What Is an Upswing in Poker?
An upswing in poker is the opposite of a downswing Whereas downswings indicate a series of losses, an upswing describes a phase marked by exceptionally high winnings.
When poker players refer to an upswing, they mean a period of sustained profits that exceed typical expectations. This suggests that a player is performing better than statistical averages over that time frame. For example, a consistent performer isn't necessarily on an 'upswing', but if their earnings during a particular week are well above average, that situation can indeed be described as an 'upswing'.
Example of Upswing in Context -> I experienced a substantial upswing in my poker game last night, securing 15 buy-ins across 3,000 hands dealt.
Managing an Upswing in Poker – Techniques & Mental Approach
The fundamental piece of advice during an upswing is to savor the moment but not allow it to influence your mental state. The mindset challenges associated with upswings typically fall into two primary categories -
1. Overconfidence, which may lead to poor gameplay decisions or excessively long gaming sessions.
2. A diminished desire to continue playing, stemming from the anxiety of potentially losing hard-earned profits and a wish to end on a winning note.
Most upswing poker Players may respond in various ways, but ideally, an upswing should not alter our mental outlook at all.
See Also
Downswing , Mental Game , A Game , C Game , Variance