How to Turn Around a Losing Streak in Poker
Poker is an extremely popular and competitive game which millions of people play online every day. There are hundreds of websites offering different variations of the game including three card poker, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em. The wide variety of games on offer means there are opportunities for players of all different skill levels, from beginners to the very experienced.
But no matter your level of experience, everyone can experience a losing streak. When nothing seems to be going your way and hand after hand comes up empty. It might feel like you’re cursed, but there are a few simple things you can do to get yourself back to winning ways once again.
Go Down in Stakes
iGaming sites which offer a poker no deposit bonus split their games into different rooms so that players of different skills levels can find their comfort zone. Some rooms have high stakes which are primarily designed to attract more experienced players, while freeplay rooms and those with penny stakes are more likely to be full of novices. The higher stakes offer more attractive prizes, so will be filled with more competitive and better players. Regardless of whether you’ve just moved into a new stake bracket or you’ve been there a while, sometimes a long losing streak is an indication that you’re constantly coming up against people who are better than you. Moving to tables filled with less competitive and practised players will help you find games you can win.
Keep Your Concentration
Some players like to multi-table – where they use different internet tabs to play more than one game at a time. If you’ve got half a dozen opponents who take time over their turns, it can leave you with a lot of downtime and multi-tabling is a way to reduce that. It’s the same reason others play while watching tv, on the phone, or perform outdoor activities. But if you’re constantly landing nothing but loses you need to up your concentration to find out why. Play one table at a time, put down the phone, and switch off the tv. With your focus 100% on the game in hand, you’ll be better equipped to spot the winning move.
Try a Different Site
It’s not just different tables, different sites attract different kinds of players too. Some online poker sites tend to attract more determined and aggressive players, while others have a more casual clientele. Try swapping to another host for a few days and see if playing a different type of opponent changes your luck. You might find you end up playing for smaller wins, especially if you love tournaments rather than cash games, but if you’re more likely to win the games then it’s worth it.
Replay Losing Hands
Online poker offers the fantastic ability to replay your previous hands. This allows you to analyse your choices and see if you made the right ones. Even better, replay with a friend or a poker coach, who will help you to understand mistakes you made and show you how to improve next time. This will not only help turn around your losing streak but also improve your game. It can
Take a Break
Sometimes the best solution is to walk away and give yourself time to reset your focus. Losing streaks can get under your skin, and when you’re stressing out about the fact that you’re expecting to lose, you won’t be making the best decisions. Sometimes all you need is a few days to let your head clear, other times it might be weeks or months before you are ready to return to the tables. If a losing streak is getting in the way of you having fun, then you definitely need to step back and remember why you started playing in the first place – which was hopefully to have fun!
Conclusion
Losing streaks happen. They’re annoying and can be costly but remember to keep some perspective; they aren’t the end of the world. If you’re losing money you can’t afford, step away and take a break to regain your focus. If you’re worried about your game not improving, start analysing decisions and playing back hands so you can identify mistakes you made. And if you’re not enjoying the game anymore, try a different site or a lower stake table. You’ll meet a different set of people who play the game of poker in different ways and with different skills levels. Accidentally ending up against opponents who are outmatching you is the number one reason for losing streaks and this is the best way to rectify the situation.
