Every poker player experiences downswings - whether they be days, weeks, or months where they just can't win. And downswings hurt... a lot. That's why poker players come up with all sorts of ridiculous theories, strategies, and superstitions for dealing with downswings. I have chosen to discuss this option in particular because of how misunderstood and under-used it is. In addition to this article, a whole list of tips for dealing with downswings can be found in my Downswings Article.

A lot of inexperienced poker players will claim a site is rigged when they go on a ridiculous downswing and lose their money. These people then withdraw whatever money they have left, join a new site, and start winning again - thus confirming their theories. More experienced poker players know that poker sites aren't rigged because it would be illogical and easily proven if any poker site actually was rigged. The thing is, these new players are on to something (even if they don't necessarily realize it) - the psychology of changing poker rooms.

To explain this, I'm going to use a metaphor. It's the easiest way for me to explain this. Let's say you're tired of getting just decent grades on your homework. Instead, you want to start getting A's on your assignments. So what do you do? Sure, you study more and manage your time better. But have you ever tried changing your environment? Several times in recent years I've initiated a change in my study habits by totally cleaning my room, vacuuming the floor, arranging all my pens, making nice little folders for my papers, dusting off the top of my monitor, throwing away all the crap in the back of my desk drawer, and you get the idea. Yea, it never lasts for long, but it does help during the short time that I keep myself motivated.

It might be a little bit of a stretch to compare this to switching poker sites, but there are some advantages to it. If you're moving to a poker site you've never played at before, you get to earn a new bonus which offsets some of the downswing and gives you a goal to work for. You also get to create a new screen name which signifies a fresh start in your mind. I'm not even going to attempt to guess at the psychology behind that, but I know from experience that it works.

Even if you're switching back to an old poker site, the change signifies to you a fresh start. You can start new PokerTracker stats and play against new opponents. Playing against new opponents can help reingage your mind if you've lost focus over the course of your downswing.

Another important part of changing sites is the wait time associated with moving your money around. Although the wait isn't as bad now days as it was when Neteller first got shut down, it can still be enough of a break to help clear your head. Time away from the table can be as important as time at the table when the going has gotten rough.

The main theme here is getting that fresh start though. Give yourself that change of environment. It doesn't matter if you move from PokerStars to Full Tilt or from Absolute Poker to PokerStars or whatever - the change will give you a chance at a new beginning. And while you're at it, don't forget to check out my downswings article. You will find some other useful tips in there as well.

Good Luck,
SmackinYaUp.