Ahh Bad Beats!

Alex | April 18, 2010

We have all experienced a bad beat during our time at the tables and if you’re thinking that you haven’t then you must be one of the luckiest poker players in the world.

There is such a dramatic difference between the feelings that a bad beat offers to players who are involved in the hand, with the player who has just dealt out the bad beat feeling like they could walk on air and the player on the receiving end feeling like the world has just ended, especially if they have just lost their complete chip stack in the process.

That’s poker

You have to remember that bad beats are part and parcel of the game of poker and that is what helps to increase the risks that players experience when they are playing the game, after all we all love to take a risk or two don’t we?

So we know that the bad beats are part of the game but when you’re on the receiving end of one, it can be impossible to keep a handle of yourself and your emotions.

Okay, you’re not about to burst into tears and start kicking and screaming laid out on the floor but the impact that the bad beat can have on a player can be crushing, knocking them of their game and further increasing the players misfortune.

The most popular thing that is seen from a player who has just been through the experience is that they tend to tell every living sole about their beat, hoping that someone, somewhere can offer them the glimmer of sorrow that they are desperately seeking.

The truth is, you moan about a bad beat to another player, they are simply going to increase their desire to rain more misery on your game as lets face it, they are not about to place their arms around you and tell you its okay.

You need to be able to equip yourself mentally and be able to remain focused on the game in action, allowing the beat to play over in your mind is only going to cost you more money because you no longer have the focus on the game.

So what can you do to prevent further loss after a bad beat?

1. If you are unable to allow the hand to pass and not live on in your head, leave the table

If you are allowing the hand to remain in your mind, you are not going to be able to play the best form of poker that you can play, lowering the chances of your success.

Leaving the table will allow you to regroup your thoughts and vent your anger away from the tables, meaning that you aren’t showing anything in front of the players at the table and most importantly the opposing player.

2. Accept the loss as quickly as possible

As we have explained already in the article, bad beats are part of the game, okay they aren’t very common and so many players feel that they have been hard done by most of the time but it happens.

You know that, so accept it and wait for the right hand to seek your revenge.

3. Analyse the hand

Did the bad beat come from a result of poor player from you or are you happy with how you played the hand? If it was a mistake that you have made or an error of judgement, can you now eliminate that from your game?

It can be hard to do this straight after the hand has played out, so we advise that you note the hand number down and come back to the hand history when the beat is out of your system and you are able to record a little more profit.

4. Don’t tell other players about your beat

At the end of the day, no player that you tell is going to offer you the bankroll back into your account, so remember that although they are looking like they are bothered about you and your losses, really they are thinking it happens to everyone.

5. Only play poker when you are in the right mind frame to do so

Undertaking in a game where you are staking real money requires you to be completely focused on being able to compete at the highest standard of play that you can, failure to be able to play the game to the best of your ability means that you are more likely to lose out financially.