1. 2008-04-22 11:32:52

   Dealing with huge downswing

   A good player must be able to handle failure and learn from mistakes. He/she must be able to analyze the mistakes made and avoid making them in the future.

   I have been playing well in No limit cash game until last month. I played 25NL. I was winning at 4PTBB/100.
   In the next weeks I lost several buy-ins. I ran bad in some occasions and played bad in some.
   My bankroll is only 50% of what it was at the start of the downswing.
   I am taking a much needed break right now.
   Though there were many coolers (set over set, etc) and bad beats, I played bad in some spots.
   I learnt many lessons during this stretch.

   1. Do NOT try too many new things especially when they are not suitable to the limits you play at. I incorporated too many aggressive moves into my game because they are +ev if opponent fold a decent percentage of time. But at these limits the players are not capable of folding.

   2. Playing high volume while trying new moves is not good. I was able to put in lot of volume but all my plays failed because I was not able to get good reads.

   3. Not thinking enough before I put in a big part of my stack. I should be thinking about the hands I can beat and the hands that beat me constantly.

   4. I should be protecting my stack and not the pot. I was committing my stack with mediocre hands even after the opponent showed aggression. I was trusting SPR too much instead of accurate hand reading.

   5. I tend to lose concentration around 1 hour. I should stop playing immediately and take a break. I made some horrible plays at the end of some sessions.

   6. Playing to cover losses.

   7. I should also stop paying off to see the showdown. I would pay 20BB with middle pair into 40Bb pot on the river because it is only 5$. These crying calls quickly add up.

   8. I should stop being overambitious. All I need is 2$ profit (8BB/100 or 4 PTBB/100) on each 25$ table after 1 hour session (~100hands) to show a good win rate. Of course there will be variance from table to table.

   But there are some things I improved my play.

   1. 3-betting. My non showdown winnings improved tremendously.

   2. I tightened up preflop. This avoided some bad spots I used to find myself.

   3. I also stopped calling raises with speculative hands like suited connectors.

   4. I stole a lot of blinds and small pots.

   5. I stopped playing out of position.

   I want to start fresh after the break.
   Having Omaha as a side game will help me enjoy playing and reduce my variance.
   I plan to reduce number of tables to 2.
   I also want reduce the number of bluff/semi bluff moves.
   I want to put in enough volume but at the same time make sure I am playing good poker.

   I hope to play next 10k hands with complete focus and see if I can win in poker again.

   Posted by Krishna at 2008-04-22 11:32:52

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Comments on “Dealing with huge downswing”

1. • Posted by Nick L g 2008-04-26 18:24:49
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   • I hope everything comesback and your on the upswing again best of luck.

2. • Posted by Krishna (unverified) g 2008-04-24 06:55:45
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   • Thanks for the encouraging words.
     I will try and post results after 10k hands.

3. • Posted by Jason M g 2008-04-24 06:29:58
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   • Good insights, Krishna. It's especially important to be able to realize when you are playing badly, under what circumstances that occurs, and how to not play to "catch up". I hope your break treats you well and the tables find you ready to kick some ass when you get back.

     I'm also taking a break after having a good run followed by two horrible tournament finishes and a casino loss. It seems like I always end a good run with some terrible playing and finishes. Too much confidence, I think.

4. • Posted by Linus (unverified) g 2008-04-24 04:12:47
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   • Great post Krishna. I totally agree and identify with your findings. You seem to be in control of the situation. Good luck and keep up with the posts.

5. • Posted by Ethan g 2008-04-23 19:55:37
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   • Good luck with that, let us know how you do after your break.

6. • Posted by uzjedi g 2008-04-23 13:40:59
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   • I can GREATLY identify with what you are going through. I've been there. A losing month is a very depressing thing when you play for a living.

     From your lists it looks to me like you have a good handle on the situation. Just hang in there. Things will turn around. It ALWAYS does.