Drama
July 22nd, 2010Bad beats are just about the worst things that can happen to a poker player. Not only are bad beats costly, but they’re psychologically damaging as well. Few things make a player feel more helpless that having the best hand on the flop and playing it perfectly only to have an opponent draw out a better hand on the turn and/or the river.
Strangely enough, while they are terrible for poker players, the possibility of a bad beat is probably one of the most appealing things about the poker game. Think about it before you hunt me down with torches and pitchforks: if someone goes all in after the flop with a set of Kings and gets called by an opponent who’s got a pair of 2’s, the game should be over, and most times it is. There’s no drama in a set of Kings beating a pair of 2’s. Now imagine what the crowd would sound like if another 2 came out on the turn-a loud murmur, some chatting about the pain of losing with trip 2’s. All eyes are on the river when it turns, and if another 2 comes out, and pandemonium ensues; both players are astonished, and the crowd explodes with equal parts dismay for the loser and exhilaration for the unlikely winner.
If it wasn’t for bad beats, a vast majority of the drama would be taken from poker and a good chunk of its appeal as well.