How to Stay Calm After Bad Beats in Poker

Poker is a game that requires skill to win. But it also requires mental toughness to remain calm after bad beats and to keep on learning and practicing your strategy. Watch videos of Phil Ivey, and you’ll see that he doesn’t let a bad beat ruin his game, or get him down after a loss. That’s the mark of a great player.

Once all players have received their 2 hole cards, there is a round of betting, initiated by two mandatory bets called blinds placed into the pot by the players to the left of the dealer. The player with the highest ranked poker hand wins the pot at the end of the hand.

It’s important to be patient and wait for strong starting hands like high pairs or cards of the same suit. But it’s also crucial to know when to fold your weaker hands. If you’re playing at a table that is full of calling stations, it may be more profitable to check instead of raising with your weak hands. This will allow you to get your opponents to call more often, and will give you the chance to improve your hand. You should also learn to fold when you decide that your odds of winning a hand are diminishing, or when an opponent re-raises your bluff after you check. This will save you a lot of money in the long run.