Phil Galfond is an American professional poker player with over two decades of experience in online and live poker. Galfond holds three WSOP bracelets and has established himself as one of the most successful high-stakes online players. In this report, we will share some crucial tips from Galfond to deal with poker downswings, which almost every player faces in his/her career.
1 – Take a Break
To deal with downswings, Galfond prefers taking breaks. It can be from one day to a week. Taking a break from poker also depends on yourself. Are you depending on the money that comes from the game? If that’s the situation, it may be good for you to take a day break to refresh yourself and back.
Galfond further explained that losing a game shows player inefficiency and weakness. You will never excel in the game if you think “Well, it was a bad day!” and move on after a break. During the break, study your game and try to find out what went wrong, so you never make those mistakes next. You may still lose because of variance. But studying will give you self-satisfaction and motivation to improve.
2 – Use the Poker Variance Calculator
Use the poker variance calculator, which will give a lot of important information regarding your game, along with wins and losses. Go to Primedope, enter your expected win rate, and observe the win rate, standard deviation, and number of hands to simulate. It will show you how likely you are right about how much you are winning at poker.
It helps players manage expectations, prepare for downswings, and make informed decisions about their strategy and risk management. Whether you’re a cash game grinder or a tournament enthusiast, using a variance calculator can provide clarity and improve your mental game.
3 – Find a Poker Community
Join a poker community, such as discord channels, study groups, poker forums, or a poker training coach. Share your problems and what you are doing wrong. Galfond highlighted the need for players to hire a poker coach, who’s a strong player and has a strong understanding of the game.
A 1-to-1 conversation with a poker coach or conversation on your game will give you the easiest way to where you stand and the things you need to improve. There are several poker players and notable players who chose a poker coach to improve at the game.
What Galfond Does During Downswings?
Galfond concluded the video by talking about his technique for dealing with downswings. Galfond takes a serious break, by not involving with the game in any form. He spends time with friends and family.
He further said that while most professional poker players make Poker their whole lives, they need to understand that it is an element of life. You have other things to care about than sticking to poker. While Galfond takes poker seriously, he says it’s mostly money, not everything.
Check out Phil Galfond’s whole video on “How I Deal With Downswings”.
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