I’ve been on a pretty severe poker downswing over the last few weeks. It feels like being at the bottom of a deep well, and the parallax effect prevents me from seeing the daylight at the top. I know from years of playing the game that this is temporary. I have a history as a profitable player, a deep-rooted faith in my intelligence and skill, and yet, I’ve finished every session this week by saying, “That was pathetic. Maybe I should just quit.” Why? What’s happening to me that I can feel this pessimistic about a game I love (or used to, anyway)? <READMORE>

I know I’m not alone. New posts of anger and frustration are strewn across PocketFives and other forums every single day. Cash games, SNGs or MTTs…ranked pro, serious amateurs and micro-limit hobbyists…these feelings happen to everyone. As you gain experience, the ability to keep bad beats in perspective gets easier. The underpair will catch against your aces 18% of the time. Monster hands are only a favorite until the last card is turned. There’s almost never such a thing as a “sure thing”…and that’s OK. The underdog winning is part of the game’s appeal. Despair sets in when a bad card rush hits at the same time as a bad decision rush. We can play bad, get hit with the deck, and lose a little. We can play well, get sucked out on, and lose a little. Combine the two, and you join me at the bottom of the well.

Since we can’t control the cards, let’s consider why we make bad decisions. Is it that we forget how to play? Not likely. As someone serious enough about poker to join a site like PocketFives, each of us is almost assuredly expanding our knowledge of the game. Do we forget what to play? Game selection and bankroll management undoubtedly plays a factor in the demise of some players. You may not be good enough for the higher-limit games, even though you’re sufficiently staked. Or you may have the chops, but not the financial cushion to withstand the slings and arrows of misfortune.

But what happens when we keep our bankroll protected, study and work hard at poker, and still find ourselves in the midst of a run when nothing goes right? You turn off the computer at the end of the night, or come home from the casino, look yourself in the mirror, and say, “What the hell was that? What were you thinking?” We make bad decisions because we forget why we play. The reasons why we play are different for everyone. A pro’s list would look very different from an amateur’s, a high-stakes list varying from that of a micro-limit player. Personally, I am at my best when I play because (in order):

• <LI>I love the game and find it a fun way to spend my free time <LI>I enjoy providing a supplementary income for my family, however much it may be <LI>poker is a competitive outlet that keeps me balanced in other aspects of my life that shouldn’t be as competitive</LI>

When I have any different motivation to turn on the computer or head out to a card room, I am a lot more likely to lose. In the past, I’ve played because of:

• <LI>TLB standings <LI>“last longer” bets <LI>attempts to accumulate frequent player points <LI>specific monetary goals over a fixed amount of time <LI>maintenance of a Star or Iron Man status <LI>because I just felt that the need to play “just one more round”</LI>

In all of those cases, I’m playing not because I want to, but because I “have to”. The alcoholic keeps a bottle of vodka on his nightstand because he “has to”. When I play poker because I “have to,” I am a losing player.

One of the best ways to break out of a bad cycle is to completely get away from playing for several days. I’m about to do just that, as by the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on an airplane for 10 days of Florida fun with my family. I do not anticipate playing poker at all during that stretch, and I’m welcoming the reprieve. Too much of my play recently has been about putting aside extra money for this trip, as well as banking for a June weekend in Vegas. I am quite certain that my focus on making an extra “X” amount of money got in the way of where my focus needs to be in every game: What cards do I have? What might my opponents have? Should I bet, raise or fold?

I’m sure I’ll be checking PocketFives.com while I’m on my vacation. Some vices don’t cost anything, and besides, I’d miss y’all too much to be gone for that long. But the rest of my poker thoughts will be reactions to my kids’ faces as they hug Mickey Mouse, and remembering why I play. Even the worst downswings don’t have to leave you helpless and hopeless. Every day is a new day. Adjust your choice of game and strategy to where you are right now, not where you were or think you should be, and you’ll be in the best position possible to ride the next rush as far as it can take you. </READMORE>