Let the Tough Hands Roll off Your Back

Lately I have been on yet another incredible run online and have been playing extremely well. I can tell when I am riding a wave because it seems like the game slows down just a bit more and that I hit my hands a little more often than usual. Don't get me wrong though. You can still take some brutal beats during a really good run too. The thing about bad beats is that you must learn to let them go. We spend far too much time as poker players dwelling on what happened to us in a tournament we aren't even in anymore. It's one thing to be analytical but quite another to dwell on a negative experience that can drain you emotionally if you let it.

Recently, I was involved in a hand in a multi-table tournament with one hundred and eighty players. It was after the first break and I picked up [J][J] in middle position. I decided to limp because the table had been aggressive and if I got raised I was gonna push. I had around $2900 and the average was around $6000. I got the raise I wanted from a player on the button and one other limper called. I pushed and each player called. One had [A][K] and the other had [A][9].

The flop came down [A][K][X]

How unlucky is that?

The moment I thought that I let it go and hoped for a Jack on the turn or river. Never gave it another thought. It is that level of consistency and discipline that makes the great players great. By letting it go you are free to focus your energy on meaningful endeavors where you can affect change. That's what it's all about.