How To Deal With Prolonged Losing Streaks In Internet Poker

By Author: Groshan Fabiola
Total Articles: 2671
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Lengthy losing streaks are undoubtedly one of Internet poker players' worst nightmares. While the occasional bad beat is easier to deal with and put behind, surmounting and recovering from a long chain of successive losses can be difficult to achieve. Since virtually every poker player experiences at least one stinging losing spree over the course of his/ her career, it is crucial to know how to overcome such occurrences in an efficient manner and get back on track as soon as possible.

The first recommended step involves doing a retrospective analysis of your regular Internet poker strategy and an assessment of your overall skill level. It is important to be honest with yourself and think as objectively as possible, accounting for things as game practice and experience, total number of wins, your amount of theoretical knowledge on poker, etc., in order to discern where you actually stand by comparison with other players. If for instance you determine that the players you usually compete against are way over your head, then it may better to move down a notch to poker games that are more approachable.

If your ...
... analytic assessment indicates that you have what it takes to take on advanced, high stakes poker games, and you are sure that the losing streak is mostly due to bad luck or an inopportune change in how you normally play poker, then you should look for the factor(s) that might have triggered the series of losses. Check whether you have developed any bad habits with a detrimental effect on your playing and take a closer look at the mistakes you have made recently. There is also the possibility that your opponents have gained the ability to read your game, in which case you could put an end to your losing spree simply by adopting a less predictable approach.

Moreover, see whether the poker games you normally join in receive players with skill levels similar to yours. If your regular opposition keeps getting better and better while your playing isn't improving much, you should consider playing against adversaries that are less adept at Internet poker. Although this may seem like a step backwards, it will nevertheless help protect your bankroll and allow you to regain your confidence by tying a few wins, irrespective of how big or profitable they turn out to be.

Since winning Internet poker games also revolves around the element of chance, there can be instances where your long losing streak may be nothing more than the product of misfortune, in which case you should probably take a break from poker games to shake off all the bad luck. Regardless of how adept you are at poker, sometimes you just can't control and win a game if you keep getting bad hands with no real prospects in the overall economy of the game. Such situations may be very frustrating, and may cause you to make crucial mistakes or push you into chasing losses. Therefore, to avoid such situations it is strongly recommendable that you stay off poker games for a while and only return to the poker table when you are feeling refreshed, calm and confident in your ability.

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