VARIANCES AND BAD BEATS

 VARIANCE AND BAD BEATS

Now you will realize that poker is a game based on skill. You will be successful long-term if you make the right decisions in every situation. Even if you play right and make all the correct moves, bad luck can still strike.

You need to know how to deal with situations like these, and how to ensure your game isn't adversely affected.

Variance refers to the short-term effects of luck on poker. The variance is part of poker that good players accept and work to minimize its effect on their own game.

The Bad Beat

A "bad beat" in poker refers to an event where a significantly less good hand beats a more profitable one simply by chance. The player with the "bad beat", however, plays the hand correctly and puts their money into the pot. But, they are still defeated by a card that is beyond their control.

This is true only if you have a hand which is clearly a favorite and your opponent has very little chance to catch up. Unexperienced players might mistakenly think they have a "bad beat", when their hand is only marginally favourite. Check out these examples:

Example: A real bad beat

Player 1 has A. Player 2 has a K. Both players are 100% in on a flop at 7 J J Player 1 has 98% of the favourites.

Player 2 is allowed to win only if the two remaining cards include either the two remaining full houses, or a queen with a ten for a straight. The pot would be divided if both cards were jacks to make four of a kind jacks with an Ace-kicker.

If the turn occurs when the river is K, Player 2 wins and Player 1 loses.

Example: This is not a bad beat

Player 1 has 7 4, in late position, and pushes all the way before the flop. Player 2 has a very strong hand in A K.

The board is now 3 7 9 10 A. Player 1 wins the hand by completing a pair with sevens.

A K, despite being a strong hand is only 60% favourite before the flip and will lose 4 times out of 10. This is not enough to cause a bad beat.

It is fascinating to observe that players remember bad beats much more than the situations where luck was on their favor.

A common misconception is that online games have more bad beats than live ones. This is incorrect. Statistics show that they are the same frequency online as in casinos. However, online play allows for more hands per hour so the chance of players experiencing bad beats will increase.

Reflecting on Bad Beats

You can recover from a bad beat by remembering that your opponent will lose money over time if they make the same mistakes repeatedly. You should not get mad at your opponent, but instead exploit their weaknesses to maximize profit.

According to mathematics and probability, the player who continues to put all of his chips at risk by playing the worst hand will ultimately lose. That is why you should choose the player that plays well at your table. Matthew Hilger wrote, "How to Keep Bad Beats in Your Poker Game