Topic 4. Psychology or Coping with a beat.

[Brett Kay]

This one is a little bit off the beaten track, but can help your mental game. By improving this part, can reap big rewards later.

How many times have you gone all in either preflop or postflop with the best hand and been drawn out on?

I am guessing the answer is a lot.

Now if you had chips left, do you usually chuck them all in the next hand and prepare to walk away? Defeated before you have even given yourself a chance to fightback.

Ever head the phrase chip and a chair? Refers to Jack "Treetop" Strauss, who in the 1982 WSOP found a $500 chip under a packet of smokes. He was allowed to play on, and subsequently managed to win the title for that year.

How does this help your NPL gameplay?

Well this is one that i can't really go into maths, explanations or anything like that. Its just a simple thing i do, when the cards don't go my way.

First thing is, did you play the hand correctly? If you did, and would do it again in the same situation, so be it. Could there have been a different way of playing the hand out? (i.e not going all in at any point?)

Analysing the hand can help you realise where the mistakes were made. Could a bigger bet on preflop lead to a better flop bet that would have got them to fold? Could a smaller bet preflop have the same effect with a large flop bet?

Once you analyse the hand, you can see if any changes could have made a difference to your stack at the end of the hand.

If you feel that you played the hand out correctly, and that there was not much else you could have done. (i.e Trips vs a flush draw).

Then the words i want you to say is:
"It was the call i wanted"

Think about that. And you will see that it truly does define the hand. For you to get the most value, you wanted him to call, he called, the cards didn't come you way. Did you do anything wrong? Probably not, did they make a mistake? Most likely - But that is where we can take advantage of their mistakes at a later time.

Now after this hand, we might feel a little dejected, tilted. But still have chips left. Remember the "Treetop Strauss story," you can still come back. All with a chip and a chair.

If you feel really adventurous, why not get rid of the chair.

Have fun with the game. It is about gambling, and as the phrase is "if it is no longer fun walk away." Don't lose the fun.

Brett.

[Bacon]

Very good point..

I was down to $500 after posting small blind 100 tonight, shortly after the first break, and placed in 2nd (Heads up AK v 55).

You can come back from anything. Patience is a major factor in this game, I feel

[BigPete33]

That's absolutely true bacon, patience seems to be just as important as any other skill.

Having been allin on my blinds far too many times to mention, maybe I'm too patient? (those that know me are probably wetting themselves now)

[bennymacca]

I can attest to this a lot, there has been many a time when i have been less than a couple of grand at the second break only to FT and get a couple of hands.

In the first season, i even managed to win the tournament (albeit only 46 runners) from the bad beat table! Not likely ill ever do that again!

[AceLosesKing]

I can attest to this a lot, there has been many a time when i have been less than a couple of grand at the second break only to FT and get a couple of hands.

Same thing happened to me just last week. Back from the final break I have 2500 left. First hand back I call the blind (1000) with QJ suited, flop gives me nothing I fold to an all, so essentially starting with 1500. With some luck (all in on A3, facing AK caught a 2 on the river for my straight) and a few smart all ins, I managed to make the final table with 17,000.

Then blinds killed me and I finished 8th

The moral: Its never over until you have 0 chips left.

[Goose]

The saying of A CHIP AND A CHAIR rings true
Ive won 2 tourneys coming back from $300 & $600 at the first break

Some players when they get this low TILT and throw in the towel and look for the bad beat tables or hope to get drawn back in.

I feel that getting over a bad beat and putting it behind you as soon as possible is a large part of poker

[Nathan Butler]

Hey Brett,

Been catching up on all your posts! You've been writing some pritty good stuff! When is your poker novel coming out??