Poker Downswing - The Hard Part of Poker

Playing Poker can be rough, playing poker for a living can be rougher. Its a game of skill but also a game where bad luck can take its course.

Remove your ego - Acknowledge your downswing

Many players will blame bad luck when they're experience a downswing in poker. It's our ego that is causing us to blame bad luck. How dare we presume it's our own poor play or frame of mind that is making us lose...that's just not possible right? Well the truth is, long periods of losses and downswinging is caused exactly for those reasons. EV and bad luck may have started off the downswing but it's more than likely a fault of our own - Be it mindset or poor play, that's causing the downswing to continue for so long.

As a professional poker player we need to analyse everything and sometimes seek outside help, there is only so much we can do for ourselves. Dragging in a coach for an hour could change everything (Check out our poker coaches). This may sound far too simple, but a business will have an accountant and an online business will hire a website analytics company to see where they are going wrong and what can be improved. Why is poker any different? Seek advice from those who have been through the highs and lows, learn from their experience.

Share your downswing and losing hands!

Forever poker players have been afraid to show their bad plays and downswings. Its 2013 now and things are changing for the better. We can't learn by showing our perfect plays or hiding our incorrect stats - Get the negative play / hands out there for other players to help you! Put up a hand you lost and are unsure on why it happened, someone out there will comment on it and give you the definitive answer. Make a video of yourself playing, play as you would normally, send it off to a coach to analyse. The coach will write down every poker leak and also give you new ideas to implement in similar spots.

These are all techniques that will seriously help to improve your all around poker game. If you simply want someone to stroke your ego then look elsewhere, but if you're serious about improving your poker game, you simply must share hands with other players and discuss the hands that lost you money.

We have an extensive roster of coaches and professionals here at PokerVIP dedicated to helping you improve your game, absolutely free. Get involved in our strategy discussion & hands discussion - You'll notice a big difference in your game. 

Learn when to stop 

All of the poker tips listed above are there for you to improve pre-grind and post-grind. During the grind itself, just make sure you are not chasing money or playing differently when the losses happen, and if you are then STOP playing. Sometimes stopping your poker session will be your most profitable play.

Stopping losses is way better than getting yourself stressed and losing more. Take some time away from the computer and come back when you are in a more positive frame of mind. There is literally nothing we can benefit from playing whilst stressed or tilting. It only results in one thing which is LOSSES.

So if you are the player who is sat at the computer pulling your hair out and losing your bankroll, take note of this and do something to change it!