Poker can be awesome at times, but can also be a brutal game at others... One thing that is a fact is that poker is a game full of swings. In the long run, the people that stay positive throughout the downswings are more likely to succeed in the end... However, staying positive when your losing money is one of the hardest things out there to do and is obviously much harder said than done... I am just as guilty as anyone and have caught myself over the past few months being much more negative about the game than I used to be, thus its time right now to change my entire attitude once again and get back to actually enjoying what I do best.

So my question to you is this: What are some things you have done (or would like to start doing) when you are on a downswing that can (or have) help better your attitude and increase the positive nature inside of you? It can be anything from physically, emotionally, etc.

The more ways you learn to be positive in your life, the happier you are going to be and in the long run thats really whats important. Overall, I think this thread can help a lot of grinders, including myself. If you have a bad problem with becoming extremely negative when you are running like the pits, take in these responses and work on adapting them to your own life, it could mean a world of difference... I look forward to hearing various responses!

yeah def realizing theres more to life outside of poker/money like friends family gf hobbies etc. What i do usually whether things are good or bad is only play when i feel like it otherwise i dont enjoy it at all. Try to avoid feeding into the negative people in poker, the ones always sending bad beats hh's complaining etc; helping them is fine tho and just follow ur own advice in those situations if u do offer words of encouragement.

Dropping down stakes until you get a win can help too. variance is dumb enough in 100rs and 1ks so when ur confidence isnt all that high and your on a downswing, playing those is usually just gonna hurt more. It's real hard to do but to focus on the filler tourns at the end of ur session even if ur really over it can help alot too. I know i play my best game 1 tabling so why not try on my last one. Its real hard to always do that but it truly does help and can really lower variance over time.

just try to find what makes ya happy outside of poker and do that as much as possible between playing.

I'm on a pretty big downswing right now and have been for a few months. Im just now starting to run a little better and i think honestly the best thing you can do is take 3 days to a week off when you feel more comfortable playing agian with that winning attitude. Enjoy life, value money like it used to be before poker and stop caring about getting bad beated in hands or whatever the reason you may be having a downswing because the only way to get thru that time is like you said to stay positive. Once i started running a little better a week ago or so it has made my attitude towards poker alot stronger, it shouldt always stay that way but its tough when your on a losing streak. But taking days off and valueing money for what it is has made me think alot differently since ive encountered my first downswing has helped me alot. Hanging with homies, movies, all that has helped me not think about running bad, just everything that has nothing to do with poker to get your mind off of it helps and therefore when you start your next session you dont have that bad attitude thinking its going to be another shit day and its going to be a winning day. And also mentioned play maybe less tournaments and dont multitable so you can concentrate on 5-6 touraments at time.

We got good samples with doubledave and austin, when the downswing is here def taking a break is the best thing to do IMO. I would even recommend to put energy/time/mind in another activity to research for feelings, for example, winter time is coming know so I guess taking a couple of days out in the snow, riding the mountains like a free horse will connect to some good vibes/emotions that once we go back to the table, we feel like being fresh after..
Also learning/improving other type of games (can be from other form of poker until backgammon or other) can help but I def feel doing a completely other activity is the nuts...

I posted this in a thread last week but one of the things that's helped my mindset is working out before I play. Not sure if you can really even call it working out as all I do is some stretching, sit-ups, and push-ups...But still, I can't stress how much doing this one thing has helped me feel better mentally and physically playing after being on a downswing. (It would probably be easier if I got my 6'5" 235 ass in shape, but I digress).

Always believe in yourself. Focus on what you can control. Play your best and make good decisions. Remember poker owes you nothing and continue to work hard on your game.

yeah jymaster i know what you mean, you do run bad.

but seriously huni, jymaster, wretchy, whoever needs help with running bad: the person that can help you the most and is the best at handling such things, someone i would consider to be a sort of guru is the one and only JEWISH THUNDER.

you can find him on twitter: @jewishthunder

,

you are all welcome for the help

take out your frustration on telemarketers

it helps

One thing that may help is perspective. Take a step back and look at all your success. When you are in a downswing it's so easy to forget that you know how to win. Go back and look over your results and smile at some of those great scores you have had. Think back to how you felt when you first took up the game and the excitement of logging in and picking a donkament to play in. Heck, I don't know if you started in the micro limits, but think back to the time before you were a poker god. Remember that excitement that the mere thought of the game brought?

A last word on perspective as I write this post. I am waiting for my car to warm up on this 10 degree Chicago morning. I am up well before my family, on my way to my daily grind. I would give my left nut to be as good as some of you top dogs and have the ability to work from anywhere, make great money and have the freedom to pursue other pursuits. Relish the fact that you get to live the life you live all b/c of a freaking game! Heck, if it helps, even consider the fact that this great game as we know it could go away

Best of Luck,

Tube1

If you guys would like a boost in confidence just watch me for a session... You'll puke 5-6 times (per tournament) and walk away feeling better about yourselves... =0)

Seriously, Liquid and Thordog hit it on the head though. If you've never been to a 3rd world country I suggest taking a break from poker and doing a mission trip there. Go help those folks out once and shed some perspective on what those people live like. It's sad and def gives you a new appreciation for everything we have.

If I am feeling like shit because of bad beats I play my hardest and try to get as far as I can then once all my games are done. I click the mode button on my monitor (24 inch HD sad I know) and fire up my PS3 and slaughter as may things as I can on COD! I am currently however working on also do things like running and working out.

I am actually just about to go for a run had a deepish run in a $3 donkament and ran bad in some spots where I had KK taken out by 58 then had 58>AK where villain got his gut shot on the river and def could not put him on 58 so we got it all in left me with 3BB which I got back up to a top 20 stack with 60 left and had this happen


Dealt to tef197 [Ad 8h]
koisumaz: folds
agrolina: folds
sullygun: folds
behroo: folds
grizzly380: folds
sercan19881: folds
tef197: raises 12500 to 22500 (142421 in chips) Button
adrigijones: calls 17500 (200966 in chips) SB
iste_pelates: folds
*** FLOP *** [7d As Ts]
adrigijones: bets 20000
tef197: raises 98671 to 118671 and is all-in
adrigijones: calls 98671 and shows Qs4s

rivered his flush

I am mad that I can't finish my deep runs out in big fielded MTT's but at the same time I am happy that I am starting to string them together this past year

I just need to get past spots like this and I think I will become a huge threat at lots of FT in the micro levels at least

I think taking breaks is a great tip that some of you guys have brought up. It helps you focus when you return to poker. Instead of going into a session unsure about your abilities because the way you have been running, take time off and come back with a fresh mind. It helps me with golf as well, played competitively for years took some time off and now I enjoy it more. I am just a dirt farmer in comparison to some of you cash croppers, so I can see how playing for a living and having a downswing can really wreck your positive outlook. I have enjoyed watching you play Huni, and I am sure it will pick up.

I forgot to add that somedays to help myself feel better about beats and being on downswings is that like the case where I couldn't fade the flush I constantly look up players stats as they join my table thus I know when losing/winning players join and if I get a bad beat I look at it as either damn I played that bad next or I tell myself it is just a chance to get those players hopes up so that there is more +EV for me in the future.

I mean most of the high rollers here must just lick their chops when they see a new face at their table rather than all regs.

what has helped me is getting in the lab with Doc Horton. That son of a bitch works me until I can't feel stress anymore, probably because I just puked it out. Thanks Doc! I also just focus on work, I am not a baller, so I gots to keep a day job yo!

I think it simply comes down to emotionally detaching yourself from the game. We all know that its important to be process oriented and not results oriented. But how many of us have incorporated that into our day to day poker lives? If you truly believe the mantra you wouldn't even bat an eye at a bad beat. You'd realize that anger, frustration, tilt, etc. only hinder the process of playing your best possible poker, which should be all our goals. And yet so many of us let these abundantly obvious facts escape us yet because we can't control or detach ourselves from our emotions. What finally changed things a bit for me is when I realized how fucking selfish it is to complain about bad beats. We all know poker isn't a game of absolutes so who the fuck are we to complain when something that happens a certain percentage happens to us? I think when you look at it from this perspective its much easier to let it all go.

If you are on a multiple month downer, you def. need to take at least a two week break from playing poker online. Sweat ppl, talk hh's, read forums and what not, but do not play. In fact, i think for confidence factor, rather than drop stakes, just go play live cash (something you have a very high winrate at like 1-2 nl or whatever) a couple days and youll get confidence back in no time. Then after the two weeks you will have the desire and hunger to not only win money , but the desire to want to play which is very important because if you dont enjoy playing this game their is no chance you will succeed in the short term or long term.