How many bad beats would it take to make you quit poker?
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Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
So you've heard the same advice time and time again- bad beats have to be accepted, they happen to all good players, keep playing a good strategy and eventually it evens out and you will win in the long term. If people can only beat you by lucking out against you then you will probably win more often than not and the future of your bankroll is looking good.
But probability has no memory. If you've lost the last dozen tournaments due to horrible suck outs, you are still just as likely as anyone else to get a bad beat in the next one, maybe more likely if you are prone to being called all-in by donks. So at what point do you hit so many bad beats in a row that you have to quit poker FOREVER?
You might think it will always be a bit harsh to completely quit but what if you took a break and the first tournament back you hit another horrible streak. You can't take a break every time you get unlucky. And as there are millions of online players, statistically some of them are going to be unlucky for long periods of time. It's all well and good saying you are playing +ev but what if in reality you don't have infinity to play with. If you know for definite that you are shoving +ev and that analysis of all your hands reveals you have been the victim of the worst run of luck imaginable, then you should carry on playing even after losing a thousand dollars in a month but even if the loss came after six months of winning to build that bankroll, it would be very difficult to carry on having suffered such an enormous downswing.
Joined: Oct '11
Location: Sweden
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 1410
I would never quit poker due to bad beats. I never play for more then I can afford so if I lose due to bad beats, I will consider the bankroll I just lost as money well spent for hours and hours of fun!
All thou if I were to get bad beat after bad beat I would probably take a break for a month or so and then regroup and come back to the tables. But never quit poker completely!
never quit poker because of poker.....its part of the game...many books has always said that poker is not going to be a good game if there no donk call that wins...you will not win most of your BR fro willm good players because they will call your bet without the nuts..only donks will and you will big from them...but sometimes they win..
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
Practically speaking: The last option, I wouldn't quit poker due to bad beats.. However, hypothetically if I were to literally lose every single hand, for say 100,000 hands in a row, then I guess I would ultimately quit.
I've never deposited, and I'm pretty sure I never will. Losing my entire bankroll would demotivate me to the point of quitting, I believe. I could keep on playing freerolls, like I do now, but then I'd have to admit to an addiction problem, because to think you can win it all back again (even when it's true), is indicative of a addiction.
I would no longer trust my own judgement, at that point. Actually I find my judgement about poker, to be questionable even now I'm up...
Joined: Jan '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 1204
I don't think its really a question of how many games you lose but more a question of how much money you lose. To me at least.
If you deposit $20 on ps you could do 200 10c tourneys, even if you didn't win a thing there, I don't think you'd be bothered unless you're jobless, a child, or a jew.
But if you lost 200 in a row $100 a pop, yeah its time to hang up the hoodie and shades.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 58 (M)
Posts: 2432
Enough to clean me out and put me in debt,this is my answear.Is not my case , I never play for more then I can afford so if I lose due to bad beats,I win few cents in poker and lose them in sport bets
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
i,m not sure quitting poker has any relation to how many bad beats u suffer. your roll and the levels u r playing will certainly change because of any horrible streaks, but u can always start from the bottom- freerolls/no deposit bonuses. so there is no reason to quit poker. unless u r just searching for an excuse
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
If I lost my full bankroll to only bad beats I would lose faith in the game, the whole game would lose its fun factor and I would be gone concluding mathematical science hates me.
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
I know what your saying so I'm trying to put myself in that position (from a mental standpoint) to honestly answer the question. If I were at a pro level and made enough to retire, live comfortible and still help others. But, I kept playing and was just getting beat down day after day, month after month, it wouldn't be hard to say to heck with this, I'm set for life and don't need this any longer maybe one could quit. I guess that's just fantasy because most players love the game that's why they're where they're at with it. Maybe I couldn't quit!
I know at my level I'm erru, play for fun and money lost is well worth the time I had.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
I never quit playing if i get bad beats but i play my A game and i feel that i played the hands right!
Still, for new players there is also a very, very fine line between bad beats in a roll and tilt, so many times they get some bad beats but after that their game is bad and start to lose big.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 5712
Bad Beats are part of the game and part of the bottle you have to have to play the game really well I guess. Id love sometimes to suffer a really bad beat....dont think I have suffered a really bad one...but there is time. Wont give up though!
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
So far i dont think that bad beats can make me quit. When i get tilted with them i just take a break and then coming back as fresh as possible. If you are about to give from them you shouldnt have started playing poker in the first place
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Canada
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 1490
I think that it becomes "enough" when it affects your play in a negative way. Bad beats tend to compound, and quickly leads to playing on tilt, which further compounds your losses. While you have a point that you can't take a break every time you lose, it's important to identify when it's affecting your play, and take that step back, even if you did just come back from a break.
Taking a break from playing doesn't neccessarily mean giving up on poker altogether. Sometimes it's best to take a break from playing, and focus on analyzing your play. Taking a look at HH for potential leaks, and posting them in forums like this are always important. As well, it doesn't hurt to watch a video or 2. The most interesting thing about poker is, that no matter how good you are, there's always room for improvement.
As players, we need to take accountability for our losses, and take the initiative to better ourselves, otherwise we can't blame "bad beats" for us losing.
Another great post by the way, keep em coming awood.
Joined: Feb '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 46 (M)
Posts: 48
i have really started using a lot of survival strategy in my live tournaments, and it really is working, tight is indeed right. ive folded pocket jacks pre when i know im miles ahead of my opponents range, even AK gets mucked in awkward spots sometimes. in 6 games i final tabled every one and cashed in 5, i'm starting to believe it's not just coincedence. one point i was reminded of this week was mike caro's, in a proportional payout tournament you are penalised for coming first, as you have to accumulate all the chips in the tournament but only get probably 30% of the total money, the only time you are not penalised for playing for the win is when you are heads up. as you are both guaranteed 2nd place money but have the chance of winning a chunk more.
any chance to return at +1$ ? i need to win Sunday or WSOP 
