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".