If you’ve been grinding deep in tournaments only to see your stack crumble after getting it in good, you’re not alone. Variance can be a ruthless opponent, especially when you’re on a string of bad beats that leaves you questioning your strategy. Recently, a Stormer reached out to the community with an honest question that many poker players have asked themselves at one point or another:
What do you do when you keep getting your chips in the middle with the best hand, only to lose time and time again?
It’s a gut-punch we all know too well. The frustration of losing deep in tournaments, despite playing solid poker, can mess with your mindset. While long-term strategies like studying ranges and improving your game are crucial, what can you do in the short term when it feels like nothing is going your way? The ACR Stormers came together to share their thoughts, and the discussion was packed with insight.
Embrace the Grind: Volume and Study to Outrun Variance
One of the most repeated pieces of advice was the value of studying your game, even when you’re running bad. As one teammate put it, “Even if we run bad in the all-ins, we can be missing lots of spots where we pick up chips, so when we are all-in, losing doesn’t affect us as much.” The suggestion here is clear—while variance is an inevitable part of poker, studying can sharpen your skills, helping you find those small edges that keep you afloat longer.
Another player added, “Low field sizes can also reduce variance. Hope it works out for you mate.” Smaller fields can indeed soften the blow of bad beats, reducing the number of coin flips you need to win in order to cash deep. So, if you’re feeling stuck, adjusting your tournament selection might help ease some frustration.
Managing Expectations and Mental Resilience
Bad beats are a poker reality, and sometimes the best response is to manage your expectations. “You’re going to brick the final table a ton if you’re playing MTTs of any size,” one Stormer reminded us. Tournament poker is inherently high variance, so part of the process is accepting that many deep runs won’t result in cashes. Having a strong mental game—being able to lose graciously and move on to the next one—can be just as important as your strategy on the felt.
One teammate emphasized the importance of stepping away from the game when it starts to wear you down: “Take a break from actually playing. Study. When you get those run outs, know you made no mistakes and sleep better at night.” Poker can be mentally exhausting, especially during a downswing. Hitting the books rather than the tables gives your mind a chance to rest, while also ensuring that when the cards do fall your way, you’ll have the confidence that comes from knowing you’ve done your homework.
Surround Yourself with Positivity
Beyond studying and mental game management, there’s an emotional side to handling tough runs in poker. “Have some good people around and find gratitude for all the other awesome stuff in life,” another team member shared. This simple reminder points to something crucial: your mindset outside of poker can significantly impact how you handle the emotional swings of the game.
In poker, much like in life, it’s important to focus on what you can control. One Stormer shared the importance of maintaining a stable life outside the game: “Make sure to move your body, spend time with close ones, and most of all, take care of your sleep. Routines are crucial for success.” When poker is tough, having a solid routine, a strong support system, and a sense of balance in your life can help keep the mental wear and tear from getting out of hand.
Conclusion: The Long Game
There’s no easy solution for beating variance—it’s part of the game we all signed up for. But, as the Stormers community has reminded us, handling bad runs is about controlling the controllable. Study your game, sharpen your mental resilience, and surround yourself with positivity. Sometimes, the most valuable lesson poker teaches us isn’t about playing better—it’s about finding peace in knowing you played well, even when the cards don’t fall your way.
Poker is a marathon, not a sprint. The more you build up your knowledge and mental toughness, the better equipped you’ll be to endure the ups and downs. In the short term, it may feel like variance is unbeatable, but in the long run, your dedication to improving will keep you ahead. Just remember, even the best players in the world go through slumps. What separates them is their ability to stay focused, stay grounded, and keep showing up.
So the next time you’re deep in a tournament and the chips don’t fall in your favor, take a breath, remind yourself why you love the game, and keep grinding. Because in poker, as in life, it’s not always about winning every hand—it’s about staying in the game long enough to make sure you’re ready when your moment finally comes.
