[wptdreamer]

I believe the best way to control bad beats is to play your position, bet accordingly, and make it seem as though you always have a great hand. For example, if you were always told to limp in with a small pocket pair and you never change that up you may become predictable. Chances are if you play online most people won't notice, but if you show down a few times starting the hand the same way then your cover is blown. People get used to the fact that you limped in therefore you have small pocket pair and want to see a cheap flop, or maybe that's how you always play suited connectors or suited gapped. My strategy to reduce bad beats is a simple one. Make people believe that you only raise with good hands, and that you will punish them for trying to draw out on you. I raise the same with AA as I do with 10-10, 7-8s, etc... Now if they re-raise I may change it up, such as trying to get all of my money in preflop with AA whereas with suited connectors I may just call. I don't want people to know that if I bet a lot of money I have AA and I'm trying not to get a bad beat. I want them to never know what I have so I can steal more blinds, and their raises. If you feel that people are figuring you out, switch gears. Being able to switch gears is one of the most important skills you can have. If you become predictable any good player will use this to their advantage. So basically, if you decide to get in the hand, don't half-ass it. Play it like you have the nuts and push the others out. Say you are in a pot after the flop. It's their turn to bet. They bet $150. You call. Turn same, river same. If you don't have them beat and you just called down you lost $450 plus whatever you bet to get in the hand to begin with. Now let's say they bet $150 and you raise to $300. If they call you have a much better idea what they have and can see if they were trying to steal. Assuming you don't have a great hand...if they re-raise you should fold, if they just call, then after the turn they bet again, you can fold feeling much better about your read and you lose less money. So playing aggressive can save you money and save some bad beats. I may be wrong, but I believe I have built a solid game around being tight/aggressive with the ability to loosen or tighten up according to the table. But no matter what I am aggressive. If they hit me with a bad beat after I bet a lot of money and they kept calling, well I just hope they keep calling like that all night because they won't always beat my hand and I want them to keep playing bad. But if I don't bet it, it's my fault they are still there to catch those cards.