What is the most aggravating thing about poker?

[HPG ADMIN]

What is the most aggravating things about poker? For most people it is the bad beats. Getting sucked out on is always something that can send you on tilt. But for me it is the times when you sit down at a table (especially a $10/$20 table or something) and get bad cards for 3 hours straight. If you get a bad beat, at least you were in a hand and had a chance of winning the hand. But when you get bad hands you feel hopeless because you have no chance of even winning a hand. Especially when you get the hands like J-10o in middle position because after getting hands like 7-2o for an hour, J-10o looks like a monster. So it is especially hard to lay it down. Or when you get KQo in late position and someone riases in middle position and you are dying to call because you haven't played a hand in 45 minutes but you know you can't call because you know the guys has a strong Ace and you are behind. Then you end up losing $200 just because of all the blinds you posted (especially the big blinds oyu had to fold when people raised and re-raised). Those nites suck the most for me.

[Chad]

People who call a large bet with an inside straight draw and catch it.

[Gocko1525]

i hate poor sportmans ship. it's so wrong when someone gets up and gets out of line. throwing chips and all that kind of stuff. bad beats are part of the game, getting bad cards sucks, but it could happen everyone once and awhile, you can't control the cards, but you can control your behavior.

[Unregistered]

What is the most aggravating things about poker? For most people it is the bad beats. Getting sucked out on is always something that can send you on tilt. But for me it is the times when you sit down at a table (especially a $10/$20 table or something) and get bad cards for 3 hours straight. If you get a bad beat, at least you were in a hand and had a chance of winning the hand. But when you get bad hands you feel hopeless because you have no chance of even winning a hand. Especially when you get the hands like J-10o in middle position because after getting hands like 7-2o for an hour, J-10o looks like a monster. So it is especially hard to lay it down. Or when you get KQo in late position and someone riases in middle position and you are dying to call because you haven't played a hand in 45 minutes but you know you can't call because you know the guys has a strong Ace and you are behind. Then you end up losing $200 just because of all the blinds you posted (especially the big blinds oyu had to fold when people raised and re-raised). Those nites suck the most for me.

You hit the nail on the head for me.

[Unregistered]

I agree with Chad -- last night at a home tourney I was sitting on A-K and came in for 4 times the size of the big blind hoping to get a couple of people out (it was later in the game and blinds were pretty big on top of it). The flop A-4-5 I'm thinking who would call such a big preflop raise with a 2-3 3-6 or 6-7? I should be pretty safe. Turn card is an 8 I bet and get reraised. I think to myself, could it be? I look across at the novice I'm playing and lay down my big slick -- correctly, at least. Yup she called the pre-flop raise with 6-7 off suit. Why bother to raise the pot if folks think 6-7 os is such a premium hand?


Oh well. In the long run, loose players that over-value their hands make you money than cost you money but that is soooo aggravating to me!

Jen :)

[Alaskan]

The most aggravating thing for me in poker has always been the bad beats. Seeing that one damn card out of three that could beat me out of all the chips I've worked for five hours to accumulate simply hurts like hell. But there is a special kind of bad beat that really kills me - when that one guy gets it on me.

My one guy is a guy named Nate. Nate is a decent guy, albeit a little shallow, outside of the poker table. When he sits down at that felt though he turns into his real self. Nate is an angry white suburban boy who wants everyone to know he's there. He does this by coming in every single hand. If I'm lucky, he just calls the big blind and whatever raises come preflop. On a day where he's really pissed or when he's getting a rush of cards he begins to bet preflop, flop, turn, and river with ANYTHING. The bets are astronomical, usually four or five times the size of the pot, and he will not fold if you try to put a move on him.

Now I don't mind this much because Nate's kind is extremely profitable to me. There are many like him in the underaged home games around Seattle, deeply angered children in young men's bodies with money to waste and a gambling addiction to appease. As such, Nate is at many of the games I attend. The biggest pots I have ever won have been from Nate, but also the biggest pot I have ever lost was to Nate. Nate is a player I don't like much as a person (you should carry yourself better than Nate) but also I realize he is essential to my survival.

Guys like Nate wouldn't keep playing though if they didn't have a lucky night once in a while, and unfortunately a lot of Nate's lucky nights have come at my expense. THIS IS THE MOST AGGRAVATING THING ABOUT POKER FOR ME.

The stupid aggression thing can wear you down. I am patient, but watching my A-K flop nothing for the seventh time in a row while Nate pounds away at me can get grating. If Nate were a good aggressive player I'd know I'd have to make a stand sometime soon, with either a move or a disguised monster. With Nate I know I just need to wait for something solid (because he'll call with all manners of drawing crap) and then I let all the chips go in like he so desires.

What aggravates me are those nights where Nate outdraws me simply in every way, and I try to bite my tongue and not say anything. Last week was my greatest test with Nate. Within fifteen minutes I had:

1) My two pair off the flop lose to a set on the river
2) My Q-Q run into K-K (plus a slowroll...gack!)
3) My top pair run into a backdoor straight
4) Another two pair off the turn running into a set on the river
5) My 6s full run into 8s full...on the river

Nate was on the short stack at the beginning, and gradually he took 60% off of my winnings for the night. The lack of class too bugged me - slowrolling, taunting, going over the hand I lost the most on again and again and again...but I kept quiet somehow.


And really, I shouldn't be angry, I should be laughing. Nate pays for the bulk of my bankroll, the expensive gifts I buy my girlfriend, the music equipment my band needs, the two or three times I eat out every week, the expensive sunglasses I wear at games, the movies I rent, and the food I serve to my friends at my own home games.

My poker buddy and I had come from hardworking but poor families before poker, and now we can treat our girlfriends to something nice whenever we like. When we're hanging out and we've got a friend who doesn't have enough to see a movie we can help him out now.

I live extremely well for a high school student and its because of guys that aggravate the shit out of me.

Once again, poker teases...

[Chad]

I caught trapped a guy for an all in with his inside draw against my 2 pair on the turn, and he caught on the river. The guy was betting on everything.

[Alaskan]

I trapped with aces up and he got runner-runner flush.

But...you gotta take the bad beats otherwise no bad players would ever play.

[Troggy]

KK you just made me feel much better....well not much...but better. I host a Friday night poker game about 1-2 times a month with some relitives and the last 3 times I have been a big looser. These poeple do not know how to play poker but it seems like I just can't beat 'em. I ante myself to death then when I get a playable hand they chase a bad hand and catch what ever card it is they needed. Last night in over 4 hours of playing the best hand I got was a pair of 7's. All night it was Q-4 , J-6 , 9-5, ...etc Then like you said you get a Q-J suited and it seems like the nuts and then the flop is 3-4-7. :mad:

[hrdrckr]

I know the feeling . last week we were playing a tourney and i had pocket rockets i raise before the flop and get re-raised so this is my ticket to go all in on them and the guy calls me with can you bel it .

Q , 8 of hearts and he flops a straight not to mention an ace high which gave me trip aces on the flop i was amazed then 2 hands later i was short stacked due to this and go all in with an open ended straight 9 or A was needed so all high cards on the board and i get called to a guy with pocket 3's and lose so in 3 hands i went from being the chip leader to being knocked out. How the hell you call an all in with pocket 3's when the lowest card on the board was a 7 is beyond me but thats poker i guess its just very very frustrating.


Oh not to ramble but my worst bad beat was in a monthly tourney that we have thats $300 buy in and avg's around 25-30 guys so its a nice prize which i have won once.

On the flop comes 6 , 6, 8 and i have pocket 8's so im like sweet there was some action and i go all in and can you fricken bel it the guy had quad 6's lol just wanted to share a bad beat with you all.

[Unregistered]

I sit there playing my solid game, throwing away big hands out of position, tempting type hands that all loosies like to play. Time passes, I wait for the goods, get them, make a move, and some trash hand calls. Usually the odds hold up, but it's the lack of attention to "who's the table rock" that gets me. I'm glad trash called, but where oh where is the respect? I'm sitting there waiting for a hand, and finally when I play, something ridiculous calls me and tries to administer a bad beat. We've all had them, but when you know someones only going to play monsters why do you call with anything less?

The other side of the coin though is beautiful: now I have a license to steal, everyone KNOWS I've got the goods when I play a hand, bluffing is so much easier, the re-raises don't come so often, and now I can sneak in with my own junk and then when I hit with them, what? How will you play against me now?

I guess there's good in all things!

[Chad]

That's how you win the big tourneys.

[cdjackson]

I agree with Chad -- last night at a home tourney I was sitting on A-K and came in for 4 times the size of the big blind hoping to get a couple of people out (it was later in the game and blinds were pretty big on top of it). The flop A-4-5 I'm thinking who would call such a big preflop raise with a 2-3 3-6 or 6-7? I should be pretty safe. Turn card is an 8 I bet and get reraised. I think to myself, could it be? I look across at the novice I'm playing and lay down my big slick -- correctly, at least. Yup she called the pre-flop raise with 6-7 off suit. Why bother to raise the pot if folks think 6-7 os is such a premium hand?


Oh well. In the long run, loose players that over-value their hands make you money than cost you money but that is soooo aggravating to me!

Jen :)

Q4T

I agree, It's hard to play with people who don't know the "proper" way to play.....lol

[Unregistered]

For me, it was at the final table of a tourney on PokerStars. Grrrrrr.........

Sitting in 2nd chip position with just 5 people left in the tourney, I am dealt A7o, and I raise in position to $65,000. The chip leader calls me. Makes me nervous holding a moderately weak ace, but I still feel ok. The flop comes AA7. He checks to me. I bet another $65,000. He goes all in. I can't get my chips in fast enough. The cards get turned over and I'm proud when he sees aces full. He shows JJ. I know I'm golden, and will be the new chip leader :)

Turn comes a J. I figured, whatever. I've got a boat, he's got a set of jacks. The is only one card left in the deck he can catch to win. WHAM! There's the fourth jack on the river!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: I could not believe it. I've flopped a set plenty of times and lost, hell even flushes and straights, but I had never, and still havent, flopped aces full and lost! Not only that, it knocked me out of the tourney in 5th place. ARGH!!!!!!!!! I still shake my head every time I think about that hand. Thats as close to winning one of those tourneys as I've come :)

[cdjackson]

^^^^^^ tough loss :(

[Unregistered]

Hearing all the bad beat stories. As well as Being told the proper way to play poker. Last time I knew poker was called gambling.

[Unregistered]

You are probably one of those lucky idiots who calls a huge bet and catches the inside straight on the river. Not everyone is as lucky as you.

[Unregistered]

just like I am the poor sap who gets his aces cracked by someone chasing down an inside straight draw...bottom line..all good and bad beats even out..its the ying and yang my friends

[Chad]

Bad beats are never 50% or more to win. They should be very rare. However, I have seen many and taken many. NL hold'em: I'll tell you what though, I (finally) rivered someone with 2 outs. First 4 cards are 3 3 3 8. I go all in with 9 8o. Everyone folds but the guy behind me, who calls. He has an A 8. So, it looks like a split until I catch the 9 on the river and make a silightly higher full boat. And even worse, the next hand he goes all in with pocket Qs b4 the flop short stacked and someone calls him with A 3 off and catches the A, busting him out. I've had my run of bad luck, but I don't know if it has ever been that bad.

[FLSkevin]

just like I am the poor sap who gets his aces cracked by someone chasing down an inside straight draw...bottom line..all good and bad beats even out..its the ying and yang my friends


How many times have I heard......

"It's a good play when you get your money in with the best hand."

Play a good online hand aggressive and some moron will suck out a big pot on the turn or river and and then talk smack. Then you hang tough and the moron that sucked out ends up playing stupid hands and is busted out because the play he got lucky with me hasn't worked in about an hour. Well....I'm getting shorted on the ying and way to much yang. It seems my good pots are getting out numbered by my bad beats. What took me hours to build up with small pots gets wiped out when someone calls and is way behind and ends up winning.

I have been keeping track and I have had pocket pairs with a set on the flop beat by a gut shot straight or flush on the river 23 times in the last month.

I know it's gambling, but in poker at least you can draw on experience and figure out some sort of odds on the win/loss. Getting called by a player that has a 2% chance to win and pulls it out his ass is very aggrivating. If losing hands to players with a small percentage to win was tracked I'd be at about 75% on that one.

[Unregistered]

When You are dealing in a home game or tournament and you river yourself by giving your opponent the flush on the river

[Unregistered]

You have to look at a real-life example. Mr. Huckseed is a professional player and him as well as Daniel Negreanu will call with those kind of hands because they know they may get a large chunk of your stack when you get married to your hand. It's not a bad play, loose, but not bad. When you know it's limits it's a good play.

[Chad]

You have to look at a real-life example. Mr. Huckseed is a professional player and him as well as Daniel Negreanu will call with those kind of hands because they know they may get a large chunk of your stack when you get married to your hand. It's not a bad play, loose, but not bad. When you know it's limits it's a good play.

Every once in a while I will hang on to a 9 10 off or a 67suited to see a flop for a limp. If there are no face cards on the flop, you could have a winner. If everyone else is in the hand, the chances are that most of them have an A or some other overcards, so you probably won't see any come to the flop. Playing only overcards in the pocket will never win you the game consistently, (unless you can bluff really well.) Having 2 overcards in your hand is a rare occurance. Having them hit the flop could be even more rare. While everyone else only plays aces, I'll play most cards (8-K), but not the A. That way if there is no A on the community, I can either hit a hand of bluff because no one else got the A that they were hoping for.

[Unregistered]

How many times have I heard......

"It's a good play when you get your money in with the best hand."

Play a good online hand aggressive and some moron will suck out a big pot on the turn or river and and then talk smack. Then you hang tough and the moron that sucked out ends up playing stupid hands and is busted out because the play he got lucky with me hasn't worked in about an hour. Well....I'm getting shorted on the ying and way to much yang. It seems my good pots are getting out numbered by my bad beats. What took me hours to build up with small pots gets wiped out when someone calls and is way behind and ends up winning.

I have been keeping track and I have had pocket pairs with a set on the flop beat by a gut shot straight or flush on the river 23 times in the last month.

I know it's gambling, but in poker at least you can draw on experience and figure out some sort of odds on the win/loss. Getting called by a player that has a 2% chance to win and pulls it out his ass is very aggrivating. If losing hands to players with a small percentage to win was tracked I'd be at about 75% on that one.

haha you must be playing on absolute poker.....the most rigged site on the net!

[Chad]

I've played on party poker and I quit after an unreal number of bad beats. I played on Bugsy's and that was an absolute joke about the bad beats. I played a $1 game and was trying to lose. I went all in with the worst hand and got called about 10 times and won 9 of those.

It IS a good play when you get your chips in with the best hand! That's why I quit online poker. And WOW! what do you know!? I am doing well now that I am playing real games. I place in the money pretty consistently when not playing online.

[Mago]

Ditto, Online sucks. I have been playing live games and am consistantly a winner. Several tournaments and won 5 , placed 5th in one and also just finished a trip, first time to a Vegas poker room and won 400.00 in Limit 4/8. Flamingo and Mirage. Online, never again.

[beardyian]

Ive only been playing (online only) for 2 months today - Happy Birthday,etc

But the most annoying thing ive found is people who just will not bet when you see how big the cards are.

It just makes me wonder if they can possibly get the same "joy" when they win after watch the whole table just suffering 'check syndrome'

Test the water at least - if you have AK or KK etc and see no one else betting or folding, just what do you think should be happening? :confused:

Oh well

Cheers for now

IanT

[Unregistered]

the most aggravating thing about poker is watchin people win with the worst hands.

I was in a tournament last thursday. when i set down at my table i figured i might stand a chance to make the final table since everyone at my table except 2 player was not a regular to this casino.

did I think wrong.

my first hand i ended up splitting with a novice/home game hero at best. after that it was all down hill for me.
a few hands later i had a K-10 suited in late position and the novice who was in the big blind raised, I and 2 others called. the flop showed a K-10-8 the novice raised, the turn 5, at this point figured i better raise or someone will draw out on me, so i rasied, everyone except the novice folded then the river showed a A, i checked he rasied so i called, in the end he had an A-8 off suit. I nearly went insane after seeing this, this guy was raising with an A-8 offsuit and got lucky on the river. after that he was the chip leader in the tournamet of about 80 players.

i was watching this guy win so many pots with the worst hands. another hand this guy called an all-in with a Q-6 offsuit and won on the river to pair his 6.

as for me the only hand good hand i had was the split i had with this guy. there's nothing you really do when your getting cards like 2-2, 2-4, 7-4,9-3 except fold.

in the end it was the blinds that knocked me out.

[Magojim]

Should have folded the K 10...however, you are correct...The novices are idiots when they play like that. You have to sit back and out play them and let others try to knock them out and hope that you get sent to another table. I see junk like that all the time. Don't berate them, let them think that it was a good play.

Not much you can do but say "hey, that was a good read and call. I never would have been able to call with nothing and hope get something on the river. Wow!!! you are good. Maybe I should start holding out like that."

He can play like that for this tournament but ultimately, he will not win. You were just unlucky. BTW, this type of player is why some believe that a professional will not win the WSOP anytime soon.

[Unregistered]

The worse thing about poker is the bad beats. If you've been keeping records of yourself you'll probably see that bad beats have been happening more often to you the more you play and the better you get. Its hard to remember that the better you get, the more likely you are to put yourself in a position where you have the best hand and can be outdrawn. THe less experienced you are, the more likely you will be to put your chips in with the worse of it and outdraw the person with the best hand (if you can follow all that)

[Unregistered]

i am playing 1/2 no limit. i am bb and sb raises me 15$ we each have about 100$ in chips in front of us. i call in bb. flop comes Jc 10c 4c. he bets 20 i raise 20 he goes all in. i call. he has As Kd i have Qc and 9c. was i right?

[CAPPARELLA]

How could you not be right? A flush on the nut flush draw? I'm sure they were pretty bitter that you called their bluff... :cool:

[MeanSon]

I can deal with bad beats. Bad beats happen and there is nothing you can do about it but move on to the next hand. The most aggravating thing for ME is a losing streak. I am at a real low point right now and it is very frustrating. I know I can play better than I am; and I don't let myself play on tilt, but I'm just losing anyway. All week long, someone has been one-up on me. I chase them down with A8, they have A9... I buy my way to a flush, they make a boat.

Ok... I'm contradicting my bad beats theory by including those examples... maybe no one will notice. ;)

[Chad]

i am playing 1/2 no limit. i am bb and sb raises me 15$ we each have about 100$ in chips in front of us. i call in bb. flop comes Jc 10c 4c. he bets 20 i raise 20 he goes all in. i call. he has As Kd i have Qc and 9c. was i right?

I'm not too sure about your play before the flop due to a lack of info on your opponent, but you definitely played it right after the flop. You busted his balls on a drawing dead semi-bluff. You can't fold a flush w/a double ended str8 flush draw with that flop.

[herbiedeals]

I can deal with bad beats. Bad beats happen and there is nothing you can do about it but move on to the next hand. The most aggravating thing for ME is a losing streak. I am at a real low point right now and it is very frustrating. I know I can play better than I am; and I don't let myself play on tilt, but I'm just losing anyway. All week long, someone has been one-up on me. I chase them down with A8, they have A9... I buy my way to a flush, they make a boat.

Ok... I'm contradicting my bad beats theory by including those examples... maybe no one will notice. ;)


Do you really think that Ace 8 is a good starting hand. Look how many hands beat you and if you have callers in the pot you can bet there are other aces out there. Good chance with better kickers.


Herb

[Unregistered]

for me, its sitting at at tourney with inexperienced players that you cannot bet enough to get them to lay down the flush and str8 draws. people who overvalue there cards and hands are the most dangerous to play against. Experienced players expect certain reactions from there opponents based on there reads. I was in a tourney looking to double up my stack. I raised preflop and every card there after. I had a crap hand, however. I knew my opponent had a very weak hand. the board showed A,K,3 on flop, 10 on turn and Q on river. This yahoo called a total of 5000 in chips with 5,10 down.

it wasn't a read he had on me, it was he was an idiot.

It easy to adjust your playing style to eliminate morons like this, but when you sit across from someone you haven't played before, beware of ignorance, I play large tourneys, very often, and this seems to be the trend. Most of these players have no idea what there doing, the only experience they have is what they see on TV.

Poker is about making correct decisions. when it all pans out, the better and more experienced players will float to the top, luck only gets ya so far.


My 2 cents.

[Hafa0]

Last Sat nite, was at heads up (final 2) had about 60$ chips , other person had 80$, got pocket J's , bet all in he called me with 2C, 4D. Flop came 7D,
4S, 4H, ended losing to a set of 4's , now thats crazy!!!!! But again thats poker, right? It takes all kind, but would do the same call everytime!

[Chad]

Those kind of hands make you wonder if there is any base dealing going on.

[Unregistered]

Playing with idiots is part of poker and makes us better players. It's like blaming a black jack loss on the moron who hits 18 playing to your right. That's why there still exists a huge element of luck in poker and why even the best player will be beat by a newbie on a bad day. When playing with an idiot, you need to play that against him/her and take their money.












QUOTE=Unregistered]for me, its sitting at at tourney with inexperienced players that you cannot bet enough to get them to lay down the flush and str8 draws. people who overvalue there cards and hands are the most dangerous to play against. Experienced players expect certain reactions from there opponents based on there reads. I was in a tourney looking to double up my stack. I raised preflop and every card there after. I had a crap hand, however. I knew my opponent had a very weak hand. the board showed A,K,3 on flop, 10 on turn and Q on river. This yahoo called a total of 5000 in chips with 5,10 down.

it wasn't a read he had on me, it was he was an idiot.

It easy to adjust your playing style to eliminate morons like this, but when you sit across from someone you haven't played before, beware of ignorance, I play large tourneys, very often, and this seems to be the trend. Most of these players have no idea what there doing, the only experience they have is what they see on TV.

Poker is about making correct decisions. when it all pans out, the better and more experienced players will float to the top, luck only gets ya so far.


My 2 cents.[/QUOTE]

[Unregistered]

Do you really think that Ace 8 is a good starting hand. Look how many hands beat you and if you have callers in the pot you can bet there are other aces out there. Good chance with better kickers.


Herb
Depending on position A-8 might or might not be worth a bet. A-8 suited is obviously more playable. I stick with A-9 as long as there isn't a raise in front of me but I typically lay it down in positions 1-4.

[Unregistered]

i am playing 1/2 no limit. i am bb and sb raises me 15$ we each have about 100$ in chips in front of us. i call in bb. flop comes Jc 10c 4c. he bets 20 i raise 20 he goes all in. i call. he has As Kd i have Qc and 9c. was i right?


you're kidding right?

[Unregistered]

you're kidding right?
I would say you were right, you had an open ended straight draw, he didn't.

[Unregistered]

I would say you were right, you had an open ended straight draw, he didn't.

An open ended straight draw? I guess if the straight falls through he can always fall on back on his GUARANTEED flush, right?

[King of Clubs]

Bad beats, especially if you caught the guy bluffing, one time i had jacks full of kings, and my opponent catches a king of clubs on the river to make kings full of jacks, and i have actually considered slitting my own throat with that exact card!!!

[neo1975]

Well I for one hate the bad beats....and they come all to often. I dont play pocket Jacks as hard as some.....to much out there to beat me. But I love to get big slick....he is my man!

[Locohombre]

Well I for one hate the bad beats....and they come all to often. I dont play pocket Jacks as hard as some.....to much out there to beat me. But I love to get big slick....he is my man!


But JJ and AK have almost the exact same chance of winning. JJ is actually a slight favorite.

[BlackHawk]

How everybody thinks they are a shark!

[Unregistered]

Blackhawk, you said you don't like how everybody thinks they are a shark. I think many will agree with me that these players (who think they're sharks, but aren't) are where the most money comes from. They always keep coming back, because they convince themselves they are always better, but unlucky. However, I must agree, that I HATE those players that talk at a table about pot odds and position plays that they made, using poker terminology to make others think they are good. These ppl are just annoying.

[deekay140]

you're better off acting as if you dont know how to play at all, the dumn ones are who I pay closer attention too, not the talkers.

[Locohombre]

Blackhawk, you said you don't like how everybody thinks they are a shark. I think many will agree with me that these players (who think they're sharks, but aren't) are where the most money comes from. They always keep coming back, because they convince themselves they are always better, but unlucky. However, I must agree, that I HATE those players that talk at a table about pot odds and position plays that they made, using poker terminology to make others think they are good. These ppl are just annoying.

Well, it's nice that you are trying to be cute, but you don't even have enough balls to post even an alias with that post. I'm slightly better than your average 5 or 10 tourney player. I'm pretty average when it comes to tournaments with 3 digit buy-ins. Learning concepts such as pot odds and betting position certaintly makes the game easier, but I guess an idiot like you surely would not understand. There is still a lot of luck involved in poker, but knowing these concepts gives you a better chance of winning (that an a lot of patience that take time to develop. you also need the ability not to go on tilt after you take a bad beat). Hey, but that's cool. go ahead and rip on me because I know more about how to play than you.
Who knows? You may actually have a better strategy that no one has heard of yet. If you do, please let me know.

Also, I was commenting on the post from neo above, because he is obviously the type to take a lot of bad beats because he puts all of his chips in when he is only a slight favorite too many times. You can only win so many coinflips. I used to have the same problem.

[Unregistered]

Players not involved in the pot telling thier cards before the hand is over. Either the plain tells, or the "oh damn!", when 555 comes on the board.

People underestimating the likelyhood of bad beats, especially all-iners. You get AA a 100 times, go all-in against bigger stacks everytime, you are certain to end up with nothing.

"This site is rigged", apart from everything else, having a online poker site and rigging it, would be killing the goose that laid the golden egg if ever there was such a situation.

[Unregistered]

The most aggravating thing for me in poker has always been the bad beats. Seeing that one damn card out of three that could beat me out of all the chips I've worked for five hours to accumulate simply hurts like hell. But there is a special kind of bad beat that really kills me - when that one guy gets it on me.

My one guy is a guy named Nate. Nate is a decent guy, albeit a little shallow, outside of the poker table. When he sits down at that felt though he turns into his real self. Nate is an angry white suburban boy who wants everyone to know he's there. He does this by coming in every single hand. If I'm lucky, he just calls the big blind and whatever raises come preflop. On a day where he's really pissed or when he's getting a rush of cards he begins to bet preflop, flop, turn, and river with ANYTHING. The bets are astronomical, usually four or five times the size of the pot, and he will not fold if you try to put a move on him.

Now I don't mind this much because Nate's kind is extremely profitable to me. There are many like him in the underaged home games around Seattle, deeply angered children in young men's bodies with money to waste and a gambling addiction to appease. As such, Nate is at many of the games I attend. The biggest pots I have ever won have been from Nate, but also the biggest pot I have ever lost was to Nate. Nate is a player I don't like much as a person (you should carry yourself better than Nate) but also I realize he is essential to my survival.

Guys like Nate wouldn't keep playing though if they didn't have a lucky night once in a while, and unfortunately a lot of Nate's lucky nights have come at my expense. THIS IS THE MOST AGGRAVATING THING ABOUT POKER FOR ME.

The stupid aggression thing can wear you down. I am patient, but watching my A-K flop nothing for the seventh time in a row while Nate pounds away at me can get grating. If Nate were a good aggressive player I'd know I'd have to make a stand sometime soon, with either a move or a disguised monster. With Nate I know I just need to wait for something solid (because he'll call with all manners of drawing crap) and then I let all the chips go in like he so desires.

What aggravates me are those nights where Nate outdraws me simply in every way, and I try to bite my tongue and not say anything. Last week was my greatest test with Nate. Within fifteen minutes I had:

1) My two pair off the flop lose to a set on the river
2) My Q-Q run into K-K (plus a slowroll...gack!)
3) My top pair run into a backdoor straight
4) Another two pair off the turn running into a set on the river
5) My 6s full run into 8s full...on the river

Nate was on the short stack at the beginning, and gradually he took 60% off of my winnings for the night. The lack of class too bugged me - slowrolling, taunting, going over the hand I lost the most on again and again and again...but I kept quiet somehow.


And really, I shouldn't be angry, I should be laughing. Nate pays for the bulk of my bankroll, the expensive gifts I buy my girlfriend, the music equipment my band needs, the two or three times I eat out every week, the expensive sunglasses I wear at games, the movies I rent, and the food I serve to my friends at my own home games.

My poker buddy and I had come from hardworking but poor families before poker, and now we can treat our girlfriends to something nice whenever we like. When we're hanging out and we've got a friend who doesn't have enough to see a movie we can help him out now.

I live extremely well for a high school student and its because of guys that aggravate the shit out of me.

Once again, poker teases...



To tell u the truth my friend u r not a winning poker player if u cant beat "Nate" because if u cant beat an idiot like that then u r the idiot. Learn to play agressive players and stop complaining about it. According to your story "Nate" is just out playing the shit out of u.

[Soyuz]

A bit harsh Unregistered but I take your point. Most people would kill to have a fish like 'Nate' playing at their table - occasionally he'll occasionally win a big pot from you by chasing down shit to the river but if you can't turn a serious profit against this chump then you need to look at your own game.

[Unregistered]

Getting Bored and not paying attension. How many times I missed players that where still in and not paying attension to them.

Just cause your out, Does not mean you don't stop playing.

[Unregistered]

All the rigged online poker sites by far the most frustrating.

[Ace Mahoney]

I agree with Chad -- last night at a home tourney I was sitting on A-K and came in for 4 times the size of the big blind hoping to get a couple of people out (it was later in the game and blinds were pretty big on top of it). The flop A-4-5 I'm thinking who would call such a big preflop raise with a 2-3 3-6 or 6-7? I should be pretty safe. Turn card is an 8 I bet and get reraised. I think to myself, could it be? I look across at the novice I'm playing and lay down my big slick -- correctly, at least. Yup she called the pre-flop raise with 6-7 off suit. Why bother to raise the pot if folks think 6-7 os is such a premium hand?


Oh well. In the long run, loose players that over-value their hands make you money than cost you money but that is soooo aggravating to me!

Jen :)
Well in response to that. Different people like to play different hands. Some don't care they will bet anyway. I know people who will bet or raise anything just to push if they are up. Also you need to take into account how the cards are falling, what kind of flops your getting. If your getting a certain kind of flop consistently with low cards. 6-7 could be gold. It comes down to people and how they play their hand. With low blinds I would play 6-7 off and see a flop. but I would not call a raise with it. I like seeing flops, sometimes you get lucky and hit big.

[lollipop]

Bad beats are part of poker. Some days I am the bug and some days I am the windshield. Whether online or live, poker is gambling. If you can consistently put someone on only HIGH cards, then that is the 'tell'. There are two ways to play poker - 1st, Win the Hand - 2nd, Win the Game/Money. The toughest thing in poker is to lay-down a perceived great hand when you know you've been 'sucked out'. There are a couple of chapters in Super System 2 that are excellent for understanding the 'new player'; the donkey who calls everything and wins some big pots by drawing out. If 'any two cards' is not your style of poker, then just learn to spot this type of player and avoid getting in hands with them, they will race you to the river more often than not. If you are in a cash game, pick your battles wisely - it's not just about your position, it's about who is 'in' or 'out' of the hand too. A lot of new players have never read any poker therory books, they don't know about 'position', preflop raises, etc... they just want to get their chips in the pot so they can 'maybe' pull it off.
I played in a cash game (at a casino) with a guy that absolutely irritated EVERYONE, even the dealer. He called every hand, he raised (pot builder) every hand. He was borderline rude to everyone and just a jerk of a person. But he knew what he was doing - he was pissing off the table so he could get people into pots to try and knock him off. He made more than 700 dollars in the 30 minutes I was at the table with him. He even took about 50 bucks from me (and I am a tight player). He made people at the table play his game, rather than playing their own. I sat out and watched for another 30 minutes, and he cracked AA, KK, QQ - at that point I couldn't watch the train-wreck anymore.
Bottom line - bad beats suck, whether I am getting the beating or giving it. I try to be a good sport about it, say 'nice hand' and just make a mental note of who is a calling machine.

[Dlock09]

I just joined this site and seems awesome. I cant get enough poker. I completely agree with the Administrator. Bad beats are part of the game and what goes around comes around. It's cold cards that kill you, especially when its only 4-6 handed, because you put in blinds every couple hands. That's why you gotta bluff :-) Btw i left a post in the Introduce yourself section concerning card dealing. If anyone is a professional or knows how/where to get employed/trained or whatever, please contact me.

[mikethegod]

when you can not find a game win or lose its a good time if its not fixed and do not play poker online going to play some real poker tonight i wish me luck but good players do not need luck all we need are some good hands and ppl to think we are full of shi- well i am off to the game party long and hard live free or die

[buck22]

Myself, ultimately. There are things generally that aggrevate players, but poker is perfect, its the players that need to change. If there were no bad beats noone would play you. If there were no calling stations that flopped flush would never get paid off. If there were no donkeys, everyone would lose money. The only thing that really stirs me up in poker is when i am out-played.

[lytstephen]

I understand perfectly that bad beats are exactly the reason we get paid - cause if they can't bad beat on us they'll never play. Moreover, a bad beat means it was +EV for us to start with. But...

4tables on Absolute Poker:

AA PF 4bet raised and got shoved by KK, called, K came on the turn
KK PF 3bet raised and got shoved by 99, called, K99 is the flop. go figure.
hit 2 pairs on the flop, shoved on the turn got called by A2s no pair, flushed the river.
hit nut str8 on the turn, got shoved by A8s no pair, called, flushed the river.

All in a less than one hour stretch.

When the first one happened, I laughed. The second one happened, I laughed even harder. Third one happened, I started steaming a little. By the fourth one, I had to take a break.

Funny enough, I still managed to get up one BI for the day after 3 hours with no bad beats from me. Go figure fish are too plenty, so don't tap the aquarium no matter what. Suck it up like a man.

[Palmer1287]

The thing that aggravates me the most is making crafty plays against blind players.. and then not learn from the mistake. My biggest weakness in a game is realizing a player doesn't look at the texture of the flop. Just how it relates to his hand, you can't bluff that. I get angry with the player for making calls that he had no buisness calling, in my mind, to him he didn't even register my bet ponder on what I had, if it could beat his bottom pair. No he had a piece and he came to play. My aggravation is throwing good money after bad. Ends up ruining the whole session for me. The only thing that pisses me off more.... Two of these types on a table whipsawing the bet so fast that you lay your hand down, only to see q high win.

[craftart2003]

Ok, first, I agree with ALL of you, from the jerks at the table, like the nates, are a dime a dozen, to the inside draws that make it, not just for 20 bucks, but for your whole stack when you flop top set!! but the WORST FOR ME is.....

No matter how hard I study, read, play, watch, adapt, etc.......

I find myself beating myself up, because if i "were that good" I should be able to lay down the hand when I KNOW im beat, odds or not, or KNOW when to get out, or KNOW NOT to SHOVE all in, because NATE WILL CALL and GET THERE!! AHHH!!!

For me its hard to know when you do lay down big hands, when you haven't seen a single pair ALL NIGHT, but the pots been triple raised by the worst players in the worst positions....

So yes, the bad beats suck, bad calls by people with no odds, no implied odds, no outs but 2 and get there, yeah, i want to kick the table over and drag them outside, but I say Nice Hand and move on to the next hand (which I think, table etiquette is super important, especially at "Someone" elses home game!)

But in the end, the desire to "Play Better" by putting in the effort, to lose to the hobbiest that doesn't care to get better, but just shoves, that does it for me...

Yes, I still study :) Yes, I continue to read up on strategy; i still approach the game with class and etiquette and I of course, still host a home game, which "Nate" frequents....

It's the love of the game, the strategy, the wins, the moves, the big hands that hold up, the tournaments we win, the extras we can afford because of all of this...that is why we play; that is why we CONTINUE to play despite all the rest :)

Good luck all, keep those emotions in check, and know that Nate make you look GREAT to your better half!!

[T. Azimuth Schwitters]

The rake.

[HPG ADMIN]

I find myself beating myself up, because if i "were that good" I should be able to lay down the hand when I KNOW im beat, odds or not, or KNOW when to get out, or KNOW NOT to SHOVE all in, because NATE WILL CALL and GET THERE!! AHHH!!!

Laying down hands is, I think, the hardest thing to learn because you have to unearn behavior that you came to the table with - it isn't like memorizing odds or something.

[Beaureguarde]

I hate everything about Poker!:mad:

I love everything about Poker!:)

It is the sickest game on Earth and I can not get enough of it.:p

[buck22]

When you've played hours on end of solid play to break through a vast field of players, you've taken the bad beats in your stride and finally make it to the final table, each step in prizes is worth $100's or $1000's.....and suddenly the turd of doom comes from nowhere! You've got to make that crucial decision between missing ten hands and all the blind stealing opportunities and potential tournament winning hands or crappi!ng your pants like a toddler and go for gold! Here's my salute to anyone who has shat themself going for glory! Your not alone!

[HPG ADMIN]

When you've played hours on end of solid play to break through a vast field of players, you've taken the bad beats in your stride and finally make it to the final table, each step in prizes is worth $100's or $1000's.....and suddenly the turd of doom comes from nowhere! You've got to make that crucial decision between missing ten hands and all the blind stealing opportunities and potential tournament winning hands or crappi!ng your pants like a toddler and go for gold! Here's my salute to anyone who has shat themself going for glory! Your not alone!

I agree about the final table thing. In a big tournament, I feel like all of the play BEFORE the final table is basically a satellite TO the final table. And it sucks to get there and get immediately eliminated or get all cold cards.

[sable541]

I play ,I think solid poker. I play in a league with freerolls Tu., Thurs., & Sats. & it brings out the DONKS FROM HELL. If you start playing like them in a points league, you let it drift into your subconsious. They you play a cash game & get the hell beat out of you. One key word is PATIENCE.

[mrkromer]

True that. Patience is still the number 1 reason why winners win and gamblers lose! A lot has changed in the game in the last 6 years or so, but that one attribute stays key to victories.

It's SO easy to justify in your own mind that other players, who you recognize as being inferior, are the problem. When the truth is, 95% of the time you're not playing correctly against their particular style.

Learn the players and be aggressive with huge hands and WIN WIN WIN!

mike

[BigWill]

To me, at least sometime, it seems that I just can't get any better and that sucks. Could maybe anyone recommend me some books a beginner like me should read? Tried my luck with some of those poker online tips (http://www.pokertipsbook.com/) but that didn't really help my game. I was thinking about ordering Hansen's book but not sure yet if it's worth it. Thanks in advance for your help.

[mckeagan65]

I agree with Mike Patience is the key for winning any game. Any number of changes can come and go but if one has this trait the odds are in your favor.

[pokerrocker]

If they are a calling station who are likely to call down if they've hit anything, then obviously a C-bet is less effective there as well.