How do you deal with huge swings in online MTTs?

M

mcdiky

Rising Star
Bronze Level
PA
Poker Chips
31
Casino Coins
0
I've been playing low-stakes MTTs online, mostly on GGPoker, and I've noticed how extreme the swings can be. I can go deep in a tournament, build a big stack and feel like I'm finally in a position to make a serious score, then lose one huge all-in and suddenly I'm out.


What's been interesting is that sometimes I'm actually happy with the way I got the money in. I've had situations where I was ahead on the flop, got exactly the action I wanted from weaker players, and still lost when the turn or river completed their draw.


I'm trying to get better at judging my play based on the decision rather than the result, but it's definitely harder when the tournament score is a big part of your bankroll.


How do you guys deal with these swings without changing your strategy because of the recent results?
 
mcdiky said:
I've been playing low-stakes MTTs online, mostly on GGPoker, and I've noticed how extreme the swings can be. I can go deep in a tournament, build a big stack and feel like I'm finally in a position to make a serious score, then lose one huge all-in and suddenly I'm out.


What's been interesting is that sometimes I'm actually happy with the way I got the money in. I've had situations where I was ahead on the flop, got exactly the action I wanted from weaker players, and still lost when the turn or river completed their draw.


I'm trying to get better at judging my play based on the decision rather than the result, but it's definitely harder when the tournament score is a big part of your bankroll.


How do you guys deal with these swings without changing your strategy because of the recent results?
Click to expand...
If the decision you made at that moment was based on the right equity—even if your opponent hit their card—then it was the right play; in MTTs, making the right decisions pays off in the long run. However, the fact that you experience such wild swings likely means you're relying more on luck than on a solid, structured game—essentially just gambling it all at any moment, where you either hit or lose. That’s a very poor approach, especially for MTTs (no offense intended). In MTTs, your stack size matters less than knowing how to survive to make deep runs and how to seize the right opportunities.You should know that I’ve won several MTTs after dropping to 3, 4, or 5 big blinds; by staying calm and waiting for the right moment to shove, you can make a comeback at any time... I even dropped to 0.5 big blinds once with 50 players left, but I managed to climb back up and finish first in the tournament.
 
up and downswing is part and parcel of game so once You will comprehend in true sense you will start contemplating on process rather looking result thats the way I reckon conducive
 
Well as an Oiler fan I've learned that's the way she goes....
1791058632249

All joking aside you simply just get use to it and personally I think all MTT players have to hate them shelves just a little too enjoy playing MTT's and keep coming back for more pain 🤣. Considering when there's a more pain then joy. It's those deep runs and finals tables that keep bringing us back nothing like the feeling of coming thru a huge field.

Cheers!!!
 
Reply
  • Like
Reactions: Poker Orifice
mcdiky said:
I'm trying to get better at judging my play based on the decision rather than the result, but it's definitely harder when the tournament score is a big part of your bankroll.
Click to expand...
Large field tournaments require extreme patience and a larger bankroll, than most people assume. The solution is to play in smaller fields, play lower buyins and/or find the money for a sufficiently large bankroll for the games, you want to play. For small field MTTs you can go with 100 BIs, but for large fields like the Bounty Hunters etc. on GG Poker, somewhere between 200-300 BIs is more appropriate.
 
hardongear said:
All joking aside you simply just get use to it and personally I think all MTT players have to hate them shelves just a little too enjoy playing MTT's and keep coming back for more pain 🤣. Considering when there's a more pain then joy. It's those deep runs and finals tables that keep bringing us back nothing like the feeling of coming thru a huge field.
Click to expand...
It´s like all things in life, poker (not only tournament poker) is like a mirror of life in a more smaller aspect but more direct and brutal.
All has at least two sides and going on is a must(suicide not allowed) even if you hate the system mechanics that you are confronted on a day by day base.
And to answer OP question:
Adaption and getting used to to have bad odds(also a form of adatpion) is one of the strengths of mankind, how else could have mankind managed to build the human societies(yes more than one we are far away from being united humanity) that exist nowadays.
 
Last edited:
I try to completely separate the **quality of the decision from the outcome**. If I bet the money on the right decision and my opponent had to be lucky to beat me, I still consider it a good move, even if it hurts.

It's also useful to go over your hands later, but without looking at who won first. And, above all, if a tournament represents too large a part of your capital, the problem is probably not the variance, but the level of risk you have assumed. Playing with comfortable capital makes it much easier to maintain your strategy when you are going through a rough patch.
 
I try to keep my screens full and that doesnt really give me time to dwell on bad beats.

If you have proper bankroll management you dont have anything to worry about other than making the correct poker play.
 
Back
Top