Handling bad beats and variance is an inevitable part of playing poker, often testing even the most seasoned players’ patience and resilience. In this article, we’ll explore 11 essential tips to help you handle these challenging aspects of the game effectively. By learning how to manage your emotions and maintain a strategic mindset, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the highs and lows of poker with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you were playing a $1.00 buy-in home game with your friends, would you get tilted if you lost a huge pot? Probably not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you were playing a poker game for your entire net worth, would you get tilted if you lost everything?Yeah, probably. That would only be human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, as we can tell, what we buy in for often dictates how tilted we get. If we\u2019re playing stakes that we can afford, then we won\u2019t tilt as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We want to find that sweet spot where the winnings mean something to us, but losing won\u2019t sting too much. This is why so many people like tournaments. They make a small investment that they can afford to lose. But if they win, the payout could be meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pretend you\u2019re buying a concert ticket. You\u2019re in this game for the enjoyment of it. The money is a bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way of handling bad beats in poker is to keep records. If you keep detailed records, you will be less likely to tilt. If you\u2019re a winning player over a long period of time, one data point or even five won\u2019t worry you. You\u2019ll see that the larger trend is going in your direction. And then you\u2019ll know you can trust yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I made poker my entire life, my game suffered. I\u2019m embarrassed at how much poker I\u2019ve played in some years and how little I improved. It\u2019s difficult to get better at anything, let alone poker, when you\u2019re never pausing to reflect. You keep grinding yourself to a nub, making the same mistakes again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever I\u2019m tilted now, I go do something else. I go to a metal concert. I take my girlfriend to a museum. I go for a hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve been aimlessly wandering somewhere else and then had a great idea in regards to poker. The mistakes I was making became blindingly obvious because my brain had a chance to rest and catch its breath. When the brain is constantly overworked, it can\u2019t review all of the things it has seen to look for patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I used to rely on poker for all of my income. When I would start running bad, I\u2019d freak out because I wasn\u2019t sure how I was going to pay my bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, I spent years on the tour. All of the successful poker players I met had other investments and businesses. Some of them, to my amazement, still worked another job. They could have easily been a full-time pro, but they didn\u2019t want the stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What they taught me is that if you have other income streams, you\u2019ll be able to keep poker in perspective. And when poker is in perspective, handling bad beats is so much easier. A day job is a trust fund you give yourself. You can build off of that kind of diversification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This falls under the \u201cno sh*t Sherlock\u201d category, but it\u2019s worth repeating. I\u2019ll tell you what I do when I\u2019m tilted. When I\u2019m pissed off about the game, I go to a weight room and lift heavy. After an hour of deadlifting, squatting, or bench pressing, I feel looser. The swings of the game impact me less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, lifting weights before every poker session is impractical, but if you can get some kind of exercise in (maybe a walk or run), it goes a long way. Sometimes, on the road, I\u2019ll bring my resistance bands with me and do some stretches in the hotel room. Anything active counts. Draining nervous energy before you play will help you be more relaxed when the inevitable swings come and make handling bad beats easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one is another \u201cno sh*t Sherlock\u201d contender, but it\u2019s still worth repeating. Poker is often played in fun locales. It can be easy to stay up late drinking and partying. If you instead wait until the tournament is over to have your fun, you\u2019ll be in a much better place. And then if you are playing again the next day, make sure to get to bed at a decent hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have trouble sleeping, at least get some rest. Don\u2019t stay up on your phone if you can help it. Put on an eye mask. Listen to a podcast that\u2019s interesting but not too enthralling. See if you can drift off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is another fundamental that we need to review. Handling bad beats on an empty stomach is brutal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I cashed the Main Event last year after a long, fruitless summer. I was tired as all hell at different points of the tournament. Staying hydrated with those electrolyte packets and eating lighter helped me keep my focus together during the later stages. I walked away from that tournament happy with my play. I couldn\u2019t have done that if I was weighed down with heavier meals or if I was starving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the tournament was over, I went to an Italian bakery and bought every sweet in the place. I downed it all with coffee. It was delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our goal isn\u2019t to never eat food that is bad for us. Food is one of the great joys in life. The idea is to not eat anything too heavy that will slow you down when you\u2019re in the middle of a poker tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever you\u2019re up in your head, it\u2019s a good idea to breathe deep into your gut and exhale slowly. It will cool you down. If you\u2019re breathing shallowly, it will stimulate your body\u2019s fight or flight response. You don\u2019t want to start your mind racing when you\u2019re playing poker. You will be completely tilted the first time you have to handle any bad beats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go for a walk. Loosen up your muscles. Stretch. Deep breaths. Come back strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are some players who use table talk to get under your skin. It\u2019s part of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no rule that you have to listen to them. Bring a pair of headphones with you. If you need them, turn on something to drown out the noise of the table talker. It is much easier to move past the variance and handle bad beats if you don’t have other players nattering in your ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turn your cell phone off. Or at least have certain notifications turned off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was playing higher stakes poker once and had someone blow up my phone with a matter that could have easily waited until the next week. It was extremely tilting. If I had turned off notifications from anyone but my family while I was playing, I would have been fine. My family knows to not text me while I\u2019m playing unless it\u2019s something serious. The rest of the world might not know when to hold back or care to learn that boundary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protect yourself. Poker should be your private time. Don\u2019t let anyone intrude upon your recreational hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A great deal of tilt comes from making a play that you\u2019re uncomfortable with. If you make a big bluff or big call that you didn\u2019t prepare for, and it blows up in your face, you will be extremely angry. You\u2019ll wonder why you tried such a big play. You\u2019ll keep replaying the hand in your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a game plan before you sit down, you\u2019ll be in a much better spot to handle bad beats and unfavorable variance. If you know the exact situations where you will bluff or make a huge call, you\u2019ll know when to just fold and not get out of line. Sticking to a game plan will give you a stable mental framework. People won\u2019t be able to tilt you because you prepared for their crap before you sat down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n