Poker Losing Streaks

Running Bad

Someone asked me once what I do to mentally get over dry spells. When I asked what he meant, he clarified by telling me about how he hasn’t gotten laid in around four months. Once I stopped laughing, I explained how that hasn’t happened to me since I first became interested in women. But later, that question had me wondering, why don’t I ever have dry spells? Or what would I do if-god forbid-it ever happened to me?

Don't give up..

I don’t pretend to be especially ‘imaginative’ or ‘intellectual,’ so the best way I could answer these questions for myself was to turn to the place that I always go to when I have big life questions: the poker table.

Dealing With Losing Streaks

OK, so, while I’m certainly not the most compassionate person up front, I try to do what I think of as right. I felt compelled to try to answer this guy’s concern as best I could, purely because I thought I was the most qualified to address a concern that I’ve never had. Such is my line of thought when I’m inebriated.

That said, the following is the email that I sent to that guy to try to help him out. I’m not sure if this is a poker metaphor for sex troubles or a sex metaphor for poker troubles. I guess to get the full value it would help to engage in both.

Letter To A Loser

Everyone is capable of a losing streak, no matter how skilled or sharp you are. Many of the best players have busted out several times before they hit it big, but there are a couple of factors and practices that will help your game immensely if you can keep them in mind.

Mix Your Games

Whether you’re playing tournaments and cash games or hitting dance clubs and martini bars, play with different conditions and environments to keep your game sharp and your mind interested.

Be The Exception

Just like every venue has a certain type of guy, every game has a certain type of player. If you’re the only tight one at an Omaha hi/lo table, you’ll rake in a lot of money. If you’re the only well-dressed guy in a club, you’ll get the attention of the women.

Don’t Take It Personally

In poker, if a hand (or couple of hands) don’t go your way, it’s easy to tilt, which is when you should leave the table. At a club, the air is thick with alcohol, hormones, nicotine, and adrenaline and not every approach is going to end the way that you want it to. Take control of your emotions - and the situation - to maintain the best results.

If you can commit to acting on these points, you will instantly improve your game and veer away from losing streaks in love… and poker, I guess.

The Matter At Hand

After re-reading this note, I can see that writing advice to friends while I’m drunk is clearly bad for them, but happily provide a much clearer (and maybe relevant) message to my poker readers. For your information, I really do use a list format in my personal emails. It’s a form of OCD, and I’ll thank you not to make fun.

- Luke Phillips