[ashmc2]

First of all lets define bad beat. The anemic definition is to be beaten by a lucky draw.

You have AA PF on the button and your nemesis is looking down at 72 in the BB. If You just limp in and let dumby in for free and the flop comes Q72 rainbow. Unbeknownst to you, you just got cracked. To you this looks like a great flop. You now get some balls and throw out 3 huge, consecutive bets and at show down this horrible suckout rakes in all your chips with 2 pair. Your now out of the tournament.

Is this a bad beat?

Well, by our aforementioned definition (which is posted on this very site,) yes would be the answer. Sorry people, but we need to take this a little further. IMO this isn’t a bad beat.

Does anyone disagree?

If you would have limped and he bet putting you allin PF, then this would be a bad beat.
You put your money in with the best hand and then he drew out on you. That is what makes it a bad beat in my opinion.

Ok, here’s another example. You have AA and your opponent has TJ. You bet 4xBB and he calls from the cutoff. Flop comes AK9. You check in the hopes for a check-raise. He checks and the turn comes a Q. You bet out and he raises.

Bad beat? No, IMO. You tried a play and it backfired. You gave him a free card here that beat you.

Last example. You have AA again and $4,000 left. (what a night for cracked aces.) He has 56d and $7000 in front of him. You bet $400 (4xBB) and he calls. Now $950 in pot with the blinds. Flop AdTd2s all diamonds. You bet $300 and he calls. Now there’s $1550 in pot. Turn comes 9h. You bet $600 this time and he calls again. Now $2750 in pot. River card 3d. You bet $1000 and he raises your last $1700. You call. Showdown he cracks your set of Aces. What’s wrong here you say? You bet the whole way. He just rivered you. Fucking suckout chaser you scream and slam your keyboard.

Bad Beat right? No, once again, IMO. You let this clown beat you. Your weak bets were to blame here.

Lets break it down. Yes, he made a pretty loose call PF. But that Isn’t grounds for a bad beat. He made the call and now has a flush draw on the flop. You bet $300 into a pot of $950. It costs him $300 for a try at $1250. That’s better than 4 to 1 on his money here. That’s perfect odds for him to chase his flush draw. You now do a little better here with your turn bet. You bet $600 into a pot of $1550. This is now only giving him 3.5 to 1 on his money if he decides to call. He needed 4 to 1 to make calling right with his flush draw. Right? Wrong. With implied odds it is still the right call because if he hits and has the best flush, he has a chance at your last $2700.

In all these examples, sorry to say it, but you beat yourself.

If your getting bad beats that one thing. We all get them and will continue to get them. Just make sure what your calling bad beats are actually bad beats and not down right bad play.

Be honest with yourself and the real bad beats will only come as the odds gods allow.