Poker is a skill-based game which requires constant upskilling and patience to master. If you have been playing poker for a very long time then you might have felt down or dazed after a point of losing a few consecutive games. When you lose a series of poker hands and end up losing a part of your bankroll, it is regarded as a downswing.
Downswing is an inevitable part of this real cash game and its effect can be minimised by a lot of tips that are followed by poker pros to avoid losing a substantial amount of their bankroll.
It is only natural to get disappointed once a downswing happens. For this reason, it is vital to understand how to deal with a downswing before you dive deep in real money poker to save yourself from getting bankrupt.
To understand this common concept in detail, let’s first go back to the basics.
The quintessential traits that make up the skill sets of an elite player of real money poker are-
- Patience
- Disciplines
- Strong Fundamental Knowledge
- Maths
If you ever ask professional poker pros, they will tell you that out of all the skill sets, essential to ace the game of poker, mental and emotional discipline is the most essential. Not only will this help in increasing your knowledge of the game but also help in managing any bad runs you are having at the poker table.
Sometimes it so happens that you get in a rut and end up getting overly frustrated with constant losses in the game. This can even lead to a tilt which is a common poker term for unstable emotional and mental capacity caused due to exhaustion, excessive downswing or poor emotional state.
At that point of time, we generally end up thinking, is this ever going to end, which almost always ends up making the situation even worse.
As a result of this angst, people often resort to trying to focus forcefully, or take actions out of frustration. But what we must remember at this point is that it is a very natural phenomenon and happens to almost all poker players at one point or the other.
Overcoming a downswing can be a tiring and gruesome process but there are a lot of things you can do to minimise the agony and maximise your chances of winning. Let’s have a look at all the things you can do to find the light at the end of the tunnel to get respite from all the losing due to the downswing you are facing-
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Taking a break from the game-
The first thing to do after realising that you are experiencing a downswing is to stop playing. Taking a break from playing will not only put your mind at ease but also give you a chance to think clearly. It is also important to acknowledge that there is no one who can play well in a downswing and taking a break is the only wise decision. Coming back to the table with a fresh perspective will prove to be advantageous for your game in all capacities.
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Reviewing your game
The first rule to fixing a problem is finding its root cause. If you are faced with a downswing, the first thing to do, we established earlier, is taking a break. Post that it is important to analyse your recent poker hands to try and understand what is happening and then act in order to rectify the negatives.
Even though it is inevitable to be in the middle of a downswing, it is always better to take a look at your game to see how you are playing. It is only natural to fall prey to a situation of tilting during a downswing, which will only make things worse. So. analyse your play closely to ascertain where and why things are going south.
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Bringing your focus back to the fundamentals
As a poker player, it is always advised to keep bruising up on the fundamentals of the game including poker rules, tips from pros, strategies of players you admire and latest literature to improve your game. It has been commonly assessed that during a downswing, once players review their game, they recognise that they have been neglecting basics.
Brushing up on the basic literature and studying will also help in calming your mind which is also the best solution to get out of a downswing.
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Maintaining a Healthy Bankroll
Another common mistake that generally players end up making is that in order to cover losses they end up going overboard and spending more than their bankroll. This leads to depletion of valuable resources and magnifies frustration and regret, which is never a good thing. It is advised that when you are facing a downswing, always be careful to maintain and sustain a healthy bankroll at all times during your play.
As we have now established that downswings are inevitable while playing money earning games but going down with a swing is not. With these tips you will be able to not only handle a downswing positively but also spring back with equal vigour and love for the game. It is advised to use these instances as a wake up call to distance yourself from the game, recoup and then get back to the unlimited poker action at India’s No. 1 Poker App– Adda52.
