I’ve seen the “Bad Beat” blogs…heck, we even have a topic actually called “bad beats”, under which I’ve chosen to write this blog. Reason being is, the average player I see seems to be entirely focused on the negative and never the positive aspects of the game, and I think those people will probably read this. I hope they do! Maybe it will help someone leave their emotions out of it, and study their game objectively…growing in the process. Not to say it is easy to view things objectively…we are subjective and self-centered by nature.
For example, I watched a guy yesterday go all-in pre-flop against KK with A-3, only to hit an ace. 3 people at the table told him “NH”, including the gentleman with KK. 4 hands later, Mr. Allin with Ace-Rag has AA in the bb and pushes again. This time, it is he who is outdrawn by A-8, who spikes trip 8’s and busts him out. AA then proceeds to hang around “like a broke cousin”, calling the lady who busted him out all kinds of vile names. Now, the point is, do you think he remembers the “suckout” he hit on KK? Or the straight he’d flopped with 9-7 offsuit calling a QQ raise of 5 x BB earlier in the game? The answer is no…of course not. He only remembers the one that busted him.
Too often, we focus on the negative aspects of everything, not just poker. It affects our personal, professional and emotional lives immensely. In poker, when we’re focused on “bad beats” and conspiracy theories of online poker being “rigged” for “action flops”, “cash-out” and “close to my bonus” curses and various other debilitating thought processes, we begin to assume things we shouldn’t…we begin to anticipate “suckouts” and “bad beats”. We second-guess our games and our confidence plummets. We then adjust our games, playing differently than we normally would. Sound familiar? And this, to me, is just the tip of the iceberg of the damage negativity can do to not only our poker game, but our lives. Sometimes, you have to just back away and readjust. I would strongly recommend having a confidant, someone you trust to be objective, to bounce things off of. The next time you want to tell someone your “bad beat” story, take a moment and think about whether or not that is going to benefit either them or you.
Trust me on this one – If a strong player hears you incessantly ranting about how unlucky you are, then you and your chips will be separated soon enough. The sharks can sense a wounded fish from miles away…Stay positive, study the game, love the game…it’s not worth playing, otherwise.
Thanks for Reading!
© Copyright 2009
60 comments
What a great Blog! Thank you...I am like Thomas the Train...." I think I can...I think I can....each and every day I play....
Staying positive is the key!! Excellent!!
Thank you my friend and good luck to you on the felts......every day!
THIS BLOG IS
TYVM
I know RansomHammer to be a student of the game , and would always be reseptive to any advise he sent my way.
R H you have hita bullseye here IMO . Two ways
First ... we do have selective memories . But deeper than that we feel our suck outs mean we made a good call , but when it comes back our way ... they are donks playing bad poker and getting lucky
Second ... i play very very loose , have a huge starting hand selection ... so I suck out a lot. I ... like most people will vent to my friends when I get more than my fair share of suck outs , but you will probably never see me talking crap at some one playing as loose as I do , and filling their hands .. the river counts everbody .
I have and will get into it with some one telling me I play bad when they top my dominating hand on the river .... and recently did with a fellow clan member .
And last ... I am at my worst on the felts when I get angry , I am just worthless when I start letting my emotions make the decisions at the table.
TY R H ... both a strategy lesson as well as a lesson on manners !!!
Great blog RH!!! I always try to keep that positive attitude and seldom go off, well sometimes. I see this same type of thing in nearly every tourney I'm in. People ranting and raving about this and that, calling people all manner of names, etc, etc.
OH and JUMPY, you do play BAD, in a good way. *GRINS* Hello to a fellow RAZOR. *\*o*/*
VERY WELL WRITTEN RH!!! I KNOW MOST OF US HAVE THOSE MOMENTS ~~ SOMETIMES I WOULD GRUMBLE TO MY FRIENDS BUT I NEVER WOULD SAY SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN AT THE TABLES...
THX RH.....
SUCKKOUTS RULE WHEN THEY ARE IN MY FAVOR =) suckoouts blow when they are against me =(
great blog like many others I should make this my startup page
Very nice blog Hammer! And yes, people that act like that at the tables probably also have the same mindset about life in general. I'm a "glass half full" person. Negativity in anything will only lead to things definitely not going your way. Allowing emotion to rule your life can cost you, and not just money. I really don't get why people get so mad and go off on other people like that.... I mean come on , they either bet the hand or called it, and the way I see it all is this... It's called gambling for a reason. I take chances like that at the tables and sometimes I win.... sometimes I lose. But if I do lose, I "vnh" whoever it was that got me and go on. No since dwelling on it and if it's bothering me that badly, hell,, I'll go somewhere and work out what I did wrong with that hand.
Great Post Hammer!!!
GL to all on and off the felts!!!
Very well written, Ransom. I agree 100%
Excelent blog ! ..... I agree with you 100%...Here is a blog I put out some time ago about the poker mindset, it may help some also...
www.railbirds.com/blog/192173/poker-mindset.html
....play on ...Tc....
This is a good blog and I really like the last comment...lol The sharks can always sense fear, that is one thing i have learned all to well. And Bad mouthing people for their calls doesnt help your game at all, it is always best to move on and play the next hand, like that one didnt happen.
Thanks babe, i think we all need to read this one over daily as well.
I will keep it bumped just in hope that others can see it and read it and take it to heart.