stop losses and bankroll management tips, and how to go down in stakes when needed..(not only playing in lower limit games will you gain money from players worse than you, it will boost your confidence as well to get back into the game at higher levels)

I see poker as a year to year game, at the end of the year there should be a profit if you continue to play solid poker..variance and downswings can last months,.the trick I have learned is to set your limits per game and go into each game you play with a fresh and focused attitude.

The irony is players play more the more they are losing, trying to recoup losses, this is when the game goes to hell because judgement is clouded by frustration and ego, and is impossible to make great decisions, hand by hand, game by game.

Hope that helps
 
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jfofla

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Pokerstudy, excellent at your explanation and I will try to follow your advice.
 
AizenFalck

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Stop playing for a few weeks, study poker, watch some videos but avoid playing. Believe me, after that rest you will play better. Regards and may the luck be with you :D
 
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The one thing which has kept my head above the water in downswings is keeping accurate daily records over a span of time.

I suffered a bad downswing at one point. Even though the level I was playing at was inconsequential (financially) it completely demoralized me, as it made no sense. However, it was such a poor run, I stopped playing. Or rather, stopped playing that site for a few months (another site 'rescued' me mentally as I was instantly back to steady results).

However, I later realized I had no continuous record to review.

The point I want to make is since joining CC I have kept even more comprehensive records. Keeping those records shows how consistent my play is, yet suddenly, inexplicably I hit a brick wall....or so it feels, yet the reality is a little different.

Yes, I am on a definite downswing but I still garner results - just less of them. As long as I see I am still ahead even if marginally so, I keep playing. What I am attempting to do right now is therefore play through the downswing.

As I am presently in the middle of this run, I am not going to try to persuade anyone this is the correct thing to do. I have days when I am furious receiving so many stupid bad beats. And it might be that I ultimately decide I need a true break as others have suggested.

However, I do think it is good to really test your resolve through variance (and other possibilities) and persevere. But, it's keeping comprehensive records of play which is actually pulling me through - even if my results are less right now, they are still there to a degree.

If they dried up totally I would rethink - but I am not at that point just yet. Further, if I genuinely think something is awry at the moment (I do) then I tell myself to experiment. If I sense I will lose anyway, why not open my range in one tourney, nit it up in another and see how it plays out. If nothing else, if results do not vary (appears to make zero difference at that moment) then it does underline you are in a slump.

All that said, I still want to define how bad of a slump it really is and yet ponder whether I can play through it or not.
 
A

Alberto Martinez

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Good Swings Vs Bad Swings

in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.
I hear ya, Jfofla. The question is this, "Can you really take a Poker Break?" Didn't think so. Every poker player, from beginners to pros, faces this dilemma. But, Jfofla, that is exactly what they do; They Face it! And so can you. You can take a break and read plenty on the matter of poker for a year, and then return to the same dilemma; only, then, you will have added self-doubt to the picture along with its cousin discouragement. Erase the board, delete the upsets, class has started. You are the instructor and also the student. Take note, The day you stop learning on this Earth is when you are standing before the LORD. Keeping that in mind, you are always going to be learning and you can't learn standing there full of self-doubt and fear. Get out there and know You Are The Best! GOD bless you.
 
Tbone461

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My suggestion would be to take break. Also try and take solace in the fact that if you continue to get it in good your luck will eventually turn around.
 
Zvezda kz

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I'm just taking a break from poker. Resting from the game. But I read new articles about poker, but I do not overload myself.
 
jeanpierre1279

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Hard question why bad beats will always occur, but really as another colleague said before you have to compare with a long period of time to know if your game is solid or not and you will see that bad beat is normal.

In the short term, I will immediately stay with my family or people I love, listen to music, exercise and mainly study the book or internet chapters that have the content of my mistake.

What's my mistake? Just check your hands. If after all this you did the best you could have done, rest assured, luck is also part of the game, so there is variance.
 
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neptun1914

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Sometimes when you are in downswing your start tilting even without realizing it. Short break from the game can help to get on track again.
 
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enzomyn

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in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.


The bad beat is frequent and comes at one time or another for all players, my advice is that you take 1 week or a few days to improve your technique and rest, to return to your good phase and consistency.
 
jordanbillie

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in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.


Take a break and think through the reason(s) why you are playing poker.
 
Pokerstudy

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Wow I just started reading the mental game of poker 2 - It’s fascinating how it explains how the “Zone” is not random...and that it is actually found within your habits and playing style, energy level, mood..etc..Not the best description as I’m just now taking it all in but am finding the material outstanding! In short it explains how to always find your zone, and that it is not based on random luck...I feel for many myself included
The mental aspect of poker is so widely overlooked and can add tremendous power to the game.

Learning as I go :)
 
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Martin Carreira

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The best way to get out of a losing streak is to continue playing calmly, to play in the best way without these defeats affecting our judgment and the best way to move. We can stop playing and try to calm the mind and then resume and play more calmly.
 
felipem29

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just wait for the right moment...

Only when you are going through a bad moment, it is best to stop playing for a while, to be able to meditate on all the plays that one made wrong and vice versa. As soon as your mind and body have rested, now you can just restart in a different way what could have good benefits ...:cool::cool:
 
thwenth1983

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poker team

Good morning everyone, the fastest way to evolve in poker, is to join a poker team, where you will receive knowledge, which will make your chart go up very fast.
Look at the graphic of this sharkscope player, nick danifeit, who has been playing since 2018 joined the step team, and spiked several mtts.
 
Lena M

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Hello.
The most important thing is to stay patient. Try to play not for money, but for your pleasure. Be patient, try to play only with strong cards, think carefully about your every decision and soon luck will return to you. Good luck.
 
jordanbillie

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Wow I just started reading the mental game of poker 2 - It’s fascinating how it explains how the “Zone” is not random...and that it is actually found within your habits and playing style, energy level, mood..etc..Not the best description as I’m just now taking it all in but am finding the material outstanding! In short it explains how to always find your zone, and that it is not based on random luck...I feel for many myself included
The mental aspect of poker is so widely overlooked and can add tremendous power to the game.

Learning as I go :)

Great post!

The mental aspect of life is also widely overlooked.
 
A

Airles17

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Did you really make the best decisions?
if so, rest assured that it is a phase.
it is part of the variance.
 
Evan Jarvis

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in the months of january and february i was playing well and winning a few dollars, but from march until now i have not won anything and i am still eliminated with good game in hand and someone always appears to get me off the table. it wiany tips to get out of a very bad phase ?.ll be just a phase or should I take a break from poker.


Hey jflola,

I hope these 2 videos will help, I made them specifically for this type of situation



I also think that in cases like this it's important to focus on your play and now how much you are winning or losing. As long as you keep playing well the luck will eventually shift and you'll catch a nice heater. If however the mindset is 'when will this end' or 'how can I get out of this downswing' you'll often find yourself in a position of forcing the action which doesn't typically work out well. That's when taking time off to get your mind off poker, get your mind off a string of results that don't really matter, and recharge yourself are best.
 
Luan

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yes you should stop your game and cool down because of the site it's tilting you and always like this it happens like months i'm making a lot of dollars, but there are months i don't win anything and i'm always eliminated with better hands. !
 
Newzooozooo

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Hi.
There is only one but effective piece of advice. Take a break for a week or two. I am sure that after the break the situation will change for the better.
Good luck.
 
amatola

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When is it variance and when is it just bad play? Are you at that stage where pocket AA getting cracked is not a big deal, because, after all, they are only 1 pair? Or is it a case of your str8 being hit by flushes and your flushes being hit by FH's?
 
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ph_il

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if your mental game is affect by a bad run or downswing, then i think taking a break is fine.

if your mental game, especially your decision making, isn't affected, then the best way to get out of a downswing is to keep playing.
 
Dutydog

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After steadily increasing my profit this year, I then went on a terrible downswing. The longer it went on, the more clever I tried to get to play my way out of it. Eventually, I paused and started again right back at basics- ABC Poker- and this helped me turn the corner.
 
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