Bad Beat Remedies and Bonuses in Online Poker
It’s one of the most famous hands in the history of poker. ESPN expanded their coverage of the 2014 World Series of Poker to include the Big One for One Drop, a No-Limit Hold’em tournament with a massive $1-million buy-in. Among the players were Connor Drinan, a professional player from Chicago, and Cary Katz, the founder of Poker Central. Both players were dealt pocket Aces, and when all the money went in the middle, there was a 96% chance Drinan and Katz would split the pot. Instead, the board ran out with four Hearts, Katz made a Flush, and Drinan was sent to the rail in shock.
Getting your Aces cracked by Aces is one of the worst “bad beats” there is, but if you play enough online poker for real money, it will happen to you, too. The trick is not to let it affect your play. Ignition Poker is here to help – we’ll give you some tips and strategies for dealing with bad beats, and we’ve even got a special Bad Beat Bonus that will cushion the blow when the cards decide to be cruel. If you haven’t already, make sure to deposit and play now so you can qualify for all of our online poker bonuses here at Ignition.
How Bad Beats Happen
First, let’s clear up any confusion there might be with the term “bad beat.” This isn’t the same thing as a “cooler,” which is where you run a big hand (like pocket Kings) into an even bigger hand (like pocket Aces). A bad beat is when you lose a hand that you were highly unlikely to lose; maybe you’re the one with Aces against Kings, but your opponent spikes one of the two remaining Kings on the river. That’s only going to happen 4.55% of the time – but it’s going to happen eventually.
Keeping Bad Beats in Perspective
It’s natural to feel a rush of emotions when bad beats happen to you. What you do about it is key; if you go on tilt, you’ll start making rash decisions, and the next thing you know, you’ll have punted off your stack. Start by entering your next Ignition Poker session in the right frame of mind. Never take a bad beat personally – your opponents will get their Aces cracked just as often as you will, no matter how skilled either of you are. Fate is not controlling the cards.
Thinking about the long term will also help you keep your cool at the tables. The longer you play poker, and the more hands you play, the more bad beats you will experience. It could happen at any time, maybe even multiple times during the same session. But bad beats are still rare events in the long run, and they’ll be canceled out by all the times you got lucky. Playing Zone Poker online at Ignition will help you build the kind of volume that will put the Law of Large Numbers on your side and soften the emotional impact of bad beats.
How to Re-Focus and Be Ready for the Next Hand
Once the inevitable happens and the deck does you dirty, there are several quick and easy things you can do to cool off and get your mind back in order. If you’re playing a cash game, the easiest thing to do is stop playing, right there and then. You can choose to finish the orbit if you’d rather get full value for the blinds you’ve paid, but there’s nothing wrong with sitting out sooner than that. If you happen to be in tournament, take a mental break by either missing the next few hands, or only playing if you’ve been dealt premium cards.
This will probably sound silly to a lot of people, but it’s the truth: Deep breathing helps. When you find yourself on the wrong end of a bad beat and it’s time to take a break, start by closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and reminding yourself about how the percentages work. This will lower your heart rate and your stress levels, giving you the opportunity to focus and get back in the game once you’re ready.
Here’s one more trick to use in the never-ending fight against bad beat tilt: Wish your opponent good luck. This is more practical in live poker, especially tournaments, but you can do the same thing online at Ignition Poker. It’s a clever way to trick your brain into not getting upset when things go south; when your opponent doesn’t get lucky, shrug your shoulders and collect your chips.
How to Claim the Ignition Poker Bad Beat Bonus
Bad beats are a lot easier to swallow when there’s some bonus money attached. Ignition Poker is pleased to offer our special Bad Beat Bonus; if you’re at a Texas Hold’em cash game with at least a Full House with Aces full of Kings (AAAKK), and you lose – meaning your opponent has Four of a Kind or better – you’ll win 100X the big blind, for up to $1,000 in bonus cash.
To collect your Bad Beat Bonus, contact us here at Ignition and submit your hand number within 48 hours of playing. As long as your hand fulfills all of the requirements (visit our Promotions page for the details), you’ll receive your bonus money within 48 hours of your claim, with no rollover attached.
For more tips and tricks to help you perform better at the tables, make sure to check out our valuable archive of strategy articles here at Ignition Poker. It’s always easier to deal with bad beats when you’re playing well otherwise, so brush up your poker skills, hit the tables with confidence, and we’ll see you on the felt.