I'm probably asked this poker question more than any other. How do you deal with bad beats?

It's a relevant question, especially considering how important it is to be able to handle those painful stings of bad luck that you'll inevitably encounter.

There are definitely some do's and don'ts when it comes to dealing with bad beats. Let's first look at a few of the don'ts:

# Don't tell bad beat stories. Do you want a surefire way of guaranteeing that nobody will talk to you? Just tell them how unlucky you've been and how they wouldn't believe the hand you just lost with.

Look, they really don't care. Bad beats happen to everyone.

I mean, seriously, have you ever looked forward to someone telling you a hard luck story? Keep your bad beats to yourself.

# Don't go on tilt. What often happens to players when their luck runs bad is that they start playing poorly. They go on tilt. They chase hands they normally wouldn't or try something new because, hey, playing good cards just isn't working.

Reacting in this manner will wreck your game. You don't have to try something new. You need to focus more keenly on playing well and sticking to your game plan despite the bad run of cards.

# Don't let your opponents see you sweat. If they know you've been running bad, their confidence against you will soar. They will surely look for the opportunity to attack. Like sharks circling their prey, once they see you're wounded, they'll move in for the kill.

You must keep your composure at the poker table and not let bad beats affect your play. Staying calm and focused will go a long way toward making a quick recovery.

Keep this in mind, too.

When players ask how your cards have been running, it's a trick. Answer shrewdly by saying, "Pretty good, actually. I've been on a nice streak lately." You might know that the cards have turned to ice, but your opponents don't need to know it. Remember, deception is fundamental to the game of poker.

And now for some of the do's to help you get out of the bad beat blues:

# Take some time off. This is the absolute best way to reenergize your batteries when the cards start spitting in your face. You need a clear head so that you can focus on making good decisions.

When you start wondering how your pocket pair of Aces is going to lose the next hand, you are in desperate need for some downtime!

# Play smaller limit games. It's often difficult for players to move from their regular limit games to a smaller limit game, but that's exactly what I recommend that you do.

Swallow your pride and regain your confidence by playing against (and beating) weaker players in smaller limit games.

# Stay positive. If you believe you're an unlucky player, you'll become one. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it's true in any facet of your life.

Focus on making correct decisions at the poker table and not on the outcome. That's how the best players approach the game of poker.

Yes, I realize that maintaining composure and staying positive is easier said than done. I've been there before, too. All poker players have been there before. When you start thinking you are the unluckiest player in the world, I can assure you that it's a tie. You and about a million other people can make that claim.

For some poker players, it's often, "If only I were as lucky as that scrawny little goateed guy with two earrings. I could beat him, but he's too lucky."

You'd better believe that I'm lucky, and not just in poker. I'm lucky in life because I was raised by two wonderful parents, I have my health and I live in a free country.

If you focus on all of the good things you have going on in your life, all of a sudden, a bad run of cards just doesn't seem so important now, does it?
By Daniel Negreanu