What is a "bad beat"? (A way to avoid tilting?)

[MrGrob]

I lost AA to AA (all in NL pre-flop) the other day. I was talking to a friend about it, and we agreed that this was not a "bad beat", as there is no way that he wasn't supposed to be in the hand. I though about it some more, however, and figured that it might as well be a bad beat, as the chances of LOSING AA to AA is so small.

That takes me to my question...what is a bad beat as you see it? I think that AA to AA is a bad beat, but or a different nature then AA to 57o or something.

I ask this as I was not upset to lose AA to AA, then noticed that I would have been had he had 57o or something...yet, is not his WINNING chances vs AA better then my chance of losing AA to AA?

I now remember this hand when I am about to get upset, and for some strange reason, it works to keep me cool.

[emonrad87]

I don't think it matters. The goal is to get to a point where its all 'did i play this correctly?' results should be irrelevant.

[mkotich]

I think it was best described as "When you're ahead in the hand the entire way, preflop to the turn, and somebody gets you at the river with a hand that isn't worth playing." for instance, AA vs 72 with a lot of raising on each street by the AA.. a 2 on the turn and a 7 on the river..? I don't know. I agree with the second poster, as long as you played it correctly. The results matter, though, but if you played it correctly and lost, then well, that's Poker, that's why they call it Gambling. In the end though, if you're a skilled player you'll get it back.

On a side-note, I loved in the director's commentary of Rounders (with the directors and ed norton.) where they said someone got in an arguement in a game they were in over 'what is a bad beat' someone said he caught a bad beat, the other guy tells him "no, that's not a bad beat" so they ask him, "well what is?" and he says to them "Hiroshima" hehe.

[grandgnu]

I would have to say something like this would qualify as a bad beat (I suffered them both)

No Limit Hold 'Em:

I hold 7/7
Opponent holds 6/6

Flop is 5c 6c 7d

I bet out, he goes all-in, I call. He has one out, he catches it on the turn.

In an Omaha hi/lo game I have 7/7 plus two other cards (obviously) and the flop is 7/K/7. I check, a guy bets, I raise, he re-raises. We continue to cap the hand. I realize he has K/K and has only one out, which comes on the river.

But you know what? That's poker man. Sometimes you lay the bad beats on others, sometimes they do it to you. As long as you played the hand correctly, that's all you can do. My A/A got cracked by A/J when he caught a Jack on the flop and turn.

I just watched poker on TV the other day and a guy with A/A flopped a set against a girl who held A/4 and she caught the straight on the river. Such is life.

You cannot allow your emotions to be swayed either way. When you win a big pot or have a chip lead, stay cool and calm, don't get excited and cocky, you'll make mistakes. Stay focused and move on to the next hand, realizing you're not finished winning yet.

And likewise, if you get beat, well, it happens. If you still have chips, stay focused and make the best plays you can. If you're eliminated, move on and plan for the next event.