Dry Spells

• March 2006
• |
• Greg Able

’d like to continue from where I left off last month, by talking a little more about dry spells – the most hated two words in poker. Dry spells have sent many great players packing, back to that nine-to-five grind that’s so far from the glitz and glamour of the poker world. As many of you know, you don’t get a lot of intricate hand analysis from me – I like to look at the big picture, rather than get too technical, because I really feel a good player is defined by his overall look on the game.

Every player, at some point, goes through his or her ups and downs. Even the worst players go on rushes and the best players go on losing streaks. Take Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu, for example. These are two great players that really exploited the “running-good” theory. They earned some great results and then they just took the ball and ran with it. They went on a tear – Daniel, two years ago, and Phil, this past year. I’m not saying that anyone can accomplish what these two great players have, but the point is that they really played their streaks to the max. Now let’s look at the flipside. I’m sure that even as good as Daniel and Phil are, they’ve had their dry spells; but the way they played, and the way they prepared themselves mentally, enabled them to stay positive and fight through these streaks.

I’ve said this before: when you are running bad, step down a notch. The competition is always easier and you will find that you can win again and regain your momentum. There’s a reason why the players in this limit aren’t dancing up there in the top section. It’s your job to exploit their weaknesses, and milk these players for every penny you can.

It sounds obvious, but the solution to any dry spell is winning. I don’t care if you play perfectly and lose; you still aren’t satisfied unless you go to the cashier with more than you started with. So don’t be shy to take a small win and get the ball rolling in the right direction. As a competitor, you will not be satisfied unless you have beaten your competition.

Below is a checklist to remember if you are running bad and need that snowball effect to start working in your direction.

1. Step down a notch - the games are easier.

2. Play a bit tighter - it reduces your fluctuations. A small win is the most important thing at this point.

3. Pay more attention to the game than ever before. You will discover things in opponents that you haven’t in the past - information that you will always have to take with you, no matter where you go.

4. Be sure not to expose too much of your bankroll. The main objective is to survive. The tide will turn in your favor sooner or later, and it’s your goal to still be above water when it does. I like to repeat a mantra to myself: “Play good long enough to get lucky.” If you resort to playing bad lucky, you may be broke before you know it.

That’s the end of today’s lesson. But I need your help. Writers get dry spells, too, so submit your questions and suggestions to Josh@josharieh.com