Running BadI'm not talking about a bad beat here or there or having a bad day or even week. I'm talking about a month or even months of it. Impossible for a winning player? Think again, however sick this sounds it is possible to lose every hand for 500 years. Is it likely to happen? No . Is it possible? Yes !!!!!!!!Now that we know that, of course it is possible to run terribly for weeks, months and even a year or more. Unfortunately I know this first hand. Well we've all heard the sad stories and I'm not going to bore you with mine. Let's discuss how a pro or anyone serious about the health or their game (and their own health) deals with it. How to deal with running badFirst of all take a step back. Time away from the game...not only to stop from going insane but to let the dust settle and be able to calmly spot potential problems that may be present other than just a tough run of cards and find a solution.There may be nothing wrong with your game, but only taking time off will give you the best chance to absolutely know for sure. Even if you find nothing wrong with your play the time off will will do wonders for your health, give you more stamina for future play and so on. Just like time away from a job can do wonders for productivity, quality and safety. It's the same in the poker world. Other things to consider are there problems with the game(s) themselves, the poker room, and anything else that could possibly be causing this besides just bad runs of cards. For example is the game selection better somewhere else? Is collusion more likely to be stopped if you play somewhere else? Are you playing at a site with resources like Fulltilt poker where the games are constantly scanned and scrutinized to prevent collusion (cheaters)? If you find something wrong change what you can before playing again. Stakes of the gameIf your bankroll has taken a hit from a losing streak move down in stakes.(I know, it sucks to do it)There will be less pressure on you though, and generally the lower limits are easier to beat. And of course the swings will be lower. The bigger game is not always better. Generally it goes like this more or less. These examples are purposely exaggerated to show a real problem when moving up in limits and the games are not as juicy
Which of the above would you rather play?Take a quick look again at this. Notice they both have the same size swings (variance) in relation to the buy in. But, because of the lower profit(expectation) in relation to the size of the game the longer the poor run can last. The poorer the relationship between profit and swings the longer you can run bad. The richer the relationship the easier and shorter the bad runs will be to get through. BonusesDeposit and reload bonuses can really help make up for a losing streak. It might not take all the pain out of the fall but it does give at least some cushion. Especially for a low and middle stakes players.More Help for Dealing with DownswingsHow to avoid tilt and when running badDealing with Tough Hands Mistakes to Avoid and Improve Your Game
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