Beating Bad Beats in Poker

Every poker player has been there.

“He hit a two-outer on me on the river!”

“That donkey called one-hundreds with an inside straight draw on the turn!”

If these statements sound familiar, then yes, it’s true, you’re not alone. We’ve all been sucked out, and it always sucks!
But, did you ever sit down and ask yourself whose fault it was. Sure, you might have been way ahead, but did you play it
correctly and protect your hand? Probably not.

The biggest mistake most of us make in these Texas Hold ‘Em situations can be summed up in one word: GREED! Sometimes the
word will make you rich beyond your wildest imagination. And sometimes, it will slap you across the face and make you feel
like the biggest donkey ever to hit the felt.

Whether you play live poker or online poker, protecting your hands is key. A
lot of players think they should protect their smaller hands. But, when you stop to think about it, does that really make
sense? Why put so much effort into protecting a small pot? Protect the big pots! I’ve seen it so many times – someone has
a set on the turn and checks when there’s a flush draw out there. The other player checks, hits his flush, goes all-in,
and the slow-playing, set-holding donkey has to call. Result: Felted!

The word ‘greed’ comes into play here because more times than not the hand was raised pre-flop and there was some decent
action on the flop. Why take a chance of seeing another card? It’s better to take the medium-sized pot than risk losing all
your chips.

Another misconception is that people don’t want to bet big with the set in that spot because they don’t want to risk losing
it if their opponent calls. But you don’t need to go to poker school to
know that if you bet $50 into a $60 pot and the other player only has a draw with one card to go, they’re most likely going to
fold. And even if they do call, the odds are still in your favor.

The bottom line: Protect your big hands in the poker game even more than your
small ones. This will help you prevent bad beats (or at least decrease them). And that, in turn, will bring you more cash.

Good luck. And play smart!