Poker Pros Share Their Worst Downswings and How They Overcame Them

Poker players frequently encounter downswings, periods of sustained losses that can test even the most seasoned professionals. In a recent discussion, several poker pros shared their experiences with downswings, highlighting the strategies they used to overcome these challenging times.

Ben Rolle (@bencb789) mentioned his longest downswing lasted about 15 months. Grayson Nichols (@the_dean221) experienced a nine-month downswing, losing over $100,000. Joe Ingram lost $600,000 and returned to live with his parents for several months. SpitCup54 lost half of his bankroll after a good summer and took a two-month break. Tyvin experienced a 16-month downswing in offline MTTs, playing 4-7 tournaments per week.

Jordan Christos (@jcinblue) believes downswings do not exist if you always play well. Shaun Yu, a WSOP and WPT bracelet winner, stated that downswings are inevitable because we are human. Eli Fox (@smokrokflock) lost between $500,000 and $750,000 online with an average buy-in of $3,000-$4,000. Joshayy23 has been on a downswing for the past 15 months with an average buy-in of $30. Andreas Froehli (@AndreasFroehli) experienced a downswing lasting almost a year, losing around $70,000 in online MTTs and live cash games. Ricky Kroesen (@rickykroesen2014) lost $45,000 over four months with an average buy-in of $55.