Bad Cards or Just Bad Plays

Nobody wins at poker all of the time, not even the most distinguished players. Losing is part of the game and everyone hits losing streaks. Some can seem to go on forever and often go on for months at a time.

When we do hit a bad run of cards, we often as ourselves, "Am I playing badly or am I just getting bad cards."

Sure, when you get a bad run of cards or a few bad beats, it starts to eat away at your confidence as well as your bankroll. This can lead to poker players going on tilt and making bad plays but in the long term you have to remember that it's part of the game and start to work on improving.

Even the best poker players, playing the perfect game will lose some poker games but if you do get a bad run of cards and start to worry, the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and start to observe your play more closely. Luck or in this case, the lack of it can lead to poor decisions so try to play more conservatively, assessing the situation closely and concentrate on the different aspects of your game that you feel may be lacking.

Playing conservatively doesn't mean missing those bluffing opportunities, you just may have to hold the reins a little tighter and truely assess whether the bluff is going to pay off or not. If if isn't then you shouldn't be in the hand. Play bluffs only when you feel the table will take note of what you're doing and fold. If they sense that you're desperate they'll call and you'll loose.

Poker tournaments are probably the largest single cause of people questioning their play and spells of no winning activity can and often do last for months. Try not to worry, this happens to the poker pros as well as the average online punter.

Generally poker players do tend to think that they are better players than they actually are - again it's part of the game and the although happens to the majority of players and nothing to worry about, it is worth remembering if your unsure if your still questioning if you're playing bad or getting bad cards.

Asking friends if they think you've played a hand correctly can gain you some insight into your current play and the third party tends to notice more. Taking this with some self-analysis can improve your game immensely.

During a losing streak, if you can, then leave your online poker session with a win. It can give you a huge confidence boost and help get your head into winning mode again. Once you start winning, things will continue to get better.