How do you handle a "downswing" that lasts more than 3 months? (1 Viewer)

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

I know someone who have been on a losing stretch and it’s mentally draining. Sometimes, you study, review hands, but still losing. Then, after a while you start doubting your own ability. When something like this happened, do you take a break? Move down?

 

[Bawse]

Downswings should never last that long whether it's tournaments or cash game, and if you've been losing for 3+ months. It's time to re evaluate, and fix leaks in your game. Studying, and watching poker might help you shake off a downswing too.

 

[Will]

I'll start from the point that the player has a positive ROI and a good sample size of games. I've been a professional MTT player for 4 years and have already gone through some downswings, but the first point is that time is relative; what matters is the volume of games. If you play tournaments and in three months you only played 100 tournaments, it's completely normal to have a bad phase. Now, if you played 2000 games in that period and won, perhaps the psychological factor is affecting your game and causing you to make bad decisions. It could be that your tournament schedule is unbalanced; for example, if you only play tournaments with a large field, the chance of going through many, many games without winning is high. What I usually do is maintain good bankroll management; if necessary, I lower the average buy-in, study more, ask friends for their opinions on my game, and look for alternatives to maintain even more focus during the grind. But a good starting point would be to focus on playing tournaments with a smaller field, carefully select your tournament schedule, and continue studying.

 

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

One deep run can change everything. Yes, it is very important to fix leaks, study more, move down if the bankroll is tight, but don't assume that long downswing automatically mean you are bad.