Though experience can help you through a rough stretch, even the best poker player may go through runs where it seems the deck is stacked against him.

Here’s some things I do when I’m stuck in a rut:

Play other games of chance/strategy without gambling. We all started playing poker for almost nothing at stake. Take a break from the game while still using similar thought processes. A friendly game of gin or backgammon is the perfect thing to take your mind off your bad run.

Get out of the house. Sometimes I can tell when I should have hung it up for the night, before a bad run. I start to see individual pixels flashing on my monitors while I’m playing. I’ve even fallen asleep during big tournaments. The best way to take a break is to go outside, go anywhere and let your eyes readjust. I play golf and pool and it helps give me a break while still staying competitive.

Analyze your game. Usually, a bad run can be fixed with a brief break, but if that run continues, it’s probably time to take an honest look at your game. If you don’t think you want to invest in decent poker tracking software — which I suggest — go online to check your stats on sites that keep track of your overall performance. They’re not exact, but they’ll help you take a realistic look at your game.