Worse than merely a bad run....

[BusterStacks]

My point was that your logic is flawed. I believe I made that point, and my guess is that others reading this thread agree. I'm sorry you don't handle criticism well, you should look into that.

[steamboatin]

Six months ago, I made a few posts just like this on, got flamed, didn't understand why, improved my game, realized they were stupid posts, but refuse to flame any one for making them.

You are at a frustrating point in your game. Good enough to see the mistakes other players make, but not good enough to understand why you should love the bad beats.

There is only one way to suffer a bad beat. You have to be in the pot with the best hand and that is a good thing.

Eventually you will learn to love variance. She is a fickle Ho but when she puts out, its wonderful. I am just now beginning to understand and if you continue to improve your game, so will you.

[bodie]

Busterstacks,
If you would have written a reasonable post like your latest one the first time, I would never have responded to you. Of course I agree with what you're saying. It's the nature of the game, and you must continue to play correctly regardless. However, I still enjoyed Bodhi's post because sometimes it can be hard to completely ignore the amusing antics of the cards. And you came off as insulting to Bodhi, rather than logical as in your second post.

[Bodhi]

Bad beats are ok with me too. My post was about all the pots I never put one chip in when my hand would've been a monster! I don't lose my discipline by playing these junk hands, but man it's hard when you see junk hand after junk hand (after you've folded) give you the nuts.

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
Busterstacks,
If you would have written a reasonable post like your latest one the first time, I would never have responded to you. Of course I agree with what you're saying. It's the nature of the game, and you must continue to play correctly regardless. However, I still enjoyed Bodhi's post because sometimes it can be hard to completely ignore the amusing antics of the cards. And you came off as insulting to Bodhi, rather than logical as in your second post.

[/ QUOTE ]

Point noted. Sorry.

[steamboatin]

When your game improves you will think it is amusing. When you fold 72o, would have flopped quads and laugh about it, then you have the right attitude.

One of the televised tourneys, I am going to say WPT tournament of Champions but may be mistaken, Doyle Brunsen folds a junk hand and would have made quad nines if he had stayed in the hand. It pointed it out to the other players and laughed out loud. That is were we all need to be.

[Bodhi]

That's good advice. When it happens over and over in quick succession I don't know whether to laugh or be afraid; it's like the Olympian Poker Gods are having fun with me.

[KuQuAT]

[ QUOTE ]
When you fold 72o, would have flopped quads and laugh about it, then you have the right attitude.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you ask me, it's not the 72o that quads up that is psychologically damaging (well, at least not to anybody who has any tightness whatsoever). It's the marginally playable hands that we lay down, only to have them come in, particularly for a large pot.

For example, in MP, you fold QTo to an EP raise. Let's assume that game conditions indicate that this is the correct play (if you don't believe so, certainly you can come up with another example that's reasonable). Then the flop comes KJ9 rainbow, and you see that you could have probably put a major hurt on KK, JJ, AK, and several other hands. Sure, they have outs, but you're ahead and they may well chase you, if they don't bet into you in the first place.

Obviously, selective memory makes this kind of hand stick out. "If only..." But you're forgetting all those times when the flop came 962 two-suited and your call of 2 small bets (or worse) goes into the muck with your dominated hand.

Personally, this thread could have been interesting, at least to me. Psychologically, how do people deal with selective memory? It's not trivial to say, "Well, I'm a better player..." Interestingly, this is a place where having a big ego can help. If you know that you're a better player, then you can shrug off life's variances more easily.

On the other hand, having a big ego at the table has its downsides too.

[Justin A]

Is this online or live? Because if it's online then the cards that come out after you fold would have been different had you stayed in. In other words, from my understanding the poker sites are randomizing the flop, turn, and river at the time they are dealt, not a preshuffled deck as you would see in a live casino. Thinking of it in this way may help.

Justin A

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm sorry you don't handle criticism well, you should look into that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your comments where accurate, but the flip manner in which you delivered them isn't winning you any friends, but I think you know that.

-Jarid