I need to vent to someone....

[zmac]

These past few days have been poker hell, and I know talking about bad beats is overplayed, but I really need to share my inexplicably terrible luck. Sorry I don't have hand history's for these, but i'll do my best...

1) On the bubble in a MT SNG at party, raise from BB with TT, MP calls with 99, of course u know the rest. 9 hits and I'm crippled

2) Same tourney, I manage to collect a few more chips, and I'm all in with AQ against AJ. Flop xxx turn x river J....i'm out

3) Another MT SNG at Party, early stages, raise from BB with JJ, button calls. Flop comes Axx, I check as does he. Turn brings 3 spades to the board, and even though i have two red jacks, i bet about half the pot (1/2 my stack) and he calls. River is 2 of spades bringing 4 spades to the board. I check as does he, and to my disbelief, he turns over two red 2's for a set of 2's!!! un-fucking-believable.

4) With my stack down again, I am forced to go all in with AQ. I get 1 call from 9T off. flop comes Axx. you guessed it. Turn 9 river 10. I think its time for a drink!!!

I know these aren't the worst beats ever, and I probably shouldn't be whining, but these really hurt seeing as they all occured within 30 minutes of each other. Thanks for your time guys.

 

[peskypup]

bad beats

I don't mind bad beats. My worst of the last few days was going all in with a set of Aces on a flop against a guy holding K9 - board was AK3. only running kings could save him and the board duly delivered.

To me the only measure that matters long term is how many errors per event I have made. Without knowing the playing style of your opponents and the exact chip situation this can't be assessed, though in general I'd be somewhat wary of some of those plays.

The most important thing is how a bad beat affects someone. My best one last week was when I was in the last 3 with a medium stack. I had been playing very tight but had started making some moves. I put in a decent flop bet in good position against the chip leader, I was betting a gutshot and two overcards against what turned out to be top pair.

He checked, then bet out the river at which stage I had hit the gutshot and raised him. He called, there then followed a tirade of abuse at me on the lol!! you fish!! how could you bet that out etc. variety.

Now he sees me as loose and a mere 6 hands later, with even stacks, I get dealt AA, put in a decent raise and he re-raises. the flop hits an Ace, Q I check and he goes all-in and out of the event holding his QJ.

Apart from errors per event, I continuously monitor how I am being perceived by opponents. This is a combination of how I would perceive me in their shoes, plus how they are reacting to my bets.

Ideally you want a strong table image for the later stages. Then when you are raised its easy to toss away marginal hands. But if you appear loose - e.g. get caught with a gutshot - you need to use that to your advantage. Cut out the bluffs for a few hands, wait for a good hand and then bet it the same way you bet your gutshot.