Surviving the dark times

[HeyMan]

I am not alone when it comes to dealing with downswings in poker and feeling the need to step away for 30 to 60 days. It's a problem most of US poker players face from time to time.


Taking a break from poker’s constant mental challenge can yield numerous benefits.


Who has taken a break ? If so how long and did you come back a stronger player ?

 

[Maikychan]

When I'm in a bad period I don't necessarily stop playing poker, but I usually decrease the number of tournaments I play and I end up playing on alternate days. I also take the extra time I get for not playing poker so much and I usually devote more to studying poker and of course doing other things that have nothing to do with poker.

 

[Alucard]

depends on why you are on a downswing & whether you are fine with the amounts you are losing. Also it's subjective
Mental game is the most important thing if you want to be a consistent grinder imo. A lot of players are losers because of this.

I've taken around a week of break when I'd tilt and completely ruin my profits.
That rarely happens now cause I've taken the measurements needed to keep my mental game up.
If I'm not doing so good I'd take a breather & come back when I feel like it

Not that relevant to recreational players though. Just enjoy when you are playing

 

[playinggameswithu]

If it feels disgusting or painful or mental torture then you need to step away from the game.

 

[tauri103]

my longest absence from the poker tables lasted 7 months following the loss of all my banckroll. Totally aneantie by the facts. at that moment I did not want to have anything to do with poker but the temp heals everything. I think it's by watching my favorite old poker movies that I resumed taste in the game, of course when I know that I could not play at my best poker. I take short breaks of 2 or 3 days for to change my ideas in other activities.

 

[dbchristy]

I just feel like my confidence is gone. It doesnt affect my life, as far, as, finance, or mental..Im just confused as to why I can't be alot better than I am. All I can do is keep studying and keep trying to do my best. Poker is my only outlet, besides netflix and a baby nephew that I watch. Until then, dont give up folks. Good luck on the felts.

 

[oneloy]

half a year. Learned materials and returned with full force)))

 

[Gyry]

I do not think that a break in the game will help to improve the result. It seems to me the opposite, the more you play, the more you improve in the game. The only thing if you are tired and it was not interesting to you, the excitement and enthusiasm was gone, then you should definitely take a break. But it will not affect your skill.

 

[Lena M]

Hello.
I have my own effective method. In such cases, I usually meditate, and it always helps me. I believe that this is very useful not only for successful play, but also for achievement of goals in general.

 

[finaltable1]

I am not alone when it comes to dealing with downswings in poker and feeling the need to step away for 30 to 60 days. It's a problem most of us poker players face from time to time.


Taking a break from poker’s constant mental challenge can yield numerous benefits.


Who has taken a break ? If so how long and did you come back a stronger player ?

I've started playing poker because I've learned the theory and received free starting bankroll for that. It was long time ago. One of the important psychology lessons in poker theory course was about discipline. Both financial and psychological discipline.
- Banroll management is simple... 3% of all money for all cash tables, or 1% for all tourneys. If bankroll is going down, you also need to step down on your cash tables limits or tourney buy-ins.
- Psychological discipline isn't that easy, but it's not too complicated. At first you have to sit to the tables with a simple idea in your mind that you've already spent these money, they aren't yours since you've bought chips. These money belong to the table or to the tourney. What you can do is to try and pull out your share of the total. You must have rules for each table, for example you can leave the cash table after double or triple up. AND YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR OWN RULES. Don't stay there because there is a juicy fish with x8 buy-ins... Casino needs rake and that's the reason why your AA will fail at important moment, cause rotation of money guarantees rake, you have a bankroll, but fish probably plays for last money, you may think that RNG has no feelings about bankrolls, but for some reason, specially for preflop all-ins, the results are often terrible for your AA vs some KQ. Don't speculate!
- Another psychological advice is to have discipline outside the table and away from poker in general. Sport is a good method. Bodybuilding is a good option during poker sessions. You can perform excersises during your breaks. Sport requires discipline, poker also require discipline. One helps another.
- One more thing... If you're having a black line at pokerstars and want to take a break, you can always play a partypoker or ACR. Learn the word DIVERSIFICATION. You can split your money between several pokerrooms and enjoy black or white lines by testing your luck in each room.
- And the last thing... When You're playing 8-12-16 cash tables at the same time and play tight, in such case luck factor is reduced to minimum and you'll have action hands more often. It's hard to play 8-9 tables at the same time, that's why to learn to play 9 tables you need to play 12-16 tables for several weeks, it might be playmoney tables or freerolls, you just need to focus on large amount of information and act rapidly. When you'll spend 3weeks of such chaotic 12 table gaming you'll get used to it and will start acting normally. This is the time when you're stepping down from 12 tables to 8 tables. What happens? You've got that OK feeling for 12 tables, it was hard but you managed to learn hot to play well at 12 tables, now when you're stepping down to 8 or 9 tables you will be surprised, but your mind will think that 8 tables is BORING. You will have more time for better decisions than you had at 12 tables. It works.

Playin poker is playing mind games. If you're overloading your mind with foolish expectations, hopes and failing decisions then mind needs a break from such cr@p to restore it's normal state. In case if your personal code of conduct is designed in flexible way that simply does not allow tilting, then you won't have to take breaks because of multiple bad beats, instead you'll be taking breaks to have the time to spend your winnings.
Good Luck

 

[Ricardo_lhp]

hello my friend, I also prefer to take a break when things are not going well. But I think it's an exaggeration to stay 30 to 60 days away, I shoot 1 or 2 days without playing, and from 2 days one I totally enjoy myself and the other shot to study my game and see the hands I played, what I did right, what I did wrong, in what I could improve. But getting away so much time does not seem very good.

 

[neptun1914]

If you feel tired and have no idea how to improve your game and start winning then it is a good idea to take a break for some time. Relax for few days without poker and then analyze your past games and try to see what you do wrong and what need to be changed. You can also use the break to read or watch some poker materials to improve your general knowledge for the game. When ready return to the tables again.

 

[mtmigmike]

When I lose I usually take a break for a few days to understand my mistakes.

 

[FerSilva8100]

I believe study is the best way to go through the downswing. I participate in live poker training two days a week at poker stars BR, watch videos of several successful players including live streams and reading books such as Rapid and Slow Daniel Kahneman's two ways of thinking. But do not let that knock you down for too long, at most two or three days.

 

[Anton Fedorov]

the longest period I haven't played is about one year. now when I get tired I can afford not to play poker for a week or more, but at this time it’s better to do theory and analysis of my game, then you will be back in better shape than they were!

 

[Dzob]

I need 1-2 weeks to reset my mindset. It helps a lot after the downswing period. This period allows me to understand poker reality.

 

[Newzooozooo]

Hi.
I think it is a very good idea to take a break from the game. My biggest break was 6 weeks. The break always helps me. I noticed that after a good rest, I make more correct decisions.
Good luck.

 

[DjDen]

Hi, I don’t have much time in poker now, I lost a bankroll, I plan to take a break from poker for 30-60 mdn, at this time I will focus on the distribution of hands and the analysis of the game so as not to lose the thread))