No matter how good you think you are at poker you simply can’t win every time you play. This is one of the hard truths about the game. Learning some tactics on how to avoid bad beats in online poker can help your win rate long term.
No matter the cause of the bad beats, you want to take note of the steps to take to avoid it from happening again. Professional poker players have suggested keeping your emotions in check because, in that brief moment of fury, you can throw away every other chance you might have at winning the game.
In this article, you are going to find out just the best ways to handle bad beats anytime you are playing online poker.
How to Handle Bad Beats in Online Poker
Losing your hand, despite having the seeming advantage can be frustrating. Well, the bad news is that it happens to the best of online poker players. The good news – it doesn’t have to happen to you (or happen again if you are already losing).
Here are the best tips to help you avoid making bad mathematical calls that could result in bad beats:
Tip 1: It’s Just Poker
C’mon, it is just a game. Although you can make lots of money in profits, it doesn’t change the fact that you are there for the main thing – to have fun playing poker! The money you make should be considered as an “extra.” That way, it will be easier for you to bear the bad beats that could come from the game.
Understandably, you don’t know how to cope with this, especially when you already had high hopes of winning. Nevertheless, we have made a list of some of the things you should consider doing to help you accept the defeat that comes with having bad beats in online poker.
- First, you have to accept that you have been defeated. Don’t go about flaunting your ego on how you should have been the winner. You have been defeated – just accept it!
- Advise yourself that the major reason you lost your hand is that your opponent is a better player than you are. Therefore, you need to commit some more time to learn how to avoid bad beats when playing online poker.
- Praise yourself for being a marvelous player. You tried your best.
Tip 2: Understand how Bad Beats Work
Losing your hand the first time might be excused, but losing most of the time needs you to go back to the drawing board. It is time you understand how bad beats work when playing poker online. With the information, you can be better prepared for the outcome of the game.
Some of the things you need to have in mind are:
You are not Alone – Bad Beats Work both ways
You are not the only poker player getting a bad share of bad beats. It is bound to happen and the probability could be as high as 1:4 – meaning that you might lose 3 times in a game.
That aside, you want to assure yourself that you are in for any possible outcome. You could win the game or lose it to your opponent. At the end of the day, one player will emerge as the winner.
You have Beaten the Other Players to the Game
There are a couple of times you won in the poker game – leaving your opponents with no other thing than bad beats. Well, it appears that it is your turn to have a fair share of it. Thus, the cards are not just against you because it is how the game turned out to be.
Learn the Lessons
Having a streak of bad beats is not a time to regret what you should have or shouldn’t have done. It is a time to take note of the steps you need to have taken, the errors you ought to have avoided, and any other details that could increase your chance of winning the next time.
The general rule is to keep track of the number of times you hit the river to win a hand or when you hit a card on the turn.
The lessons you learn during this period can come in handy when you want to place your next poker bet.
Tip 3: Give Yourself a Break
Let’s forget about the motivational talks – having a series of bad beats is not always the best for players. It doesn’t matter if you are a pro or amateur – the tendency of breaking down is always there.
Perhaps, it could be best to take a break. Consider taking a short break, say for a few days. During this time, you want to contemplate the best poker betting strategies to use to avoid bad beats the next time. However, it would be great if you take a longer break. This suffices if you realize that you are obviously attached to the game and getting back to the table in that frame of mind might cause you to lose more games.
Tip 4: Regain Your Focus and Master Emotional Management
Having a bad beat is just the basic aspect of triggering a series of losses in poker. The advanced form is taking out your frustration on your opponent, either by name-calling or going physical for losing the game.
One of the tips for mastering emotional management is to regain your focus. Okay, you have had a bad beat. So, what? You want to re-strategize to get better at the next game.
You can regain your focus by doing any or more of the following:
- Make it your goal to play the next hand that comes your way the best way you can.
- Develop a betting routine and stick to it, except it is invalidated.
- Go over the previous games (preferably, the ones you lost) to find out the mistakes you made. Then, come up with ideas on how to get better at them.
Tip 5: Come Back to the Table Stronger
Now that you have figured out what you didn’t do and how to do it better, come back to the table and wait for the next game.
This time, you want to:
- Study the game of poker so you can master the fundamentals that will help you become a better player.
- Think outside of the box – come up with more ideas that can help you win the game.
- Know when to hold ’em and fold’em – know when to accept defeat.
Where to Play Online Poker – Ignition
Ignition Poker has an array of online poker solutions that you might be interested in. if you are looking for where to play poker online, it has to be at this platform.
Benefits to Playing on Ignition Poker
Consider playing poker at Ignition Poker because of the platform:
- Offers a wide range of poker games, such as Jackpots, Texas Hold’Em, and Fast-Fold.
- Allows you to bet on both micro-stake and high-stake poker games.
- Is one of the most-visited online poker sites in the United States alone.
Final Thoughts
Having streaks of bad beats might be bad, but when you consider the winning potential, you cannot help but keep at it. Yet, it is important to have a working betting strategy, control your emotions and just flow with the game to make the most out of it.
