Handling Bad Beats In Online PokerOnline poker is convenient and fun. You don’t need to make the drive to a poker room or land-based casino. You don’t even need pants. All you need is an Internet connection, a computer and some cash. The online poker experience is very different than playing poker in person. Bluffing and chip stack management is easier online, but it’s also much harder to read your opponents.
Playing
poker online does have one very big advantage over playing live poker. This advantage comes into play when you get a bad beat.
Bad Beats in PersonIn live
poker games, bad beats can send you into a frenzy. You don’t need a short fuse to get thrown off your game after someone hits a straight on the river. In person, bad beats are much harder to deal with. You have to look at the smirk of the player that just sucked out on you.
This player might even be receiving applause, pats on the back, handshakes or other infuriating accolades. When you can see the person who just issued you a bad beat, and you can see your chips being stacked by this person, then you have clear target for revenge. You can actually put a face to the bad feeling in your stomach.
Bad Beats in Online PokerWhen you experience a bad beat in person, a certain degree of composure is required. It’s bad form to get up, punch things, scream obscenities and so forth. This is not the case in online poker. You can feel free to get up out of your chair. Start shadow boxing if you need a way to let off steam. Throw things off your desk. Scream as loud as you can and use the foulest language imaginable. You can even sit out a hand or two, get up and try to walk it off.
Bad beats are easier to handle when you’re playing on one of the many poker sites out there. Bad beats are not fun for anyone, anywhere. But when you have the opportunity to let off steam without showing your opponents that you’re fuming, that’s a good thing. You don’t want to give the person who issued you a bad beat any sort of satisfaction.
Don’t start typing expletives in the chat window. Say them out loud. Pull your hair out at home, because if you were playing in person, you wouldn’t be able to do any of these things.
Eventually, you’re going to want to limit the way that bad beats affect you. This is especially true if you ever plan on playing poker in person. But in an online situation, take advantage of the fact that you can let all your bad beat anger escape without anyone asking you to be removed from the table.
Use whatever anger outlets you have to release steam and get yourself back in the proper gaming mindset.