Dealing With Bad Beats Pt. 1: Attitudes

Dealing with bad beats is one of the major elements that separate good poker players from bad, and professionals from just “good” players. Avoiding tilt that comes from watching your good hands go bad can put you on the road to long-term poker success.

Variance is a term used to quantify short-term luck. Poker is a long-term game subject to short-term negative swings due to chance. Skilled poker players know that given enough hands versus less-skilled players in the long run, they will take more money when they should win and do, versus the losses they suffer when they should win but do not.

Imagine a game of blackjack played in a casino. If you are the dealer (working for the house), the rules are tilted in your favor. If I walk up and play four hands, winning all, does that mean you are a loser? Of course not. In the short term, luck (variance) can make the worst player in the world a winner.

In a long term view, though, the house's advantage due to the rules of the game will mean they always win. If I play one million hands, I am much more likely to walk away a loser. 

The secret to long-term poker success, then, is to figure a way to tilt the odds in your favor on every single hand you play, in a sense becoming like the blackjack dealer.  Using good hand selection means you are less likely to risk money when you are an underdog.

Understanding the mathematics of poker can help you evaluate risks and rewards.  Playing aggressively, taking advantage of position, and practicing sound bankroll management are other weapons in the advanced poker player's arsenal.

Avoiding Tilt

Imagine yourself as the casino blackjack dealer who has a pit boss watching over their every move.  If you break the rules, your job is in jeopardy.  As poker players, we are all independent contractors.  We are answerable only to ourselves for bad plays we make.  If you can develop a thick enough skin to slough off the bad beats, you can be like the rules-based blackjack dealer – playing every hand within the same set of rules, despite losing streaks.

Other Articles in this series:

Dealing With Bad Beats, Part Two: Understanding Bad Beats
Dealing with Bad Beats, Part Three: The Elation of a One-Outer
Dealing with Bad Beats, Part Four: Bankroll Management
Dealing with Bad Beats, Part Five: Gain Some Perspective
Dealing with Bad Beats, Part Six: Taking a Break