First time its happened-- a bad beat I can't get over

Ghazban · #1 02-02-2005, 10:22 AM

Last night, I played a live NL game and suffered a pretty brutal beat on the river to an extremely bad player. This has happened before and, generally, it bothers me for 20-30 minutes tops. However, this time, I can't get the hand out of my head. I have a constant replay of the action, from the first raise to the heartbreaking river looping continually in my head. While I'm still able to function normally outside of poker, I feel like I don't want to play again while I'm still thinking of this as it might affect my play in a negative manner. On the other hand, maybe seeing some more hands would help displace this one from my head. Any thoughts on this? As bad beats don't normally stick with me, I don't know how to handle one that does and can't tell if playing today would be a bad idea.

tek · #2 02-02-2005, 02:22 PM

Been there. If you reviewed your play that night and feel that it was just a lucky river draw, then let it go. Guys like that will get beat more often than not. That means you will bust them more often that they suck out.

Read other bad beat posts and realize it happens to everyone.

On the other hand could you have won the hand on the flop or turn? Sometimes "bad beats" are the result of slowplaying. Give a sucker a free draw and they just might make it.

I don't slowplay unless I have the nuts. Otherwise I'll try to take the pot down as soon as I believe I have the best hand.

After a bad session it helps to review your gameplan. If you don't have one, make one. (What hands do you play at each street, how passive or aggressive, etc.)

A regular excercise program is good too. As little as a 30 minute walk each day after work or a full gym work out, or anything in-between. Most people do nothing but sit all day at work and sit all night watching tv or playing poker. So anything you do is +EV.

revots33 · #3 02-02-2005, 03:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like I don't want to play again while I'm still thinking of this as it might affect my play in a negative manner. On the other hand, maybe seeing some more hands would help displace this one from my head.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're still steaming, I think the better option is to take a break and clear your head. After a few days off you'll be recharged and back to your old self. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck.

Ghazban · #4 02-02-2005, 05:27 PM

Thanks for the responses. I played some microstakes Stud8 today (a game I only recently started playing) but I still can't get that hand totally out of my head.

With respect to the hand itself, it was absolutely a bad beat. 1/2 NL-- after 2 limpers, uberfish raises to 10 in LP, I reraise to 40 in BB w/KK. Everyone else folds. Flop comes Q54r and I go all-in for 160 (~80 in pot). He calls with QJo and rivers a jack. When the money went in, I was way ahead but that's poker *shrug*. I'm not pissed off about it or anything, I just can't stop replaying it in my head.

sabre170 · #5 02-02-2005, 10:07 PM

He had two cards to come with 5 outs.
That is not that bad a beat.

The other day I played a $30 HU NL SNG. On the first hand, my opponent pushed all in. I had A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and called. I took it with a supremely bad beat by making the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] flush! My opponent turned out to have A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]!

Sabre170

PJS · #6 02-02-2005, 10:56 PM

I think every poker player knows that "river card" feeling! I have had a strange 3-4 weeks that have hurt, (dented my bankroll slightly) but it's something that we have to get used to if we want carry on playing. Here's two examples:

In a cash game the other day, I was dealt JJ and raised, had 1 caller. The flop came down 9 6 2 with two hearts, and I moved all-in, he calls with 33 in the hole. Turn and river came another two hearts, making him a flush with the 3h. ($400 in the pot)

In a tournament I was involved in a pot just before the final table, had AQ and raised, and had 1 caller. Flop came down Q 6 2. I bet, he raised, I moved all-in (I know he would have slow played a set by just calling). He called and turned over Q4 (As you can see, he is very loose). surprise, surprise, a 4 came on the turn giving him two pair (this now made him chip leader). I tell you, it was a special drive home!

As a previous poster said, all we can do is keep going and hope that the odds come good in the end.

Moozh · #7 02-03-2005, 04:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
He had two cards to come with 5 outs.
That is not that bad a beat.

The other day I played a $30 HU NL SNG. On the first hand, my opponent pushed all in. I had A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and called. I took it with a supremely bad beat by making the [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] flush! My opponent turned out to have A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]!

Sabre170

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not a bad beat. You had two flush draws. Your opponent only had one.

QuadsOverQuads · #8 02-03-2005, 08:46 AM

I agree, this is not a bad beat. It's a tough beat, but not a "bad" beat, per se.

As another poster noted, he had 5 cards he could catch, and two draws at it. So he had about a 1 in 4 chance of taking it down. Terrible call for him, but it happens.

Just tonight, I was playing a limit game, was dealt 55, called, got raised by a late position player, called. Flop comes K5A. I'm licking my chops, but I wait to pull the trigger until the turn. He bets, I smoothe-call. Turn comes another 5. Quads, baby [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] He bets, I just smoothe-call again (we're heads-up, and I'm hoping to god he hits another A or K on the river). River comes a blank. He bets, I raise, he reraises, I cap. He turns over KK.

In a nutshell, I thought I was a massive favorite, and instead I was drawing to a ONE CARD OUT -- which I then hit.

Now THAT is a bad beat. Losing to a guy who had two draws at five outs, that's annoying, but it happens all the time. Hell, I've gotten knocked out of four SNGs today where a guy had one draw at a 4-card out or less (two of them were 2-outers). It happens, and those ugly beats are the price you pay for all the times they'll pay you off when they miss those longshot draws. You can't have one without the other. That 75% favorite is not the same as a 100% lock. You just gotta keep it in perspective.

q/q

Ghazban · #9 02-03-2005, 10:59 AM

So what is a bad beat then? I was 80% or better to win on every street (except the river, duh). I don't consider stuff like AK beating 77 allin preflop or an OESFD beating a flopped set to be a bad beat but I definitely consider 4:1 favorites losing a bad beat. Just curious as to where people are drawing the line...

Piemaster · #10 02-03-2005, 11:45 AM

I think what they are saying is that while it is a bad beat, it's not one of those one-in-a-hundred bad beats that really makes us curse the dealer (or screen).

On the other hand, I think they kind of missed the point of the original post which was why you are feeling so bad about this bad beat and what to do about it, and instead used it as an excuse to tell bad beat stories (which we all love so much of course).

Unfortunately I don't have a good answeer to your question as everyone is different. Whenever I have a bad night and start thinking negatively about poker for any reason, I go online, read some cardplayer, poker forums or whatever and I find my enthusiasm renewed.