Poker is unique from most other gambling games in that it requires skill to play. The best players aren’t those who are lucky but those who are good at understanding the game and reading their opponents. However, luck is still involved, and even the best players can sometimes lose due to bad luck. In poker, luck will affect the cards you’re dealt as well as those that show up on the board, and this is what makes it so exciting.

If you suffer from bad luck, it’s usually easy to come back and keep on playing. In other cases, bad luck can happen even if it seems that the odds are stacked heavily in your favor. Losing a hand that should win in the vast majority of cases is known as a bad beat, and it’s frustrating to have to deal with. Even the best poker players can lose their cool when dealing with a bad beat, but if you want to play well, it’s important to stay calm. Here are some tips on recovering from a bad beat and refocusing. 

Understand Why Bad Beats Happen

At the poker table, bad beats are normal and sometimes expected. Any time you bet when you’re a clear favorite to win the pot in a game of poker is considered a bad beat. For instance, most people would view losing All-In with an overpair against a flush draw as a horrible beat. But in reality, you’ll only succeed in taking home that pot around 70% of the time. Just because the odds are in your favor, it doesn’t mean you deserve to win. You’ll actually lose 1 in 4 times, which is still a fairly high chance of losing.

Change Your Perspective

Because bad beats are inevitable, you need to change your perspective and prepare for them. In fact, many players learn to appreciate them. Although this might sound strange, it makes sense to appreciate them, as the variance is a fundamental aspect of probability and poker. Without the variance, you wouldn’t have bad beats, and you also wouldn’t have lucky breaks. You have to take the good luck with the bad and expect that sometimes things won’t go your way. Over time, your strategy will ensure that your luck balances out and you have a fair share of good luck too. 

Practice Mindfulness to Stay Calm

If you find yourself getting tilted at the poker table because of a bad beat, you’re likely to become a target for your opponents. Getting tilted can quickly lead to more losses as your strategy goes out of the window and your frustration grows. The best players are able to handle their emotions and stay calm when things don’t go their way. If you find that you get frustrated due to bad beats, you should practice mindfulness and meditation to remain calm. If you focus on what’s important, you’ll be able to play with a cool head and will be more likely to have success. 

Take a Break

Sometimes, even if you do everything you can to stay calm and recover, it’s difficult to get your head back in the game. If you find that your performance is slipping after a bad break, there’s no shame in taking a break. Being a great poker player is all about controlling your emotions and understanding your limits. If you’re having trouble controlling your emotions, taking a break is one of the best ways to refocus and come back stronger. Whether it’s five minutes or five days, take as long as you need to clear your head and return to the table a better player. 

Previous articleIB Program Training: Goals, Disciplines, Specifics of Internal Assessment, and Useful Tips for Students
Next articleAre Single Family or Multi-Family Homes Better for Real Estate Investors?