Bad beats in poker
In poker, a bad beat means losing your strong hand against a weaker hand. Most poker players everywhere get constantly frustrated with these bad beats, hoping never to encounter them again.
It is the skilled players who often get dumbfounded that an underdog's hand could defeat them. And it is the novices who do not realize the odds of getting a bad beat. This is because experienced players who usually lose when playing against a novice typically hold the dominating hand.
In a no limit Texas Holdem game, it is extremely rare to see veteran poker players put down a bad beat against a new poker player. The justification for this is that the better player always holds the better hand, making the lesser player never experience bad beats. A strong player would fold after the flop with bad odds, but a weak player may call and hit his miracle card at the turn or river.
The lesson is that players need to feel proud when making a correct play with a better hand, and also they must not pay much attention when faced with a bad beat. This is just part of the game.
It is quite common to hear that bad beats most frequently happen when you play poker at an online poker room. This has caused rumors that online poker games are possibly rigged. But you should not worry since all reputable online poker rooms have their random number generators (the software drawing cards randomly from the deck) regularly tested and verified by specialized auditing companies to ensure the legitimacy of their online poker games.
A possible reason is that playing poker online is actually much faster compared to an actual live poker game. In an hour, you would get around 60 hands and you play hundreds of hands if you play two tables or more at the same time, whereas in a land-based casino you usually only play 30 per hour. Thus with more hands played you have more chance of encountering a bad beat, making bad beats seem more frequent than expected.
Other than that, the fact is that in land based casinos, most players are cautious about calling big all-in situations if they are looking at actual money chips on their table in front of them. When playing online, many players will just easily click the 'call' button, even if they are not supposed to do so.
A click of the mouse is much easier to make than pushing out $85 worth of chips in a no limit live game. If you play at a brivk and mortar casino, you are more likely to think twice about the strength of your hand before risking your money.
Basically, no one could really avoid giving or getting bad deals in poker. To stay on top of the game, the best advice is to just shake off bad beats. You must remain focused and calm. Don't be frustrated, just appreciate that the other players making bad calls are what keeps you winning, making you a successful poker player.
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