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Mal_77 · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject: Bad beats with a positive spin

It's hard to think of something more frustrating in poker than a bad beat...like the time I was all in with a set of 9's (pocket nines to start) and got beat by a full house when a guy drew A, then jack on the turn and river respectively (he was holding A-J, one A hit on the flop).

Somewhere I read that the majority of the knockouts a good poker player takes should be bad beats, if they are playing well. Well, my last five tournaments, I've been knocked out with over an 80% chance to win on the hands I held. I've gotten outdrawn...a lot! Putting a positive spin on it, that's what it takes to knock me out of a tournament lately...someone outdrawing me. I can live with that, you know?

I guess my point is if you feel like you are suffering from an unfair number of bad beats, you probably are. If you're reading your opponents well, and making statistically correct decisions when it comes to how you play your cards, how can you complain, really? I think in poker, that's all you can ask for.

Anyway, not trying to blow sunshine up anyone's rear, just had a rare, Zen moment I thought I'd share.

BOYNAMEDSUE · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:22 am Post subject:

I asked Howard Lederer about handling bad beats once, and he said the same thing. "Bad beats are a sign you're playing well."

That advice really helped me.

But I think the biggest key to taking bad beats in stride is playing at limits you can afford. It's easier to shrug off a sick bad beat when the money you lose at a table is less than 4% of your bankroll.

Mal_77 · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 11:49 pm Post subject:

Good advice. I mostly play very low limit games, or sometimes I'll play a no limit tournament with a low buy-in. Poker will never be a career for me, it's just fun.

Here's another mind-boggling bad beat for you, though:

I have pocket sixes, and the flop comes out 6,4,3. Everyone who was in the hand had matched a raise pre-flop, so I wasn't really worried about the possibility of a straight. I get into a raising war with a guy, and put him maybe on a set of threes or a set of fours. He turns over 4,3 suited. It was a rainbow flop, so no flush...but the turn gives him another 4, and the river gives him the fourth four.

This is my SECOND bad beat where I've had over 95% probability of winning the hand. I don't know what to do with that other than shake my head...and swear just a little.

BOYNAMEDSUE · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 1:23 am Post subject: Re:

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