How To Handle Bad Beats In Poker Articles | Gambling

By: Richard Bleuze

If you've been playing poker for awhile, the odds are that you have suffered a bad beat. For those of you who haven't, a bad beat is basically when your good hand loses to some garbage.

Bad Beat stories are a known thoughout poker literature/conversation. Nobody particularly likes hearing them, but telling them helps release steam.

So, what should you do when you suffer a bad beat?

It doesn't have to be anywhere near that bad to really make you mad.  I know people who lose what is basically a coinflip (for example 77 vs AKs) and start yelling.  But as sure as there is poker, people will be getting all worked up about losing hands they thought they were going to win.

Anyway, getting angry is bad, it definitely does not help your poker.  In fact, a bad beat is one of the easiest ways of going on TILT (which is bad).

So, how to deal with a bad beat?  Well, the key is to find what works for you personally.  A few ideas are:
1) Remind yourself that in the long run, good play will be rewarded. It's true. Visit twodimes.com, and work out how much of a share you had in the pot. If it's more than the share of the money you put in (50% 2 handed, 33% with 3 players, if 4 are in and you have over 25% then you're doing well, if there's 5 players all in, then let me know where you're playing - 20% is the magic number, but 5 people all-in, I want some of that loose action).

2) Yell abuse at the screen. It's perfectly fine to call the fish a "moron" or "jerk" or whatever makes you feel a little better. Just make sure that you're venting, rather than feeding your anger.  Just remember to not start cussing the player in the chat box (Its best to have your chat off).  Why, you ask?  Because you could get reported for langauge and perhaps have your chat suspended.

3) Take a walk.  Particularly after a nauseating bad beat.  If I'm playing cash games and I can't get my head straight after a series of beats, then I just sit out or leave the game entirely and watch TV for a while, or surf other websites.  Sit out the next hand and compose your thoughts. Its ok to steam as long as it doesnt effect the way you play.

4) Tell the player nice hand and count out the chips and send them across.

5) Take a deep breathe and realize poker is a game of bad beats and your sure to give someone a bad beat and how you would like them to react.

6) Dont automatically raise the next hand to try to rush to make the money back. Realize the game is full of bad beats but to have bankroll management and conduct yourself in that way.

7) Don't move up to higher tables and try to win the money back. Stay on the level your confortable with and play solid poker!!

These are just a few of the tips I try to apply to my poker game when dealing with bad beats. The best tip of all is to remember like I said before, Poker is a game that includes bad beats. You will definately recieve some and you will definately dish some out. Just try to play solid poker and keep the bad beats to a minimum and use good bankroll management.