Daniel Negreanu: How to Deal with Bad Beats

7 years ago
How to Deal with Bad Beats
16:33
15 Mar

Play poker long enough and you’re bound to experience your fair share of bad beats. In fact, play for just one day at low stakes and you’ll probably know what it’s like to get sucked out on on the river several times over.

Fact of the matter is, bad beats happen, and if they didn’t, the less-skilled players might never return. So the best thing to do is to thank your lucky stars that there are bad players out there who will chase a hand all the way to the river when the odds are screaming at them not to, and learn how to accept and deal with the inevitable bad beats.


Breathe Deeply

Daniel Negreanu provides a few pointers on how to deal with bad beats in his latest YouTube video. The PokerStars Team Pro advises players to take an honest look to determine possible mistakes made along the way. If you played the bad beat hand correctly, congratulate yourself on your solid play and realize that the odds are in your favor down the road if you keep making the correct plays.

Another tip from DNegs is the tried and true relaxation method of taking deep breaths to clear your mind and control that emotional upheaval you may be feeling when your aces get cracked or some such bad beat. Deep breaths work by releasing endorphins that bring us back to the present moment and produce a calming effect.


Mindfulness Training

Next on KidPoker’s tip sheet after experiencing a bad beat is to identify your thoughts, feelings, and physical senses. Be aware of what that bad beat has done to you emotionally and physically in order to channel those feelings in a more positive direction.

While anger and frustration may be leading the way in terms of your current mental state, it’s up to you to choose the way to feel and to make the shift into a more relaxed and joyous state instead of letting the bad beat ruin your game going forward.


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Charles is a Chicago native and long time poker player who dusted off his journalism degree and began writing about poker following the events of Black Friday in 2011. He has written for a number of leading poker websites, offering his insights and expertise on subjects ranging from online poker leg...Read more

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