Submitted by rsteel on
We all get them. They are part of the tax we pay in this business for turning a profit. Let us be clear about this topic. Bad beats DO NOT even out. Yes you will win some games you do not deserve to win however the bad beats will outnumber those so called lucky wins.
Understand you should expect to win every game you bet otherwise why bet it. However when you win as a skilled experienced handicapper most of the time you will cash because of solid handicapping. When you lose yes sometimes it will be you miss read a game (although it should not happen often) and you have a dead ticket almost from the beginning. However most of the time you lose it will be a turnover a bad referee call or a last second miracle going the other way. Accept it move on. If you have trouble dealing with bad beats it will affect your future handicapping.
Be careful what you categorize as a bad beat. Anytime you have a close loss does not mean you just experienced a bad beat. You must ask yourself why was it a close game to begin with. Was your handicapping off? This question is much more productive than moaning to yourself about this so called bad beat. It might simply be you were on the wrong side and you were lucky to be that close down the stretch to begin with.
I will tell you what I do. Take 5 minutes at the end of each bet celebrate the win curse bemoan the loss. Take the next 10 minutes to re-review the result regardless if you won or lost. Look at your handicapping was it solid were your assumptions accurate. Did you win despite of yourself or because of your handicapping? This is where you learn the most sharpen your skills and prepare for the next event for these teams.