Hi, this is my first post here on the forum and I don't know if this is the appropriate section but I found the one that was most related to my question.

Turns out I've been playing cash games since the end of last year and at Pokerstars (of course ) I'm on a big downswing, what's confusing me isn't the downswing itself (as I can tell if it's normal on a variance calculator) but it is the difference in EV in sutch a long extension of hands, it continues and has been increasing in recent times.

Can someone with more experience tell me if this is normal? Maybe even some suggestion to get around this annoying situation.
Thanks in advance.

Normal

Heres an old pic of a downswing like that from BenaBadBeat.

Thanks for the answer.
Judging by the fact that you only responded, I imagine that it indicates that it is not such a common situation (lucky me).
It's been a complicated situation to deal with, whenever I log in to PS I already know that I'm going lose, but at least knowing that others go through the same and manage to get out of the downsiwng always serves as motivation.

It is a very common situation. In fact, everyone that plays enough goes through it. You're not getting any responses because it's not a very interesting question.

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Did something change around the 70k hand mark? Even if you look at your orange line you went from pretty straight upward to flat. Change in stakes maybe?

You are never in a downswing, and a downswing isn't something to get out of. It is a description of what has happened in the past (and yes, it happens to everyone). But starting with the next hand, there is absolutely no reason to think that you will continue to run poorly. The cards have no memory.

Is it possible to have been in a downswing, and continue to run bad? Of course. Just as it is possible to have been in a downswing and then start winning. So when you go into a session you should not be thinking that you are about to lose because you are in a downswing. This simply doesn't make any sense. Any time you go into a session sure that you are going to lose, just stop and don't play. Otherwise, you may extend your losing by playing poorly - not because you "run bad".

I'd be more concerned as to why you are break even/slightly losing over your second half of the sample. Have you moved up? What are you doing to get better?

Also on a variance calculator you 'work out' how often you are to run this far below EV?

Fair enough, but I put the question in the beginners' zone, people certainly didn't expect anything very intellectually stimulating here.

Yes, from NL10 to NL25, I considered this to be the problem but it hasn't been going any better at NL10 since I got into that stage either.

Thanks for the advice, I recognize the logic but it's not always easy for me to control my mind, I had difficulties with that in case of badbeats for example that i tried to improve but in this case, for being a large extension of months, it's been more complicated.

Yes, from NL10 to 25.
As for the EV line coolers might be the reason? Not sure but i can say that I currently have losses at NL25 with hands that even the worst players have profit tendencies, for example AK, AQ, AJ, KQs, in terms of high pairs all below EV and I have frequent notes of coolers pre and post flop.

I always try to improve by studying hands after the session and improving concepts on the days I don't play, but the problem with these situations is that many of the spots I lost didn't play badly which complicates the analysis, not only situations that I have good equity but also in cooler situations, for example the common KK< AA, what could I do against a pre shove with KK? Or a post flop situation where I bet not to give the villain odds to call with the draw but still call and hit.

That's all you should care about at all times, getting better. Good answer.

I'd focus on common spots as much as possible rather than coolers.

Thank you for the help MMSS, will do my best to turn things around.

Yeah this variance is common - especially over this sample size of hands.

Agree with the advice on trying to separate yourself from the results - that will get you playing your best poker.

Just make sure you always have enough bankroll to weather the storm.

I will try, thank you.
The bankroll management part I think is not a big problem because I'm relatively conservative, I used to play SNG so when I switched to cash I kept a 200BY minimum bankroll management, besides luckily i'm not doing bad on all sites, only on PS.

Completely normal - just tough to digest since it takes a toll on your mind.

Would you post this chart if you swap the two lines?