Texas Holdem Guide To Bad Beats
Below is a quick Texas Holdem guide to losing hands and how to best deal with them. They are an inevitable part of the game and every great player accepts they are part of the game. A ‘bad beat’ in poker is simply when you hold a hand that is a huge favourite to win and you end up losing. Usually your money will be in the middle, and one of your opponents will hit something extraordinary on the turn or river to somehow take down the pot. ‘Bad beats’ are more common in low stakes games due to players having the any two cards can win mentality.
It is essential to see bad beats as what they truly are. They are merely when the law of probability does not go your way. More than anything Texas Holdem is a game of odds and while the law of probability may not go your way in the short term to be a great player it is important to think longer term. In the end the laws of probability will win out. And you will profit more than you lose.
Bad beats are a normal part of poker; good players learn to deal with them, to take them in their stride. Without a doubt every poker player will suffer bad beats, but your solid play will overcome your opponent’s bad play. In reality it’s extremely hard to be pleased when your opponents are chasing gut shots or hitting runner to beat you. Many an average poker player slips into poor mental state when this happens. He or she starts to chase the pot or start playing cards they wouldn’t normally play to try to win back the money they have just lost.
It is human nature to want to avoid losses. Most of us go out of our way to overcompensate. If you want to be a great player then get an emotional grip and stick to your game plan which involved playing only high probability hands.
If you feel yourself slipping into bad game habits then - Take a time out!!! - Some people find it very hard to walk away from the tables but a great way to stop throwing money away is to take a break from the tables. This could be for a few minutes or a few days. When you return to the tables make sure you are in the right frame of mind and ready to play at the top of your game.