So I'm in the middle of a downswing where I am getting it in good, but my bankroll is taking a hit. My question is what do you all do to combat the mental challenges of variance?

To give you a little background I am a fairly balanced $1/2 player. I recognize I have leaks, but I do consistently get better. Because I still play at the lower stakes the normal mix at the table is 1-2 solid players, 4 mediocre players, and the remaining mix of OMC to casual weekend warriors.

I consider myself a smart, level 3 thinker, making appropriate moves with good starting ranges based on position, players and image.

To give you an idea of how a typical session has been going lately, here are some of tonight's hands:

Effective stacks $500.
Hero (SB) AA
Villain (late 50's MAWG, level 2) (UTG) KK
Preflop - Villain raise $12 4 call, hero raise to $55, villain shoves, fold to hero, hero calls.
Flop xxK...

Rebuy $300.

Villain (late 50's South european, LAG) (SB) J9
Hero (BTN) JT
Preflop MP raise $12, 2 call, hero flats, SB and BB complete. Pot $72.
Flop 89Q
Villain bets $50, folds to hero, hero raises $125, villain shoves, hero calls.
Turn T.
Rvr x. Chop.

Villain (Early 50 MAWG, level 2, loose passive) (HiJ) 69
Hero (CO) QT
Preflop 3 limp, hero raise $12, 3 call. Pot $51.
Flop QT3
Villain bets $50, hero raise $125, villain shoves $250, hero calls.
Turn 4, river x.

The examples are just to show that I am getting the money in the pot when I have the best of it. And yes, I understand one session is a small sample (these were just used as examples from tonight). The scenario of getting it in good and getting the worst of it has been playing out over many sessions, to the point where my bankroll is very small.

I'm not playing with scared money, but I am frustrated with playing better than those at the table and not winning.

So, what do you do when variance is kicking you in the nuts?

At micro and low limits online, my roll has been 10 stacks, both at nlh and plo. No major problems. I often dropped 10 stacks at some point in plo, but usually not before I had won more.

At nlh50, plo50, live nlh200, I don't feel comfortable enough without a 20 stack bankroll, and I am prepared to lose it all. That is my risk/comfort level where there is no crying when losing it. But DON'T take MY advice, but know well that those need to be at least twice as high if the money starts to be a bit hard to recover.

OP, thanks for posting- this is a subject that most players tend to avoid like the plague.

I am in a very similar situation right now- I feel like a decent (but still learning) player but cant seem to win a hand.

I really only have access to short stack max buy in NHL games (i.e. 1/2 $60 max), and have taken a 10 stack hit across 5 losing sessions that I felt should have gone better (when you play well, you expect to win, right? i get proven wrong all the time).

It helps me to remember that it is all in the essence of the game, and sometimes we dont get lucky- you can play like a god and still lose. It has me tilted to the point where I feel like it is time to take a hiatus from live poker and move to micro-stakes online.

In all honesty, it feels like these down-swings makes those who grind hard resent poker. Maybe it is time to start a low-dollar home game with friends to bring back the fun?

Hi OP,

Pretty much any and all cause of frustration comes from a mismatch between expectation and reality.

What is your expectation around poker? If it is that because you get it in good most of the time, you should be winning pots, then no wonder you're frustrated.

If your expectation changed to "I am a better player and I expect to get it in good versus most other players in most spots" then your frustration would drop away.

This works for pretty much all areas of life. As an example, let's say you drive 100km for work one day, and your expectation is that all other road users should be good drivers, then when someone cuts you off, you would get frustrated/angry.

If on the other hand your expectation changed to "99% of other road users are good drivers" then when the same person cuts you off, you would simply be able to think "ok, that's one of those 1%~ers and you would not get frustrated/angry"

Make sense?

Equally, if your expectation changed to "if you play poker long enough, it is likely you will experience a significant downswing that makes you want to poke your eyes out" , then it is actually possible to not only not be frustrated, but actually enjoy the experience.

That's more like it

Honestly.

It comes down to the fact, that like most people here on the site that take studying and practice seriously, we are generally better players than half the population at the casino.

What is frustrating is that when we make the appropriate moves, we lose. Repeatedly.

I'm in the middle of the longest stretch of variance I have ever been, and am getting to the point of questioning. I know I am playing better than 90% of those I am against. And I am losing to chops and draws.

It is psychologically difficult.

Luckily my primary income is not from the tables. But also luckily, this helps me for when (or if) I do.

Not wanting to add to your misery, but I've been thinking lately that if there was a bell curve with shortest to longest downswing, some poor bastard would be on the far right. I wonder how long that could be?

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