Bad Beat 101

The other day I came across this great post from another poker players blog. You can find her blog here. Yes thats right, I said her. Not only is she a great poker player, but she also possesses excellent literary skills. Anyways heres the post enjoy:

"I want to spend a little time talking about one of the ugliest aspects of poker... Bad Beats!!!

Bad beats are non-exclusive. They are blind to race, creed, and gender. They are merciless. Every single player that sits down to play cards, takes bad beats. The more you play, the more you take... the more hands you are dealt, the more likely it is statistically that you will take a bad beat.

So now if every single poker player is taking bad beats across the globe.. how is everyone dealing with them?

What is your standard reaction when you get bad beat?

*Do you curse and chat box spew?

*Do you donk out of all other tournies that are going well?

*Do you throw things or punch walls?

*Do you reach for alcohol and/or drugs?

*Do you tilt off your roll?

*Do you copy and paste your hand history and send it to all your buddies on messenger so they can now relive your bad beats along with their own?

*Do you take it out on your family and/or significant other?

*Do you take it out on yourself?

or..............

-Do you assess your play, your own decision, your role in the hand, learn what you can and move on?

The true damage of a bad beat isnt the hand itself....it is the aftermath that ensues...It is our inability to accept it for what it is...The damage lies in the snowball affect it has on everything else... when we allow it to permeate into other tournies... into a bankroll we grinded so long and so hard for... into our personal lives.... that is where the true damage of bad beats take place.

Imagine all the players in the world in one huge field...with a bad beat firing squad constantly firing bullets. Each bullet is a bad beat. Are you wearing the necessary armor to repell it...to let it bounce off you? Can you turn what is a deep muscle wound, or a life threatening injury to the majority, into a mere superficial graze?...Like a paintball pellet..making contact and splattering fake blood... while the weak company around you, bleed profusely...

How many poker players are equipped with the armor to tolerate the "blows" poker will undoubtedly fire at you?

The field is narrow...Most fall victim to the grimy hands of 'Tilt,' and SELF-defeat...Don't let this be you...

Poker is all about perspective.

Don't wallow in your defeats or self-pity...
Don't question your abilities or skills...
Don't let yourself fall into a cold, dark abyss, with a tape recorder on repeat playing
"you suck at cards...you are a loser...how could you not have folded that hand? you donkey...stick to your day job...you have no hope...."

And Please don't surrender to bad beats...

It's all about our perspective...
Mind over matter...it is amazing how powerful self-perspective can be...
it is what we make of it...
what our mind creates of it...
it is what it is...
what we allow it to be...

Once you are able to keep bad beats in proper perspective for what they are.. an inherent part of the game that every participant has the choice to deal with, in his or her own way... then you will see how much more of your time and energy is spent constructively, as opposed to destructively...

and not only will you emerge a stronger Poker Player...but a stronger Person..."

FINALLLLY

After going 0/8 cashes in my HA tournament, I not only cash I shipp it. Finally. I was oh so close to also final tabling the Hi/Lo tourney which wouldve been extra sweet but ended up getting 11th place. Ive been playing so well, it was just a matter of time. Now on to take down a guarantee to complete the month. *fingers cross* Ahh feels good to have that winning feeling again.

Tsk Tsk Full Tilt

Nothin much has really happened in the past couple weeks. I've only managed one final table and it was in an $11 omaha hi/lo tournament where I eventually got 7th. I had a great chance to get a good score today in the 2500 KO guarantee (PLO) but ended up bowing out in 10th place, when I couldnt pick up any pots when play got down to two tables. Bleh. After such a good month in June, I was hopin to carry it over into July but the results havent been there. Hopefully I can get a nice four figure score this week.

In other news, Full Tilt has really been fuckin up. For those who don't know Full Tilt recently had a string of checks they sent out to players end up bouncing. This is just pathetic. Luckily I was not one of the unfortunate people to get one of these checks. but if I was I would be furious. Not only would the money be taken back from my account, but the I'd hav to pay the return item fee and possibly overdraft fees. Im still waiting on a check that was approved on June 19th but had to be re-issued on July 3rd (Probably when full tilt realized that checks were bouncing). I hope online poker gets back to the neteller era where getting money on and off was a breeze, but the way our government is stalling with the clarification of the UIGEA bill it doesnt look to happen anytime soon. Til next time.