{"id":2541777,"date":"2025-05-01T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/?p=2541777"},"modified":"2025-12-23T20:10:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:10:56","slug":"improve-a-bad-poker-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/improve-a-bad-poker-session\/","title":{"rendered":"To Improve a Bad Poker Session: Don\u2019t Make It Worse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was a pretty bad poker session in my $3\/5 game. My pairs didn\u2019t flop sets, my draws didn\u2019t arrive, but the other people\u2019s draws did arrive. Or maybe they didn\u2019t arrive, but I wasn\u2019t willing to pay to find out if they were telling the truth. After a while, I found myself in a 200 BB hole. As any honest poker player can tell you, 200 BB holes are not unusual events in Texas Hold’em<\/a>, but they\u2019re still not any fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And speaking of telling the truth, I made a couple of triple-barrel bluffs, one of which was (correctly) called by king-high, and the other by pocket fours on a Broadway-filled board. To my credit, after the latter hand, I decided that it was time for fresh air, and I walked down the block to the convenience store to get a bottle of sparkling water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk to the store was filled with self-doubt as I wondered if I had some screaming tell that allowed my opponent to find that call. But by the time I was walking back, I had decided that no, they just had a penchant for hero-calling that I hadn\u2019t fully grasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the return walk was devoted to congratulating myself on leaving the table immediately after the hand. And that\u2019s what I\u2019m here to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tTLDR:<\/strong>\u00a0See AI summary of this article.<\/span><\/div>

1. Recognize the Downturn<\/strong>
Experiencing a session where hands don’t go your way is common. Acknowledging the situation without frustration is the first step.
2. Avoid Compounding Mistakes<\/strong>
Resist the urge to chase losses with aggressive plays or bluffs. Such decisions often stem from tilt and can exacerbate the situation.
3. Take a Strategic Break<\/strong>
Stepping away from the table, even briefly, can help reset your mindset. A short walk or a moment of reflection can prevent impulsive decisions.
4. Focus on One Good Decision at a Time<\/strong>
Instead of aiming for a massive comeback, concentrate on making the next correct play. Each sound decision is a step toward recovery.
5. Embrace the Learning Opportunity<\/strong>
Every challenging session offers insights. Analyze your decisions, understand missteps, and apply these lessons to future games.

By maintaining composure and focusing on strategic play, you can mitigate losses and turn a tough session into a valuable learning experience.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable Of Contents\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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  1. The first rule of holes<\/a>
  2. Finding a ladder<\/a>
  3. One rung at a time<\/a><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n

    The first rule of holes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There is an old adage called \u201cThe first rule of holes.\u201d It says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is a poker term<\/a> for continuing to dig when you\u2019re in a hole \u2013 we call it \u201ctilt.\u201d Now, I\u2019m a cash game player, and don\u2019t play tournaments. But there is a wonderful self-limiting component to tournament tilt: if you become sufficiently tilted to dust off your chip stack, they make you leave. It\u2019s like a barkeep taking the car keys from an inebriated customer and putting that person into a Lyft \u2013 already the damage control has begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Stop<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Cash game poker<\/a> players don\u2019t have this fail-safe \u2013 there\u2019s nothing except running out of money to prevent you from digging deeper into the hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, as I\u2019ve aged and matured (like a cheese, I suppose) I\u2019ve gotten much better about putting down the shovel. For instance, jumping up from my seat after a hand like that, and taking a full orbit off to reset, evaluate, and re-center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On my walk back to the club, I made up the following FAQ:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>: \u201cIs the game still good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A<\/strong>: \u201cIndubitably. There are many bad players at the table, all of whom love putting money in the pot with weak hands. And on the bright side, I\u2019ve helped a few of them have deep stacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>: \u201cAm I playing well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A<\/strong>: \u201cYes. I think that I am playing well. Even that last bluff that got picked off was well constructed. And it probably works plenty often to be profitable. This just wasn\u2019t one of those times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>: \u201cAm I having fun, or would I rather be home reading a book?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A<\/strong>: \u201cYes, I\u2019m having fun. It\u2019s an enjoyable game and the people at the table are light of spirit and good-humored. I don\u2019t have to fade any toxic energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Q<\/strong>: \u201cHow am I feeling physically and mentally?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A<\/strong>: \u201cGreat. I was thirsty, but this 20 oz sparkling water solved that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So I was well positioned to go back and play a solid poker strategy<\/a>. Yes, I was in a hole, but that is the nature of the game we play. It was simply a time to think about ladders rather than shovels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Find<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Given that my opponents seemed to be in a calling mood, I resolved to simply show up with the goods whenever we piled money into the pot. Certainly the pocket fours hand had attracted plenty of notice, and they all saw that I\u2019d gone three streets with a combo draw that never arrived. Hopefully that marketing expenditure would pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While I waited for my turn to make the best hand, I reflected on the \u201cFirst rule of holes.\u201d There\u2019s a poker pro named Charlie Wilmouth who I deeply respect. On the subject of bad sessions, and downswings, Charlie restates the \u201cFirst rule of holes\u201d even more succinctly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t make it worse.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As I retook my seat, and posted my big blind, I found that to be a comforting mantra. The cards would come, or they wouldn\u2019t, before I decided to go home. But while I was waiting for the deck to make up its mind about favoring me, I had a really important job: \u201cDon\u2019t make it worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n