[petronder]

I sat down to three table NL hold'em again last night. After about an hour, I found myself down $160. I wasn't bad beat, I wasn't unlucky, no one sucked out on me - I just sucked! I played terrible poker. Calling down TPTK when I knew I was beat. Calling with two pair when I knew he had a set. Bluffing at pots I had no business in. It was ugly.

So, what did I do? I hit the breaks. I stopped. I closed all three tables and took a minute to think about what I was doing.

Since I love playing, I didn't want to stop playing. I wanted to continue playing but stop losing at the incredible rate I was losing at. So, instead of stopping completely, I decided to change things up, lower the stakes, and have some fun rather than continuing losing and tilting due to my losing. I decided to play something that would take a long time for a little bit of investment but had the potential to recoupe my losses.

I played a $30+3 two-table SNG. It would take at least an hour to play this. I could focus on one table (actually two because I watched the other one). I could concentrate on one game and put the ring games behind me. So, by diverting myself, I could continue playing, but cut down on the potential for more large losses in the session. It turned out to be a great idea. I finished 2nd, winning $180 and finishing up a little bit for the night.

I thought I would share this story because we all need strategies to use when losing money. Especially when we are aware enough to realize that it is bad poker or tilt that is causing us to lose. If you are playing bad poker and losing money, then you have to step away from the session. But if you have the bug like I do, stepping away can be a really hard thing to do. I recommend dropping the stakes and finding a game you can play for fun if you can't just quit. Change it up. Play something a little different for fun and low stakes and it may just clear your head.

The worst thing you could do is to raise the stakes in order to try to catch up. Try just the opposite.

Thoughts?

[easyguy]

I agree...I was going for a wild ride playing NL to clear a bonus when I should have stuck to limit. I didn't suffer too terribly (lost only half of what I won, but I had won a lot for me), but I find that over time I generally win more at limit ring games because (I think) I feel more comfortable/secure. I like SnGs for the same reason... it's a defined amount of investment and there's a clear field of play. I definately think you made the smart move.

[ThomasR]

I tend to prefer backing down completely if I'm playing badly, though if I am on the wrong end of some bad cards then I will do as you did and look at lowering the limits to reduce my potential loss. Sure, sometimes I continue to play badly and get poor hands, but as you said yourself the aim is to limit the rate of loss.

I find that the great range of players at the low tables can lend itself to helping you get back on your game though - hit a few marginal hands and you might take the pot which is far less likely at the higher stakes table with more solid players.

[DeepBlue]

I like to stay in and try and even my luck out a bit - I hate sleeping after a run of bad play so I will generally try and tighten up a little, maybe head for some low limit tables and only play big hands. That's where you see young guys playing $20 in the pot with nothing in hand and that will always cheer me up after a bad night at the higher limit tables whether it was bad play or just bad luck.