Mike McDermott

[LombardiStix]

In Confessions of a Winning Poker Player, Jack King said, "Few players recall big pots they have won -- strange as it seems -- but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career."


My question to you is:

You will take tough beats... you'll have the K high two card flush and he'll have the A high. How do you pick up and move on? Do you go on break? Do you go to a lower stakes ring game for damage control? Do you yell at your children? Do you eat a banana split? or...

Are there no such thing as tough beats? Those hands are a result of the odds maker in the sky and you can only play the odds?

I posted this under ring game strategy because I think it holds a unique grip on ring games where I sat down yesterday and watched a guy go on a rush from 100 to 300$ and then play garbage just long enough to leave him with 0$... then buy back in for 50 and lose that as well. I can't speak for what his motivation was... we can only guess.


Stix

[Akorps]

If you have a bad beat, best to take a nap or play in freerolls until you start winning
again

the problem with bad beats is that they can put you on tilt

there is nothing wrong with you when you get hit with a bad beat, sometimes you have
a 95% to 5% advantage and the Donk hits the 1 card that can beat you on the river

but afterwards, if the bad beat puts you on tilt, *then* you can easily start making
bad decisions that cost a lot of money

sleep resets the brain, so after a good nap you are likely not to be on tilt anymore

but if you are still on tilt, just keep playing in freerolls only until you feel better.
That way at least you won't lose any money :-)

[derringer007]

If you have a bad beat, best to take a nap or play in freerolls until you start winning
again

the problem with bad beats is that they can put you on tilt

there is nothing wrong with you when you get hit with a bad beat, sometimes you have
a 95% to 5% advantage and the Donk hits the 1 card that can beat you on the river

but afterwards, if the bad beat puts you on tilt, *then* you can easily start making
bad decisions that cost a lot of money

sleep resets the brain, so after a good nap you are likely not to be on tilt anymore

but if you are still on tilt, just keep playing in freerolls only until you feel better.
That way at least you won't lose any money :-)

I must disagree on your theory of playing FR's after a bad beat. IMO that is the worst thing you could do. Free Rollers (not all but most) are not good players and will play more rag hands in a loose maniac fashion and are only playing to make a free buck with nothing to loose and you will experience more bad beats at the hands of these junk card players that will chase rags to the river.

I do agree that its a good idea to take some time off and re-group, then get back to the same level of buy-ins as you would normally play.