Typical Swings at 50NL?

[King Spew]

I've been grinding 25NL since a withdrawl in August. Before that I played up to the 400NL tables...but usually the 50-100NL tables. I've got some experience.

That being said, I'm just treading water since mid-September. Lost about 16BI in a coupla weeks, build it back, lose some more.

Last night was a 'typical' down session for me. I was playing three tables and was card dead on all for the first hour. I usually show enough discipline to get through spots like this. At one point I think I went 140 hands without playing to the flop except when calling the BB. Card dead and down a BI or so.

Then I pick up a coupla good hands...but not good enough. Run into a cooler. Then another. End up the session down 3.5BI... playing well IMO.

String a three or four days together like this and you can get to 10-12BI downswings with ease.

The good news is that it can go the other way too. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[ranka]

Downswongs are bad. They change your game drastically. Last 20k hands - break even. I hate it. It starts a week ago - very bad card run. It lasts about 2-3 days. Then this swong halves my AF, went from 6 to 3. I saw everywhere monsters! EVERYWHERE! Now still I have very big troubles to get my old agressive game back and its cause tilt to me. Today tilted 4 buy-ins because this [censored] downswong.

[negipai98]

If you are playing well and not tilting, changing games, etc, it would not be unusual to have downswings of 6-8 buy-ins. The problem for me (and many others from what I can discern) is that rarely do people continue playing their “A” game when during a downswing. A typical pattern that leads to more significant losses might look like this:

1. Take a bad beat or two (or three)
2. Overplay a few hands trying to get it back
3. Run bad and get frustrated
4. Tilt, then tilt some more
5. Switch games and styles, i.e., go from FR to 6-Max and try to be a LAG or try some heads up
6. Batten down the hatches and think you have gotten your head together. Maybe even win back a few buy-ins
7. Take another bad beat or two
8. Go on major tilt until you finally right the ship

Doing this put me on a 16 buy-in downswing once. Fortunately I never violated my bankroll management practices (I was almost ready to move up so this put me back at the beginning of the level I was on but I was ready to drop down if necessary).

Long story short, downswings happen and are a natural part of the game. The real bankroll busters, however, are usually more a result of factors beyond the felt and have to do with how well you can control your emotions and stay off of tilt.