Originally Posted by
ffcowboy76
I started playing poker in Jan 2003 after getting hired by a local fire department. Over this time I’ve learned massive amounts about the game we all love to play. I’ve learned the different odds involved, the different starting hands, the different player types, etc. My life as a poker player started slow and cost me lot’s of money. I would play different tourney’s and cash games, even if my bankroll couldn’t support it. I didn’t have a clue about bankroll management or how to survive in a tourney. A lot is different at this point in my journey through the poker world. I’ve long since learned about outs, the odds of hitting my outs, pot odds, bankroll management, and the other various things a poker player needs to start to see profit. I no longer sit down at a 3/6 Limit table with $30 and a prayer.
Over the years I’ve experienced every possible bad beat and given my share too. This post isn’t going to be about the bad beats I’ve experienced or any that you have experienced. It’s going to be about how to cope with the beats that you take when you play on the felt. I’m not in the process of becoming a head doctor, nor am I one, so I won’t use the big words that they use. I’m going to write about how I cope with the endless bad beats that get taken. It has taken me many years to learn how to cope with bad beats.
Before you can cope with a bad beat there are a few things to do to help lessen the effects of them on your bankroll. The biggest thing I can stress is don’t play over your bankroll. If you can’t put the recommended amount on the table without destroying your bankroll, don’t play at that limit. Yes, I know the bad beats happen more at the lower limits, but that can be lessened by changing your style. The lower the limit you play the tighter you need to play. The turn over in players doesn’t allow anyone to start to label you as Tight Aggressive (TAG). Don’t try to force hands, if you don’t hit and get bet into, consider folding. You are not playing to out play all of your opponents, but rather to MAKE MONEY.
Now, on to dealing with bad beats.
The first thing to do after taking a bad beat is breathe. Take a couple of deep breathes and calm down, if it means folding or sitting out, then do so. The second thing to do is learn from what went wrong. Look at the hand history and checking the betting that happened and compare it to the outs the player had. Did your check raise with 2 other players in the hand make the pot big enough for them to have the odds of chasing their draw? Did you misrepresent the strength of your hand and let them think they might be ahead? If you can’t find anything that you might of done wrong, sum the action up in a short sentence, “Chased double gut without the pot odds.” Add it to the notes you have on that player. Most sites allow you to see the hole cards of anyone that goes to showdown as long as you were dealt into the hand. If you have a player that is chasing alot or playing foolish, start checking histories of hands they lose at the table. Develop a profile on that player and use it to your advantage.
If you make a bad beat a learning experience, over time you should see them decrease as you start making fewer mistakes. As long as cards are being dealt somewhere, someone is taking a bad beat. Bad beats are not personal and shouldn’t be taken as such. Sites don’t rig games so that one person has a disadvantage, it isn’t good for their image nor is it profitable for them. Bad beats are caused by two factors, one you can control and one you can’t. The first factor is you making a mistake, even if you don’t realize it. The second factor, the one out of your control, is the skill and knowledge of your opponent. The best thing you can do to avoid this is document your observations when ever you can.
Please, if you take a bad beat don’t go on a tirade at your opponent calling him ever name you can think of. Not only does it make you look childish, it increases the odds of people attempting to make moves against you. They figure you are starting to tilt and they will hammer on you with or with out cards.
So remember, when one takes a bad beat there are 3 things to do. First, remain calm, take a deep breath and relax. Second, look at the hand and see if you did something wrong. If you did, take note of it and work to correct it. If you didn’t take notes on that player. Third, take your beats like a man (or woman) and don’t cry and whine at the player that sucked out. Enjoy your time playing at the felt and make some money.
