how long did it take you to believe in yourself during downswings?

[Downbylaw11]

I've been playing for a while, but I still get really down on myself when things arent going right. every time im in a slump, I start doubting my ability and start worrying that suddenly everyone has been studying up and has gotten much better than me.

Anyone else feel like this? and how long before you were able to have a few losing months in a row and still feel confident things were going to turn around?

[Teh1337zor]

move down regain confidence put together a solid winning stretch and come back up and try it again

[dallas14]

just never have downswings and youll be fine, obv

[craigthedeac]

"a few losing months in a row"

...

[MusashiStyle]

can take a while.

[Downbylaw11]

Well, yeah. I've always been really consistently solid so one losing month let alone 2 makes me wanna hang myself.

not having downswings also sounds like a solid idea. ill work on that lol

[sethypooh21]

[ QUOTE ]
"a few losing months in a row"

...

[/ QUOTE ]

My initial first though as well, but depending on how much OP plays...

[d0nkaments]

8 months, lol.

[deluz35]

[ QUOTE ]
and how long before you were able to have a few losing months in a row and still feel confident things were going to turn around?

[/ QUOTE ]
Best advice is from Mr Redskin. Drop down, win, rebuild confidence. When I had a 8-BI downswing at 50NL, I played some 25, crushed and came back.

A few losing months in a row means you are probably playing sub-optimal poker. The key stat is not time but # of hands. 100K seems to be thrown around a lot, but I would go read up on standard deviations vs. expected win rates in the probability forum to get a good sense of where you are at on the curve. Supposedly 10-20K breakeven stretches are no big deal?

[Stake Monster]

3 mins, then i realized I was on acid