What Is an Upswing in Poker?
An upswing in poker is the opposite of a downswing. While downswings describe periods of sustained losses, an upswing refers to a stretch of unusually high winnings.
The term upswing poker players use not only implies sustained winnings but above-average amounts of profit. The implication is that we are running mathematically better than we should over a period of time. I.e. a steady consistent winner is not necessarily on an “upswing”, but if on a given week he makes significantly more than average it can then be described as an “upswing”.
Example of Upswing used in a sentence -> I went on a huge upswing in poker last night, winning 15 buy-ins over 3,000 hands.
How to Handle an Upswing in Poker – Strategy & Mindset
The basic strategy advice is to enjoy the ride and not let it affect mindset. The mindset issues caused by upswings fall into two main categories -
1. Overconfidence. Playing poorly or overly long sessions as a result.
2. Lack of motivation to play. Fear of losing back the profits. Wanting to “book a win”.
Most upswing poker players react differently, but ideally, an upswing shouldn’t affect our mindset at all.
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