Bad Beats Pt. 6: Take a Break

There are times when bad beats take the life out of all poker players. If remembering the good times (part three of this series), using solid bankroll management (part four), or gaining perspective (part five) don't help you deal with the bad beats, it might be time to walk away from the table (or the computer).

Can you recall a recent string of good luck you've had? Even the best poker players make bad decisions or run into monster hands sometimes. If you've recently experienced some good luck, maybe you can give yourself a mental boost by thinking about your good fortune.

Are you playing above your bankroll? Maybe you need to re-evaluate your level of competition. Risking more than one tenth of your bankroll at any cash game, or one twentieth in a tournament, is asking for bankroll tilt. (Those are absolute bare minimums for bankroll, by the way, and are not indicative of sound bankroll management.)

What is your life situation? Do you need to win in this game to pay the rent? If so, you'd be much better off working part time, and avoiding the risks. Short-term risk is necessary for good poker play.

Were you aware of your odds of winning when you took the bad beat? Losing a one-outer is tough, but not impossible (22-1). Losing a drawn flush to a flopped set is about 2-1. Ac Kc is only a 52-48 favorite over As Js on an Ad9s8s flop.

Sometimes a fifteen-minute walk will clear the cobwebs enough for you to continue playing profitable poker. If you are playing online poker, going outside for some fresh air might make all the difference. In a casino, taking a walk can have the same effect.

If a short break can't get you back in the right frame of mind to attack the poker tables profitably, don't be afraid to take a longer break. One or two days' losses due to tilt might be much more than the profits you give up by missing the same time when you're playing well.

Bad Beat Stories - Shut Up!

Don't tell bad beat stories, either. First, nobody wants to hear them. Second, they don't help you at all. if you get sympathy, it's even worse. The sympathizer will be reinforcing your “woe is me” attitude. The best thing a bad beat complainer can be told is “quit your whining, you won when you got the chips in the pot as a favorite!”

Until you lose to perfect-perfect (meaning two exact cards must come on the turn and river), a 989-1 underdog, I don't want to hear your bad beat story. (Perfect-perfect would be QQ losing to Ac Tc on a Qc Qd 7c flop. The AT hand would need to draw the Kc and Jc precisely to win the hand.)

In my most recent session, I lost twice as a favorite. Once was KK versus TT, and the other was 88 versus 33 versus AJ. I promise this won't develop into a bad beat story...because I know that next time, if I get the money in good, I will be doubling (or maybe tripling) up. Now, won't that be exciting...