Bad Beats are the common trigger for tilt, and it did happen to me in this session. Before I'm talking more about this, please take a look at my hand below:
Trips VS Flush | Click to view the poker hand details
GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat
UTG: $1.73 (87 bb)
MP: $2.00 (100 bb)
CO: $6.59 (330 bb)
BU: $0.89 (45 bb)
SB (Hero): $2.00 (100 bb)
BB: $2.34 (117 bb)
Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with A♥ Q♦
UTG raises to $0.06, 3 players fold, Hero calls $0.05, 1 fold
Flop: ($0.14) 3♥ 5♣ A♦ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.11, UTG calls $0.11
Turn: ($0.36) A♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.29, UTG calls $0.29
River: ($0.94) K♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.74, UTG raises to $1.27 (all-in), Hero calls $0.53
Total pot: $3.48 (Rake: $0.19)
Showdown:
UTG shows 7♣ 8♣ (a flush, Ace high)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 41%, Flop: 10%, Turn: 16%, River: 100%)
SB (Hero) shows A♥ Q♦ (three of a kind, Aces)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 59%, Flop: 90%, Turn: 84%, River: 0%)
UTG wins $3.29
I was winning all the way from the start (PreFlop, Flop, and Turn) with a solid 90% advantage on the Flop and 84% on the Turn. But, darn it, the River card always messed things up. I figured the opponent had an Ace, but a lousy kicker. This guy's known for playing a bunch of iffy hands like Ace High, bottom pair, etc.
Hold on a second! gotta share another hand from this wild session. Check this out:
KK VS AKo | Click to view the poker hand details
GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 6 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat
UTG: $2.76 (138 bb)
MP: $2.00 (100 bb)
CO: $2.15 (108 bb)
BU: $2.41 (121 bb)
SB (Hero): $2.00 (100 bb)
BB: $2.70 (135 bb)
Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with K♥ K♣
1 fold, MP raises to $0.04, 2 players fold, Hero 3-bets to $0.18, 1 fold, MP 4-bets to $0.56, Hero 5-bets to $1.45, MP 6-bets to $2 (all-in), Hero calls $0.55 (all-in)
Flop: ($4.02) J♥ 9♥ 2♣ (2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: ($4.02) 9♣ (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: ($4.02) A♦ (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $4.02 (Rake: $0.22)
Showdown:
MP shows K♦ A♠ (two pair, Aces and Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 30%, Flop: 13%, Turn: 7%, River: 100%)
SB (Hero) shows K♥ K♣ (two pair, Kings and Nines)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 70%, Flop: 87%, Turn: 93%, River: 0%)
MP wins $3.80
So, picture this regular PreFlop scenario – I've got KK, I make a 3bet, the fishy player 4bets, I respond with a 5bet and bam, he shoves all in. Easy call, right? Well, I thought so too. I'm cruising ahead the whole way until, you guessed it, the darn River card shows up and turns my hand into a nightmare, yet again.
So, I hit the tilt zone, and my game plan took a wild turn. I decided to spice things up and played this hand like it was the Poker Olympics. Imagine trying to bluff a maniac (also a calling station) - asking them to fold with a Q high. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, right? LOL!
J High VS Q High | Click to view the poker hand details
GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 4 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat
UTG (Hero): $2.00 (100 bb)
BU: $2.27 (114 bb)
SB: $2.10 (105 bb)
BB: $3.56 (178 bb)
Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is UTG with 9♠ J♦
Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, SB calls $0.05, BB calls $0.04
Flop: ($0.18) 8♣ 5♦ T♥ (3 players)
SB bets $0.12, BB calls $0.12, Hero raises to $0.55, SB raises to $2.04 (all-in), BB folds, Hero calls $1.39 (all-in)
Turn: ($4.18) K♠ (2 players, 2 all-in)
River: ($4.18) K♣ (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $4.18 (Rake: $0.22)
Showdown:
SB shows J♥ Q♥ (a pair of Kings - higher kicker)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 74%, Flop: 73%, Turn: 84%, River: 100%)
UTG (Hero) shows 9♠ J♦ (a pair of Kings)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 26%, Flop: 27%, Turn: 16%, River: 0%)
SB wins $3.96
I threw in another raise on the flop, chasing my Open-Ended Straight Draw (OESD) and hoping to scoop the pot. But oh boy, the Fish had no 'Fold' button; he went all-in with just a Q high, a Gut Shot Draw, and even a backstreet flush draw. This dude plays like there's no tomorrow, with a jaw-dropping 79% VPIP and a 42% PFR pre-flop.
My notes scream "maniac" and "bluffer" for this guy. Still, I took the gamble and called. Now, thinking back, why did I reraise on the flop against someone who's all about the thrill? Maybe I could've just chilled, called on the flop, and decided later if I wanted to check or fold on the turn, especially if I didn't hit anything.
Guess what? Tilt was the mastermind behind it all.
Bad Beats & Tilt
So, after that crazy hand, I thought, "Okay, time to hit the brakes, take a breather, and step outside for a bit." Why was I tilted, you ask? Well, check out the session graph - it took a nosedive, down about 3 Buy-Ins, just around $6. I mean, seriously, that's like the cost of a cup of coffee. But why, oh why on earth I was tilted?
Money's not the problem, we're talking 2 NL here, and my bankroll's flexing its muscles, ready to tackle any coolers or bad beats. The real villain? Entitlement. I've put in the hours, and dug deep into the Poker world, while these casual players are just throwing chips around based on gut feelings, snatching pots left and right without a care.
And there I was, feeling like I didn't deserve those bad beats because, hey, I'm the shark, and he's just a little fish in my big, bad ocean. Well, that thought needs a ticket to the silly train! 🤣
Well, that's where the tilt kicks in. I let the feeling of superiority mess with my head. In Poker, though, it's not a straightforward power play like in Chess where the big dogs always win. Luck dances around in Poker, especially in the short run. So, even though he's a fish, it doesn't mean they can't luck out with a better hand. Case in point: calling our bluff with a Q high and a crazy draw. Poker's a wild ride, my friend.
Spending extra time and effort on this game amps up the entitlement tilt, and it just feels downright unfair when our bankroll takes a rollercoaster ride thanks to luck. Putting in hours at the table and getting busted by the Maniac or Fish? Well, that's just a recipe for our anger to skyrocket!
But, hey! This is Poker, what do you expect? Welcome to the crazy world of Poker – where expecting the unexpected is the name of the game. I keep chanting this to myself like a poker mantra. If you're looking for a game where beating weaker players is a guarantee, chess might be your spot! But here in Pokerland, bad beats are like that one friend who always shows up uninvited – inevitable.
Trying to wish away luck from the game? Good luck with that! Those river cards, they're like little ninjas, ready to throw punches without mercy. But hold up, I'm not just the punching bag here. Sometimes, heck, many times, I'm the one landing the knockout hits.
So, what's the deal? It's poker, baby! While I'm typing this, I'm giving myself a little pep talk about those nasty bad beats. If I don't want opponents calling reraises with Q high, then maybe I should hit the tables with the pros.
But guess what? It's not all rainbows and sunshine there. Good players make fewer mistakes, and to keep my win rate flying high in this poker circus, I'll just have to dance with the whales and maniacs, bad beats and all. It's a wild ride, but that's poker for you!
The maniac never dies
Every now and then, I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards those Maniacs. I've witnessed them go all-in like it's a daily ritual, whether it's Pre-Flop or Flop, and guess what? They scoop up the pot every single time. I remember this one wild maniac who kept straddling all in and hit the jackpot five times in a row. Are they poker gods or what? It's like they're unbeatable. The Maniac just refuses to bite the dust, and I can't help but envy their crazy luck. The Maniac never Dies!
Once, I caught a one-month chat ban at GGPoker because I unleashed a barrage of curses on a Maniac. Major regret. I shouldn't have done that. Sure, I got banned, but the more crucial issue is I unintentionally pushed them to step up their game, and that's not good for business. Really bad.
Why? Well, if they score big with a wild, EV-negative move, they'll keep doing it in the future. If I berated them, they might feel bad and try to improve. Instead of berating them, we (all of us) should cheer them on to repeat those daring moves. So, I'm swapping out the berating for some applause, even when they knock me out on the river.
Back in the day, I was a Maniac in my earlier poker adventures. I was doing many silly things like:
- I'd throw bets around with just A high,
- go all-in like crazy when I had Top Pair on the Flop,
- pre-flop bluffs; 4 bets, 5 bets, and shove all in with 72o,
Those were my signatures. Winning those pots felt like being crowned the king of the poker jungle. I felt brilliant, thought everyone else was a bit weak, and, for a moment, believed I was some sort of poker deity.
But guess what? Luck took a little vacation, and my bankroll started leaking faster than a sieve. Did I change my strategy? Nah! I kept at it, repeating the same wild moves over and over. Why? Well, chasing that high of outplaying opponents with my Ace high was just too darn addictive.
Now that I'm diving deeper into this poker world, putting in the study hours to dissect my past games, I've levelled up. Guess what? I'm the one making the maniacs scratch their heads and think, "Who's this weak player?"
Sure, they've mocked me on the table, chuckled after I got some rough beats, or folded a better hand, but that's cool. They're dancing to an EV-minus tune in the long run, so why should I let their antics ruffle my feathers?
Yep, they might be scooping pots now, but mark my words, luck's a fickle friend. Sooner or later, they'll be the ones shedding a tear or two. The kicker? Many won't stop; they'll keep playing like madmen, chasing that elusive high. It's a poker circus, my friend!
One big headache for me is when those maniacs hit the jackpot, scoop up a mountain of chips, and then vanish from the table. No chance for revenge, nada! It's like they're ghosts of poker winnings past. But you know what? It's taught me a crucial lesson: don't dance to their crazy tune. While they're rolling the dice, we're here to play some serious poker.
These guys watch fancy high rollers on YouTube, dream big, and then try to pull off the same moves at our humble 2 NL Micro Stakes table. No need to dive into their chaotic game. I'm sticking to the basics, playing it straight, and maybe throwing in a bit of slow play with the nuts for good measure. Let them bluff their way into a poker Bermuda Triangle!
So, do we deserve it?
Absolutely! Welcome to the wild world of poker – where bad beats are basically our roommates. We can't dodge them; they just stroll in whenever they please. Here's the thing, though: the more insane the bad beat, the fatter our pockets get. We're playing in the sweet spot.
I'm not hunting down games with the pros; I'm on the lookout for the weaker prey. It's just the way of the poker jungle. Those weaker players might whip out some level-god luck and beat us repeatedly, but hey, it's all part of the game!
It stings a bit when they mock, laugh, and call you all sorts of names for playing it meekly. I've been there multiple times. While chatting is kind of a rarity in online poker nowadays, I still get those not-so-friendly jabs from the maniacs. They seem to enjoy it, and hey, why not cheer them on to keep dishing it out? It's like their little poker party trick!
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