Embracing the Bad Beats

Hi,

I have some thoughts on my tourney play this week. In ten tourneys I have cashed in five, final tabled two (win & 3rd). So I like where my game is.

However I have had some crushing bad beats, I could of cashed, final tabled or won three others. After looking at those tourneys/hands in replayer, I would have done the some thing even if I could have seen their cards after the flop. I discussed them with my poker buddy who is a cash game pro, his comment was "don't change a thing".

And I've come up with this "EMBRACE THE BAD BEATS", every one of those times I was at least about a 70% favorite. I made the right decision, I caused my rival to make a bad play, one where they had AIR with a double belly buster and hit runner runner to win.

They made poor decisions and lucked out, but I'm going to win most of those.

And after thinking about this I decided its healther for my game to make the right decision, than make a dumb call and luck out.

JimiB

I'm in the same boat as you, I've been in what seems like too many situations where I'm sitting high in the hand and then some donk rivers me. Every time that happens I think it's something to do with my play but then I realize that he just got lucky and that I made the right call. I think the more we play the more jaded we become in regards to these situations and we learn to take them in stride. I know I've been the one who got lucky on the river in more than one situation that won me the hand and I see those as when I was less experienced. Anyways, my point is you did the right thing and you learned something so no matter how much money you lost on the hand you're still up with the knowledge you've gained.

I understand what you're saying. There should be no remorse in laying down a lousy hand, only to watch it turn into the nuts without you. And there should be no remorse in getting all your money in the middle with the best of it, only to see your hand go south. That's just poker. The only tweaking I would add to your thought would be "Embrace your bad beats...for as long as it takes to shuffle the next deal." Then toss it from you like 72 offsuit UTG and forget it.

The thing I love most about being a poker player is that no matter how well or how badly things are going, we all get about forty fresh starts an hour. Who else can boast that?

hey like anyone else i hate being sucked out upon but if i go out knowing i made the right decision then im not so upset i know that other dude will luck out will silly plays more then win

embracing bad beats is hard for me. it seems that i lose more when i go in infront than i win. when i get bad beats i dont blame myself like the other person said, i generally scream something like "****, what the **** was the donky ****ing bastard doing" then go to the chatbox and type 'you donkeying cretin' kick the door open punch something and when i calm down go back in and close the screen. (thats mainly when ive been getting alot though and for things like 2 outers) for 60% 40%s i generally just shout "SHIT!"

You could consider every hand a bad beat, even the ones where you were ahead: if you have AA and your opponent has KK you are about an 80% favorite. If there is $100 in the pot, then you are "entitled" to only $80-- when you win the entire $100 your opponent w KK suffered a $20 "bad beat" and you sucked out on him for that $20 to which he was 'entitled'.

See 'Sklansky dollars' and 'G-Bucks'

Its comforting to know others throw tantrums as well as me. My coffee cup was smashed on the floor last night