BACK ON TRACK

Sometimes when you feel low, playing poorly and losing money, it’s hard to get back into the groove, but this week I have been more determined than ever to stop the rot. I have suffered knocks before, but always come back twice as strong – this time proved no different.

Although I haven’t been at one with the Poker Gods of late, I am experienced enough to realise that it was my game that was at fault, not my luck. So, with this in mind, I set out on re-assessing my game and making some minor adjustments in order to return to winning ways.

Whenever I endure a bad run, I find taking a break and studying the game is often a sound strategy. However, with my frantic schedule with blonde, and the potential loss of cardroom income caused by the recent gaming legislations, I have to snap up my opportunities to play, whether I’m in the mood or not.

To prepare for the night’s session, I made the following decisions:

-- Eat a meal beforehand so I don’t become peckish during the session
-- Play one ten-handed and 3 six-handed tables instead of my usual 4 x 6-handed affair
-- Raise slightly less with my big pocket pairs
-- Stop calling pre-flop raises with marginal and potentially dominated hands like Q-T suited and A-Jo
-- Concentrate on avoiding crying calls
-- Ensure a break is taken after a maximum of two hours
-- Cease play at 7am.
-- Focus on every single hand, avoiding any rash decisions

With my new strategy set in stone, I ambushed the tables from 1.30am to 3.30am, and then 4.30am to 7am. Although it wasn’t all plain sailing, I played good solid poker, making few errors in the process.

The next night, I did exactly the same, utilising the aforementioned adjustments I had made to my game the session before, and, low and behold, I won again.

Overall, I finished the weekend over $2,000 up, a cracking result and an hourly wage that would make Bill Gates’ eyes water (well, okay, maybe not).

In online poker, there’s nothing more satisfying than bringing an end to a bad run. True, my losing streak was barely a week old, but as I have few playing chances these days, it was one I needed to stop if I am too maintain the lifestyle I currently enjoy. Sometimes you have to be careful at $4/2. With the huge fluctuations my personal style causes me to endure, it can only take a run of several losing sessions to place your bankroll in a tender position. Thankfully, I have avoided that situation for quite a while now, but I don’t intend to return to it. I was bust once, and I want to make sure that I’m not only never broke again, but also continually playing with a sufficient bankroll.

After playing semi-professional for almost a year (the first few months of that period was fully pro’), the most important lesson I’ve learned is that of re-evaluating your game as much as possible, even when you’re winning, but especially when you’re losing. If you're focused and determined enough, you can always fix any flaw in your game.

So, keep your head screwed on tight at all times, be aware of the current state of your game, and ensure that you modify it when need be. Continue to ignore the pot-holes in your game and you will surely continue to lose, but be smart enough to be constantly re-assessing the way you play and you will soon return to winning ways.

Complacency and disillusionment are a dangerous combination, especially when you’re losing…