Losing

Obviously, everybody has losses. The trick is not to let one or two losses grow into an extended losing streak which may, in the worst case, lead to a disaster — going broke. The essential question is: How can you prevent this from happening? If you play regularly in the same game with the same players, and you are a steady winner, one loss shouldn’t be a cause of too much concern. This is especially true if you felt that you played reasonably well and didn’t lose an excessive amount.

If you went on tilt during this session, then even this first loss may be the sign of a problem, and you should take corrective action. (See the next paragraph for some suggestions.) The signs of tilt are playing too many hands (hands you wouldn’t normally play), playing much longer than you usually do, or losing more than your typical big win in that game. Some players have been known to win for 20 days straight and then have a huge loss. During this loss, they play for three days without sleep and play terribly. By the time they eventually pass out at the table, they have lost in one session more than they won in the previous 20.

Corrections: If you have two or three losses in a row, it is definitely time to take corrective measures. There are a variety of things you can try. I’ve detailed some sensible suggestions below.

Before your next session:

Take a day or two off

Talk to another player whom you trust and respect about how you’ve been playing

Study poker before you play. Reread a poker classic or start a new book. Watch some of the superstars play online, on TV, or even on YouTube. Read and/or post on one of the poker forums.

Try to analyze some of the hands you played in the last session in great detail. What other options did you have at each stage in the hand? Would those options have worked better? Why did you make the decisions you made?

During your next session:

Buy in for the minimum

Only play your next session when the game is very good — more bad players than usual

Play the next session at lower stakes

Play tighter than usual

Avoid wild plays — don’t try huge semi-bluffs

I usually advise players to play longer sessions when the game is good and they are winning, but to quit sooner when they’re losing and the game isn’t that good. When you have had a few losses in a row, it is often good to quit somewhat sooner when you are winning. The winning session will give you a psychological boost. It is nice to feel like a winner again. If you continue to play and end up losing, it will be particularly devastating, since you’ll be saying to yourself, “I should have quit when …”

Hopefully you will start putting together a string of winning sessions. If, unfortunately, you don’t start winning, then continue to try various things from the lists above. If nothing works, then you definitely should take a break and reassess your game. Perhaps you are not really a favorite against the players you regularly play against. If this is the case, you must simultaneously try to find games with weaker opponents and improve your poker skills. The other possibility is to treat poker as an enjoyable hobby, one for which you are willing to pay. Budget an amount that you can afford for poker entertainment, and learn to live within your budget. You will continue to have some wins, and even more losses, but at least you will enjoy the game. ♠

Steve “Zee” Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A — Nice Guy Eddie’s at Houston and Doc Holliday’s at 9th Street — in New York City.