Getting back in the game
After about three months of missing my deadline here at Bluff Magazine, I’m finally back into the writing spirit. As many of you know, I have my own website (www.josharieh.com). This is where I sometimes talk about hands and strategy, but mostly I just ramble on about my everyday life as a pro.
I get emails quite often, and most of them go unanswered. But once in a blue moon, I get a good question that sparks some interest, and I reply to it. So I’ve decided to pick out one question each month to cover in this column. The following email is from Anthony Anitra.
“I’ve been playing some really good poker lately, but I’ve nothing to show for it because I’ve been taking some horrible beats. It’s been a stretch of about two months and I have no idea what to do about it. I was just wondering what you do when things are going bad. Do I take some time off, or keep playing with the attitude that the cards have to even out?”
This is an extremely tricky question. First off, you have to decide what type of player you are. Are you a player that thrives on momentum (like me)? Or are you an analytical player who doesn’t pay so much attention to momentum? I love it when things are going well; I play my best from out front and consider myself a threat to the best players in the world when things are going my way.
A perfect example of “front runner poker” is final table poker. When you watch a final table on TV, what you are seeing is six guys who have run great for three, four, maybe five days. These guys are playing a rush, and that may explain some of the crazy hands that are shown down. It’s a tad mind-boggling watching a guy reraise with 5-6 offsuit, and you catch yourself saying, “Wow, how in the hell can he do that?” Well, it’s usually a guy playing a rush and feeling invincible. Learn how to do it and you will become a deadly player.
I am a true believer in playing yourself out of a rut. It’s definitely no fun, but if you don’t try to play yourself out, the cold streak could linger for a long time. One key to stopping a cold spell is stepping down in limits. The competition is a bit softer than you are used to, and the game will seem easy again. Another option is to play onetable sit-n-go tournaments. This way, you can minimize your losses, and at the same time learn something new.
Be sure to put stop-loss limits on yourself. As your bankroll dwindles, it could be deadly to lose a big percentage of it in one session. Don’t let the demons of a cold streak send you back to that dreaded nine-to-five job that we are trying to avoid at all costs!
Best of luck and I look forward to getting some strategy emails from you. Email them to josh@josharieh.com.
Below is a list of pointers of how to overcome a cold spell at the poker table.
- Play your way out of it — Sitting around and thinking
about your bad beats doesn’t do you any good!
- Step down in limits — The competition is a bit easier,
which makes poker in itself easier.
- Change your everyday routine — If you are a live
game player, play some sit-n-go satellites and vise
versa.
- Put smaller stop/loss limits on yourself.
5) Remember not to dwell on bad beats.The quicker you forget about them, the sooner the positive thoughts will be flowing through your head. We have enough to think about in a hand of poker and we damn sure don’t need to be dwelling on bad beats.... leave that to our opponents!!!
