Dealing with bad beats in tournaments is a very hard thing to have control over (especially when they occur deep in a tournament) but there are things you can do to combat bad beats when they happen. The first thing you should do is remain focused, and remember that your ultimate goal is winning the tournament.

You have to avoid tilt and throwing chips away at all costs. If you have been playing for hours on end, you have to think what sense it makes to not throw away a great opportunity just because you now have a shorter stack. You shouldn’t waste the amount of chips you have been dwindled down to just because you got two outered in a monster pot.

You should play with a chip on your shoulder to get those chips back and sit down for the long haul. Tournament poker is a very long grind and only the strongest wills will win the titles in the end. I always like to treat my bad beats in poker like I do when betting on sports. If I lose a big bet at one of my sports betting sites I simply take a step back and look at the big picture and keep my eye on the prize.

If you have been playing a poker tournament for 12 hours one day, it can all seem to come crashing down at once when a hand or two doesn’t go your way. This is something that will happen and has happened to everyone from time to time. The way to not go on tilt is by being a healthy and happy person in general. You have to get enough sleep the night before the tournament starts, and set the right diet for yourself, so you can focus for longer periods of time.

If you are going to let one hand affect the way you play then you shouldn’t play tournaments. Some of the best players in the world are the best players in the world because they know what it takes and they are willing to do what it takes to be successful. What it takes is hard work, battling through bad beat and bad times, and fighting until you are reconnected with good times and towering chip stacks.

Also, just as fast as you lost a big stack, if you remain focused, you can pick good spots to get those chips back. The power of positive thinking is something you will always need when playing tournaments. If you think positive then good things will happen to you. If you think negative after a bad beat then most likely bad things will happen and you will bust out of the tournament.

Patience is a big part of tournament poker and something not too many people have. Most of the older players will be too patient and the younger players are very impatient. You need to deal with bad beats the right way. You shouldn’t drastically change your playing style and dump chips because you cannot handle taking one bad beat.

Bad beats will always happen, especially if you are playing through 12 hour days or more of poker. Also, avoid alcohol and stimulants throughout tournaments. Tournaments will last for hours and sometimes even days, so, if you don’t drink alcohol you will feel better for it.

You should also avoid energy drinks. More times than not you will see a younger player who is drinking red bull for a couple hours, lose one hand, and go on extreme tilt and throw chips away. If he had not had red bull and instead something such as Gatorade, water, or juice, the results may have been different. I’m not saying energy drinks are the devil; all I’m saying is to be aware of these kinds of things.

RPM Poker is a member of the Merge Gaming Network, which is also often referred to as the Merge Poker Network. Several USA-friendly poker sites operate on the Merge Gaming Network. In addition to RPM Poker, two other popular poker sites on the Merge Gaming Network include Carbon Poker and Lock Poker.

If you’re unfamiliar with the poker network business model, let me explain it:

Poker sites that operate on a network share players and tables with one another. Each poker site is an independent business, but they all work together to increase traffic and keep the games running. New poker sites often join poker networks so that they can take advantage of an existing player base instead of having to start from scratch. The catch-22 of building a new poker room is getting players to join when there are no players online.

The poker network model helps new poker sites get started because they share players and tables with one another. Players benefit from this model because they can join new poker sites and have plenty of active tables to choose from. It’s a win-win setup for poker rooms and poker players alike.

There are dozens of poker networks out there, but the Merge Gaming Network is the most popular among US poker sites. It is the largest poker network and player traffic has continued to show strong growth. If the Merge Gaming Network continues on its current trend, it will dominate the US poker industry.

More About the Merge Gaming Network

The Merge Gaming Network is well-known for offering more features than just about any other poker network on the internet. Poker sites that operate on the Merge Gaming Network use a similar software platform that gives all members features such as “show one hole card” and “rabbit hunting.”

Game selection on the Merge Gaming Network consists of a variety of no-limit, fixed limit and pot limit games. Texas Holdem is by far the most popular game on the Merge Network, but you will also find variations of Omaha, Stud Poker, Draw Poker and HORSE. However, I’ve found traffic to still be lacking in the non-Texas Holdem games. You will see action on the Omaha tables, but the other games are usually pretty slow.

The Merge Gaming Network briefly left the US market in 2011 after the US government seized the domains of several high-profile poker sites. Players were allowed to cash out their balances, but Merge decided to stop accepting new US players. Merge took a little time to regroup itself and then it returned to the US market in October of 2011. Ever since then, Merge Gaming has taken on a role as the largest US-friendly poker network in the industry.

Poker sites that operate on the Merge Gaming Network are recognized for being safe places to play. There have been no major scandals on the Merge Gaming Network and players report receiving cashouts in reasonable timeframes. Players from the United States can expect occasional delays in cashouts, but that is to be expected in the current legal climate.

RPM Poker has several payment options that both US and non-US players can use to fund their accounts. There aren’t a ton of deposit options to choose from but the ones they do offer are well-known, secure deposit options. Most players deposit at RPM Poker with credit cards but there are also several other deposit methods.

Getting started with real money at RPM Poker is as simple as visiting the website, downloading the software and signing up for an account. After you have an account at RPM Poker, you can visit the cashier to choose your deposit option. There are several to choose from but each one is easy to use.

RPM Poker US Deposit Options

Players from the US have a few options for depositing their money at RPM Poker. The credit card option is the easiest way to deposit but the other methods offer more flexibility. Continue reading for a brief explanation of each RPM Poker deposit option.

Visa / MasterCard

Credit cards are great for depositing but they are not good for withdrawing. Poker sites can’t send cashouts back to credit cards so players must instead receive checks or sign up with other deposit methods to process their cashouts. But as far as depositing goes, the credit card is a fine choice. Players may also deposit with debit cards that feature the Visa logo.

Some banks don’t allow credit card deposits to online poker sites and automatically block such transactions. If your credit card deposit is blocked or declined, it may be due to those rules. If that happens to you, you can either try a different card or use a different deposit method.

eWalletXpress

For US players, eWalletXpress is the best option. It is an e-wallet that works in much the same manner as PayPal. After you create an account at eWalletXpress, you can then transfer money from your bank account to your eWalletXpress account. From there, you can deposit at any poker site that accepts eWalletXpress.

Cashing back out to eWalletXpress is a breeze. First you withdraw your money from your poker account to your eWalletXpress account. After that, you can then transfer the money straight to your bank account. The minimum cashout amount in one day is $5.00 and the maximum is $5,000. There is a 10% fee for withdrawing but that fee maxes out at $150.

After you sign up for an account at eWalletXpress, you’ll be asked to validate your account. eWalletXpress will make two small deposits to your account and then ask you to verify those amounts on their website. After you complete that task, your eWalletXpress account will be ready to go.

PIC-Club

PIC-Club is a payment system that is used by many online poker sites. It’s sort of an e-wallet but it uses a system of “shares” that makes it legal in the US. If you’re looking for a fast and dependable e-wallet, PIC-Club is always a good choice.

RPM Poker International Deposit Options

Players from the rest of the world may use any of the above deposit methods at RPM Poker as well as the following methods. Credit cards are still the fastest but e-wallets are the best for all-around use. The best thing about e-wallets is that they allow you to play at multiple poker sites without giving your credit card number to each one.

Neteller

Neteller is an e-wallet that has been serving the poker industry for years. Once you have an account with Neteller, it’s one of the fastest and easiest deposit / withdrawal methods out there. Your funds are always accessible and cashouts happen very quickly.

Moneybookers

Moneybookers is basically the same thing as Neteller. You open an account with Moneybookers, fund it with your own money and then use your Moneybookers account to deposit at RPM Poker. One advantage Moneybookers has over e-wallets is that it is widely used outside the poker industry. With a Moneybookers account, you can easily cash out of your poker site and shop online.

Click2Pay

Click2Pay is another popular e-wallet that is accepted by most online poker sites. The concept is basically the same as Neteller and Moneybookers: you create an account, fund it and then use that account to deposit at RPM Poker.

EcoCard

EcoCard is an online payment solution that specializes in speedy payments. An EcoCard account can be used like an e-wallet or it can also be used to make deposits to online poker sites directly through your credit or debit card.

iBankG

iBankG is another e-wallet but I recommend you stay clear from this company. They have only been in business for a couple years and they have received poor reviews across the board. I’d definitely stick with one of the bigger, trusted companies listed above.

Visit RPM Poker Now

RPM Poker is a relatively new poker site, so “RPM Poker on a Mac” is still a thing of the future. If you have a Mac computer, I recommend you try Absolute Poker instead. Absolute Poker has both an instant-play version and a Mac compatible download.

Hopefully RPM Poker will add Mac-compatible software soon but right now they are still focusing on attracting new players with marketing campaigns and large bonuses. After RPM Poker gets a firm foothold in the PC market, I imagine they’ll develop either Mac compatible software or release an instant play version of the software.

Most poker sites just use instant play software to cater to Mac computers. The instant play version requires nothing more than an internet browser and a connection to the internet. It’s the simplest solution and most poker sites go that route.

Other poker sites, like Absolute Poker, actually develop Mac software that can be downloaded and installed on Mac computers. This is the best option because the download option is almost always faster and more feature-filled than the no-download version.

RPM Poker Mac Download – Windows Emulators

If you’re determined to play RPM Poker on a Mac, there is one solution. You can download a Windows emulator and then use that to install the normal RPM Poker software on your Mac computer. It’s a little bit of trouble at first but once you have a Windows emulator, you can use it to run many PC applications that aren’t usually compatible with Mac computers.

Basically, a Windows emulator allows you to run normal Windows programs on your Mac computer. With a good emulator on your Mac, you don’t have to search all over the place for Mac versions of your favorite software. Once you have an emulator, you can then use it to play RPM Poker on your computer.

I don’t know a ton about Windows emulators, but there are a few resources I can point you to. Additionally, if you do some research on Google, you’ll find all kinds of information about different Windows emulators for Mac computers. The following products might prove useful:

WineHQ

Parallels Desktop

VMWare Fusion

It might sound like a pain to set this all up but it might be worth it. RPM Poker is one of the newest poker sites out there and the real money poker games there are extremely soft. There aren’t yet many sharks there because they are all playing at other sites where there are more tables to choose from. If you get in early, there is some serious money to be made at RPM Poker.