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Recovering From a Bad Session |
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December 2007
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This may surprise you, but sometimes even I play poorly. And sometimes I'm just plain awful. You've probably heard about my infamous "blow-ups," but that's not what I'm talking about. Everyone blows up occasionally some more than others but usually a losing session or busting out from a tournament doesn't come from just one bad hand.
Instead, it's a combination of factors all thrown together into a big jumbled mess that leads to a lack of focus and poor decisions. When you’re playing poorly, it’s more likely that you’ll slowly bleed away chips rather than lose them all in one giant pot. Recently at a major tournament, I got stuck in this mindset on Day 1. I couldn’t lay down a hand, paying off value bet after value bet. Then I’d buckle down, play well for a short time and build my stack back up only to start playing badly again. Over the years, I’ve found a few things that helped me recover from days like these.
Admit that you are playing terribly. It’s simple if you don’t admit that you’re off your game, how in the world can you start playing well again? You need to honestly evaluate your play. Could you have avoided situations where you paid off a bet? Are you playing too many hands out of position? Are you calling with wacky hands hoping to get lucky? These are all signs of bad play.
• Get some rest. A bad session usually starts before you ever sit down at the table. If I’m out too late the night before a tournament, chances are I’m not going to perform well. I can’t overemphasize the importance of getting into a good sleep cycle. If a tournament starts at noon and you need eight hours of sleep to feel rested, make sure you are asleep by 2am. That way you can wake up at 10am, get some exercise, eat, and then go play. If you go to sleep too early and get too much sleep, you’ll often feel groggy and unable to focus.
• Be patient. This one can be rather tough, especially for me. But, throughout the day, just keep reminding yourself: “Patience, patience, patience.” This becomes especially true if you’re running bad, or if being card dead has led you to play poorly. If you can wait for the right situation, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your mental state can switch from negative to positive.
• Don’t worry about other players. I recently had a well-known, long-time professional remind me that sometimes it’s just about survival. Forget about how many chips your opponents have, and don’t worry about the fact that one guy seems to get all the cards. Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t.
Some of these things are easier said than done. But even the best players in the world can sometimes play poorly. If you want to take your game to the next level, admit your mistakes and take the appropriate steps to fi x the problem. Following these simple guidelines enables me to forget about the previous session and be ready for the next one.
Now, if I could just figure out how to avoid those patented blow-ups when I am playing well…
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