Your First Big Poker Loss
It's the moment that every aspiring poker player dreads - your first big loss. Every poker player - even your favorite pro - will lose big at some point. After all, you've got to go big to win big, but you're not always going to win. If you think that not winning is losing, then you're going to spend most of the game losing. That said, even seasoned players have a hard time stomaching big losses, especially if those losses are also bad beats. Regrettably some amateurs bring their first big loss upon themselves by playing out of their league, but frankly if your preference is for no limit poker games then big losses are inevitable.
What's Next?
Remember that the average player only cashes in one of out seven tournaments, and that many tight ring game players only take a pot per round. In other words, losing and how you handle it is an integral part of playing poker. If it's not in your nature to rally after a loss, then poker isn't the game for you. Of course big losses are hard for everyone; while it's important to be comfortable throwing your chips around, nothing brings home the fact that they're real money like losing a lot of them.
Most players' first instinct after losing is to win their money back, but this impulse is rarely backed by a level head. So if you've taken a big hit to your bankroll at a ring game, the best thing you can do is sit out until the impulse passes. You've already taken one big loss; there's no sense in throwing away what you've got left by playing on tilt. The very thin silvering lining of big losses is that they offer amateurs an important learning opportunity.
Reassess Your Poker Strategy
The first thing you need to ask yourself after a big loss is what you did wrong. It's easy to call your opponent a river rat or to pass the loss off as a bad beat, but more often than not beginners walk themselves into their first big loss. Maybe you overbet on a middling hand, misread an opponent, called a bluff that wasn't really a bluff, or tried to ride your Pocket Rockets all the way through to the showdown on a board that offered no help. It's important that you pinpoint the problem and strike that behavior from your strategy to avoid unnecessary future losses.
Reassess Your Poker Stakes Level
If you feel like you've sustained a loss that you can't afford, then you're probably playing above your ideal stakes level. Many amateurs lose big when they come to a high stakes table short-stacked. You need to play at a level where you can buy a stack deep enough to protect your cards. Remember too that your bankroll is supposed to last through several sessions - it's not meant to be wagered on a single hand.
Practice Before Reinvesting
The absolute best way to ensure that you don't play on tilt or go into your next game feeling vengeful is to practice at the free tables before you go back to real money play. Another advantage of this approach is that you can rebuild your confidence in your strategy and skills without risking any more of your diminished bankroll.
It's the moment that every aspiring poker player dreads - your first big loss. Every poker player - even your favorite pro - will lose big at some point. After all, you've got to go big to win big, but you're not always going to win. If you think that not winning is losing, then you're going to spend most of the game losing. That said, even seasoned players have a hard time stomaching big losses, especially if those losses are also bad beats. Regrettably some amateurs bring their first big loss upon themselves by playing out of their league, but frankly if your preference is for no limit poker games then big losses are inevitable.
What's Next?
Remember that the average player only cashes in one of out seven tournaments, and that many tight ring game players only take a pot per round. In other words, losing and how you handle it is an integral part of playing poker. If it's not in your nature to rally after a loss, then poker isn't the game for you. Of course big losses are hard for everyone; while it's important to be comfortable throwing your chips around, nothing brings home the fact that they're real money like losing a lot of them.
Most players' first instinct after losing is to win their money back, but this impulse is rarely backed by a level head. So if you've taken a big hit to your bankroll at a ring game, the best thing you can do is sit out until the impulse passes. You've already taken one big loss; there's no sense in throwing away what you've got left by playing on tilt. The very thin silvering lining of big losses is that they offer amateurs an important learning opportunity.
Reassess Your Poker Strategy
The first thing you need to ask yourself after a big loss is what you did wrong. It's easy to call your opponent a river rat or to pass the loss off as a bad beat, but more often than not beginners walk themselves into their first big loss. Maybe you overbet on a middling hand, misread an opponent, called a bluff that wasn't really a bluff, or tried to ride your Pocket Rockets all the way through to the showdown on a board that offered no help. It's important that you pinpoint the problem and strike that behavior from your strategy to avoid unnecessary future losses.
Reassess Your Poker Stakes Level
If you feel like you've sustained a loss that you can't afford, then you're probably playing above your ideal stakes level. Many amateurs lose big when they come to a high stakes table short-stacked. You need to play at a level where you can buy a stack deep enough to protect your cards. Remember too that your bankroll is supposed to last through several sessions - it's not meant to be wagered on a single hand.
Practice Before Reinvesting
The absolute best way to ensure that you don't play on tilt or go into your next game feeling vengeful is to practice at the free tables before you go back to real money play. Another advantage of this approach is that you can rebuild your confidence in your strategy and skills without risking any more of your diminished bankroll.
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