How to deal with running really bad in poker?

Question

OK, so I'm a winning poker player. Ive won quite a lot of money playing online and I have a decent winrate.

Lately however I have been running extremely bad. Constantly receiving bad beat after bad beat. I'm now a full 23 buyins below expectation.

How do I deal with such a downswing? I feel sick. The odds of what has happened to me are so far out there, its unbelieveable. I feel scared to play, even though I have a huge edge over the other players. I am now convinced my luck is simply worse than my opponents.

I really dont want to take a break. Why would I? I am a winning player so it would be stupid to "not play".

Please help.

Answer 1

When you good bad, get up and walk around your chair.

Answer 2

A 'bad card run" can't be stopped by not playing...all that you do when you stop is temporarily interupt a bad run of cards, when you come back to play it just starts where it left off...as a winning poker player the more that you play the more you should make, right?

Your "job" as a winning player is to make the best possible decisions with the cards you are dealt.  When you are running bad, it is most likely that you are making different decisions than you would normally make.  This can be due to fatigue, boredom, or bad habits.  Like others suggested taking a break is a good idea, but it isn't because the cards you will get will be better or your luck will change...It's probably like I mentioned fatigue, boredom, or bad habits.  Try playing fundamentally tighter and don't try to overplay or outplay your opponents...you will see that "dumbing yourself down" for a bit will work wonders...you may also be underestimating your opponents...ask yourself "Would I continue Playing Against These Oponents If I were Winning?"  "Am I tired?"  "Am I Forcing the Action?"  "Am I Impatient?"  Evaluate what it could be, if you're a good winning player then playing is the only option to make you win...going down to a lower level is always a good idea like someone suggested...it can help you make good decisions with your cards and position and if you get beat it costs less...

Like you my confidence went down and I just had a month where I felt I couldn't win consistently...I figured out that I was playing too many hands and was trying to outplay everyone...I went back to playing really tight and played through it...the month wasn't as profitable as I wanted but I managed to get my confidence back.  This happens to all poker players at some point in time in their poker career...Hope this makes sense...

Answer 3

If you say you are scared to play, you are playing with scared money.  Not a good thing.

I have a tendency, when I'm streaking, to call hands that I wouldn't ordinarily call.  It negatively impacts my play.  

Then when I become cautious, I miss out on a hand I would have won.

I try to stay in the happy medium.  Somtimes, I say to myself, "Would I call this bet if that was all the chips I had?"

It is too easy to go from streaking to tilting if you don't use the same criteria for each hand.

Answer 4

I will assume you are talking about Holdem?  Is it NL?  Is it just home games?  Is it just tourneys?  My suggestion, change your scenery.  Go to a different casino/card room.  

You sound like you know what you are doing, but do you know how to calculate your odds?

For example, after a flop, you have an open ender and the nut flush draw.  That gives you a 68% chance of hitting a card you need.  But, do you know how to caluclate that?  If you have an AK suited to give you that flush draw, and you can assume another out is the ace or the king, to give you top pair.  This brings your odds up to 92% pre-turn card.  If you don't hit it, you still have a 46% chance to hit on the river.  Of course there are variables to take into consideration.  For example,. will that ace that potentially gives you top pair give an opponent the straight that you are also chasing?

So, if you are not too up on how to calculate your odds, maybe you should work on that aspect of the game, which will help negate the luck factor.

Other options are, do you have any tell tale reads?  If so, adjust.

Answer 5

don't stop playing, be CONFIDENT!!!

Answer 6

keep on playing if u r a winning player unluck cant beat good play i the long run =)

Answer 7

Without question, the best advice I could give you is to take a break.  Why would you, you asked.  Because right now, you are not playing your best poker- simple as that.  Take a break for a couple of days or a couple of weeks (or however long it takes).  But the point is, get away from the tables.  When you are excited and looking forward to playing, then get back to the tables.  This will give you a chance to refocus and get motivated to play again.  Even if you have a huge edge on the game, no one is immune from playing scared or on tilt.  With a proper mindset and relaxed and focus playing, when you take a bad beat you realize that a) it happens and b) if that guy continues to play like that, you'll take his whole stack.  When you are frustrated and take a bad beat, you'll a) get angry and go on tilt, b) afraid to value bet because you're afraid of being drawn out on at the river, and c) play with worse hands trying to "make something happen".  The games will always be there waiting for you.  If you are not playing at your best, no matter what edge you might have will be lost due to you playing frustrated.  Get away from the tables, and when you feel the itch to start playing again, you'll know it's time to return.

Answer 8

What I do when I'm running bad, and nothing seems to hit anymore is to dish out some bad beats to other people. I play in some $1 tournaments and play like a loose maniac. It brings some fun back into the game, raising with 47 off-suit and beating aces. Just spend a day doing this, ultra-aggressive play at low stakes.

If you manage to triple up and end up winning a low stakes tourney you will feel your luck is back, and psychologically you will be bale to return to your normal game again.

In fact after writing this I might go and do the same myself now.