by James
25. March 2010 06:04
Players of any game of skill know that there are times when they just aren’t on top of their game and poker is no exception. What we normally only on TV or online is poker champs basking in their new found glory and ‘pimpin’ it up but the truth is, even they go through slumps. You can drastically reduce the crippling effects of your inevitable slump phases by keeping the following things in mind:
Players often find that their slumps are inexplicable and sudden. They’ll be on a roll, getting killer hand after killer hand, and suddenly everything turns sour. Once this has happened, you need to know how to minimise and/or reverse it. First step is to recognise the slump- face the beast- and know trust what the odds gods are telling you: that just like good streaks, bad streaks cannot last forever.
Next step: move over to the lower-limit tables and if you’ve already done that, then play slots. If you’re losing you may as well lose with less money. Many would advise you to stop playing but many professional players have noticed that they have to play themselves out of slumps and also keep some sort of momentum going. If you’re playing online poker when the slump hits, move to a land-based casino. By changing the scenery you could break the negative cycle.
It seems that the trick of the slump scenario is not to stop altogether, but instead, to mix things up a bit and change old habits. Start playing in a new environment or with less money. By making these changes you might be changing old unconscious habits and opening new doors.