How To Deal With Bad Beats?

[TexArcher]

I'm no stranger to bad beats and freakish fluctuations in the law of averages, it's just part of the game, what I want to know is what you do to counteract those runs?

I hit another such run the past couple of weeks, I'm talking awful, couldn't flop a set or hit a draw to save my life, and even the made hands were getting cracked by 2 to 5 outers on the river. I'll only give one example here: Got all-in and called on 6-handed NL cash on the turn with quad 9's, beautiful, right? Yeah, if the board isn't 9c Jd 4s 9d and villain doesn't call with Qd 8d and if the 10d doesn't hit the river...

So when it's running awful for you, how do you generally respond? Do you play more hands and try to let the law of averages work itself out? Do you take a day or two off and come back fresh and not feeling like the cards owe you a break or two? Do you change sites or game sizes for a while?

My general answer is to play extra hands at the same stakes or even drop down a level if it's really running awful, and if tilt is starting to affect my play, to walk away for a couple of days and come back. Anyone got any better answers...

[nuclear500]

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Do you play more hands and try to let the law of averages work itself out?

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I would say this is the one thing you DO NOT want to do. You're only asking for trouble by playing more hands.

"But I'll stay disciplined!" - you've just lost some of that discipline by playing more hands.

By trying to make the "law of averages" even out faster, you are trying to manufacture something that might not occur as quickly as you want it too and you'll lose even more money in the short term.

[mmmmmbrother]

play half the ables you normally play and really concentrate on your decisions.
changing your style of play whilst in a downswing is what makes everyone go bust

[TexArcher]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I should probably clarify that when I say play more hands, I don't mean more windows, I mean longer sessions to equal more hands by the week's end than I would normally have played...

[Klepton]

playing more hands is always a good idea, no matter what you are winning more.

just remember that bad beats are part of your win rate, part of the averages. if there were no bad beats your winrate would be like 5bb/100

[augie00]

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if there were no bad beats your winrate would be like 5bb/100

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it would be a lot more than that

[blaze666]

say to your opponent 'nice hand, i guess i shouldn't have raised' or something. obviously this makes them make the same mistake again, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, it DOES actually cool me down. im thinking 'this guy is a sucksack for calling that!' and then as soon as i congratulate him, i immediatly cool down. i think congratulating him makes me more apathetic towards the hand, so i don't tilt.

[jman220]

Move up. At higher limits players will respect your raises, and you won't get sucked out on. You will do much better.

[SA125]

How often do you go on really good runs? I'd bet everything I own it's more than I do. I started playing online in Jan 04. I've been on 2 good, long runs since then. First was when I first signed up and second was 2 months ago when I inquired about becoming an affiliate. Since I didn't sign up it's back to bad run city. No bs.

I have to play well just to be a small winner. Some guys are luckboxes and some aint.

I regularly go on dead runs of 150-250 hands with 1 or 2 winners. No bs. Regular runs of 200 hands with 1 or 2 winners wouldn't be so bad but there's no where near the amount of good runs to get way ahead like there should be. Not even close. Good runs basically get me back even or slightly ahead and next session it's the same bs. Lowered into the hole and wait and hope to get out. It's tough to get way ahead on bluffing alone. You need a good run of cards.

I keep playing and hoping that there's some good long runs ready to start because Lord knows I'm overdue for my share. If you've had your share of good runs, just look forward to that because one should be coming soon.

There, that rant make you feel better? Misery loves company.

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So when it's running awful for you, how do you generally respond?

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Sit back, have a drink and/or smoke, and think to myself, "keep on playing like this, and I'll keep on making money off these suckers. Eventually".

[TheBlueMonster]

Just take a breath and go bike riding. Then come back and get more bad beats /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Evan]

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if there were no bad beats your winrate would be like 5bb/100

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This might be the funniest thing I've ever read on this site.

[cgwahl]

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So when it's running awful for you, how do you generally respond? Do you play more hands and try to let the law of averages work itself out? Do you take a day or two off and come back fresh and not feeling like the cards owe you a break or two? Do you change sites or game sizes for a while?

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I close one eye and put my thumb and finger together on the photo and say, "I'm crushing your head! I'm crushing your head!"

Don't do this live too often though...it seems to annoy people a little bit.

[Harv72b]

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So when it's running awful for you, how do you generally respond?

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I like to burn things.

If that doesn't help, I just take a couple days off or switch games. It's amazing how a few hundred hands of O8 can help you deal with being sucked out on.

[grandgnu]

Uh.......why would you go all-in with quad 9's on the turn? Are you afraid of someone catching a one-outer? Sounds like you're losing money in the long run with that play.

I flopped quad 7's in Omaha hi/lo and someone rivered their fourth King, wasn't too pleasant. But then again, I flopped a well-hidden straight flush and someone picked up quad 3's on the turn and wasn't going to fold.

[jason_t]

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if there were no bad beats your winrate would be like 5bb/100

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This might be the unintentionally funniest thing I've ever read on this site.

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[TexArcher]

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Uh.......why would you go all-in with quad 9's on the turn? Are you afraid of someone catching a one-outer? Sounds like you're losing money in the long run with that play.


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Well, I bet about 40% of the pot on the turn, was sure he'd call it, then he raised pretty significantly trying to semi-bluff his flush and gutshot draw, I came over the top all-in and he was committed, and of course he hits his miracle one-outer...

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
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if there were no bad beats your winrate would be like 5bb/100

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it would be a lot more than that

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You guys make more money when NOBODY makes any mistakes playing against you?

--Zetack

[Hosayif]

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Do you play more hands and try to let the law of averages work itself out?

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Correct me if im wrong, but doesnt it not matter what happened at all prior to a random event (like the cards dealt in different hands) so really playing more hands could make y ou go bust bc luck doesn't owe you anything, or you could get your big rush of cards.

[tripdad]

it makes me feel better when i lay a bad beat on someone else for a change. hell, just tonight i cracked pocket Kings when i hit a 2 outer on the river to make a set of Tens. sweet justice!! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

cheers!