Texas Holdem Poker

It doesn’t matter how great of a Poker player that you are, eventually you will hit a downswing. Sometimes it is due to bad play and sometimes it is due to bad luck. Regardless of the reason, at some point in a poker player’s career they will hit a downswing and must learn some way to deal with it. Let’s discuss some things to do when you hit the inevitable downswing.

First, evaluate your Online Poker game. Look at different aspect and determine if there are any holes in your game that may be helping to prolong your losing streak. Are you bluffing in spots that you shouldn’t? Are you chasing hands without the proper odds? Start asking questions about every aspect of your game. You may even want to bring in the help of another player to talk about your game. If you are a regular online player, you may want to have them watch you play a session online and give you some feedback on what they see.

Next, tighten up your play at the tables. I know that it is usually bad to become a total rock, but sometimes that is what is needed in order to get back on track. Many Texas Holdem players don’t want to go to this approach because playing tight poker is very boring. Poker players want action. Action for the sake of action will prolong a losing streak. Show some discipline and rock up a bit.

Consider dropping a level. Ego is usually the big hindrance in most players taking this step. People are embarrassed to have to move down. They feel they are not as competent of a poker player or are worried what people will think. I would rather have people gossip about the fact that I had to move down a level as opposed to being the guy on the rail hoping someone will buy him into Poker Games.

Finally, when all else fails, sometime you have to walk away for a while. A poker buddy of mine that is a regular player on the poker circuit was having a bad run in 2006 and went for over 6 months without cashing in a single poker tournaments. Normally this would not be so bad except for the fact that he played in at least one tournament set a month. He was losing money hand over fist at the tables. Finally, he decided that he was going to leave. Not only did he leave the poker tables, he left the country. He took his family on vacation to Mexico. When my friend returned, the first two events he played in he won. The next event he played in he made the final table and finished third. In the span of 3 days, he made over $100,000.

Losing streaks happen to us all. While riding out the streak works many times, sometime further measures need to be taken in order to right the ship. Look at things objectively and you will eventually come up with the proper course of action to get back to the win column. Good luck to you at the tables.