It finally happened -- I felt good about a bad beat.

[Grisgra]

6-handed 20/40. Loose UTG open-raises, I 3-bet with AT [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (a bit loose, I know), button cold-calls and the big blind calls.

Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. UTG checks, I bet, button folds, big blind calls, UTG calls.

Turn is the J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. A little scary, but I bet. BB calls, UTG folds.

River is the 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. BB checks, I bet (yeah, there's a 4-straight on the board, but . . . what are the chances he has an 8?) BB checkraises me, I pay off . . . and see 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], and he scoops in the pot with his runner-runner.

And I actually felt good about it. Sure, I was miffed, but only for a second. This nice little wave of satisfaction washed over me as I realized that as long as guys like this are playing, even at high limits, I will continue to make buttloads and buttloads of money. Calls two preflop with 85s, and then calls on the flop with nothing but two backdoor draws.

Just another step in my evolution as a poker player, I guess. We all know deep down inside that variance is good, that bad players winning money in the short run is what keeps bringing them back to the table, but we rarely truly *feel* that way, especially after a bad beat. Our mouths may form those words, or we may type them into a post, but all the while we're gnashing our teeth cursing the bastards.

I didn't curse the bastard. I actually [censored] smiled. And it wasn't one of those gritting-your-teeth smiles where you also silently curse your opponent for cheating you out of a $400 pot [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Nope . . . it was a smile of a man who knew that his poker future was secure.

It truly felt good.

You're a bigger man than i, let me tell you. I suffered two huge beats last night playing the 100nl.
the night started well. i had aces in the whole, and i flop a set, a guy with jacks ends up paying me off, i can't believe he was calling. The very next hand i'm in the bb. i have A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. i checked and the flop comes 8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] k [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. It checks around and i get to see a free card, the 6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]! i hit the nut flush, somebody bets big, i reraise all in, knowing they hit two pair or trips, they call, the river is a king, and i lose to full house. OUCH! i couldn't believe that beat. about a half hour later, a guy sits at the table and starts going all in every hand. after about the tenth time, i hit kings in the whole. he makes a small bet, a little unusual, so i put him on face cards. i reraise and he calls. i flop a king, with two clubs on the board. i raise, he reraises, and i know he's got crap. he goes all in, and i call. the turn is a blank, and the river, of course, is a club. i had no move left but to leave the table after a 200 dollar loss. thankfully i made 50 back this morning playing the 50nl table.

[Grisgra]

No bad beat stories allowed in here unless you are happy about them [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[revots33]

Accepting bad beats as part of the game is one thing, but there's no way I'm ever gonna be HAPPY about it! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Grisgra]

I wasn't happy about the beat, but the light finally completely utterly totally dawned -- I am a winning player, and in the long term, their money is mine, mine, mine.

Mine.

[IamLeach]

Great post, I hope to be happy about a bad beat myself someday, thanks for the inspiration.

[Grisgra]

[ QUOTE ]
Great post, I hope to be happy about a bad beat myself someday, thanks for the inspiration.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't say that I'm so enlightened that future beats won't get to me (though I had my AA cracked by T6o in an SNG yesterday, didn't mind it too much), but I *am* at the stage that noticing bad play on my part makes me much more upset than suffering a bad beat to Joe Fish. Much, much more.

[hemstock]

I hope I could take bad beats like that. It does really get into me. Next time someone rivers me, I'm gonna TRY to say nh and thing about it that way [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[psyduck]

What a great post. This should be stickied.

I've had moments of enlightenment like this in the past when I genuinely smile at a bad beat after I see my opponent's hand, and I say "nice hand". Sadly, I still get very steamed at bad beats and curse at opponents, when I shouldn't be.