Overcoming Bad Beats
How do you overcome the bad beats? Well you may want to analyze your play. If you are slow playing aces trying to drag more players into the pot, you will inevitably lose more often than you win. Aces are a great preflop hand but AA is only a pair. There are many combinations at the poker table to beat you. If you look at it this way. How often does a single pair stand up in a three way flop? Not often. So if you think having aces cracked is a bad beat, you may be wrong. Going all-in with your aces preflop and losing in a heads up situation is a bad beat. Doing it a few times in a game is frustrating. Picking up great cards of any kind, playing them well and losing can make your blood boil. Boil enough to put you on tilt? Yes, it can happen. I have first hand experience of going on tilt. Very few players have not experienced this, if any.
Overcoming the tilt effect is very easy to do in theory but not quite so easy to do in effect. You need to clear your mind of the injustice. You need to remind yourself you made the right play. Poker is all about making the right moves at the right time. You have done things right. The problem was that lady luck was frowning on you. Remember that more often than not you will win. You are playing with the odds on your side. Focus on playing correctly. Be aware that your mindset may be affected and you may be trying to push to regain your chips you felt you should have safely tucked away in your bankroll.
So what can you do? If you are hot headed. Maybe its time to take a break. Stand up from the table. If you are at the casino, go to the bar. Have a chat with friends. Vent out your frustrations. Wait till you are relaxed before you even contemplate going back to the table. If you play poker online this is even easier. Just go make yourself a coffee and avoid the PC. So the bottom line is taking a break to recharge your batteries.
A key point to avoid going on tilt is to remember that the money you have lost is gone forever. Wipe the slate clean. You do not want to be chasing money. Think of playing every hand as if it was your first of the session. You are playing statistical poker. In time you will get the money back.
If you are playing in a poker tournament and do not have the option to get up and leave, just sit back and play tight. Give yourself time to recompose & try to survive until the break. Just don't make any rash moves based on frustration. There is an old saying in poker "if you have a chip and a chair, the game isn't over." Keep that winners mentality at all times.
Now often if someone starts play with $200 and lose $150 on tragic bad beat they end up playing reckless. After all it is only another $50. They have the mindset of a player on tilt. What would you rather do, lose $150 or lose $200? If you are going to play on, reload your chips back to $200. If you cannot do so, maybe you better look at your money management. This is a flaw in your overall poker game. I only play with 1% of my total bankroll at the table. This way if I lose my $200, I just brush it off and reload. I can stay focused and play on. As they say, "poker is a marathon, not a sprint." To play with your entire bankroll at the table is to play with scared money. If you lose you are out. It is similar to a tournament situation and a player will throw all of his chips in to stay in the game. This may be the correct strategy in a tournament with the escalating blinds and antis, but not in a poker cash game. In this situation every hand is a new game.
Outwith the tilt effect, surviving a losing streak can be tough for any poker player. It can drain your confidence a little. You may think it is never ending. Sometimes this is time to read up on your favorite poker book and study your play for any leaks. When you bounce back rejuvenated you may find that you are a better player for it.
If you cannot keep away from the tables. Instead of throwing good money after bad, maybe it would be a good idea to add a new poker variation to your repertoire. Years back I had a really bad losing streak at Texas Holdem. I decided to give Omaha hi/lo a try. I loved the game. Now it is probably my strongest variation of poker. This was a great move for me. I still love playing Omaha hi/lo and it is far more profitable for me. If I go through a bad patch at that, I can always go back to Texas Holdem or another poker variation I have picked up on the way.
Poker is fun with several different variations of the game to keep you entertained. Remember the bad beats and losing streaks do not last forever. Going on tilt can be avoided. Poker can be a fun and profitable hobby. Play for the thrill of the game, play to enjoy yourself and brush away the bad times.
I AM SUPER TOUGH. I CAN DEAL WITH ALL THAT THE POKER GODS THROW AT ME
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