What makes a "BAD BEAT?"

ElIguana · Feb 14, 2005

I define a bad beat as when I cap the game well, it plays out as expected, but then a freaky play or call at the end of the game blows the cover.

My bad beat of the year: I had Cleveland Browns teased up to +13 vs. Baltimore Ravens this year. Cleveland is down by 7 with 1st & goal and under 1 minute left. Whether or not Cleveland scores, the ONLY way I lose is if Baltimore picks off a pass in the end zone and runs it back 107 yards for a TD, which is precisely what happened.

My lucky win of the year: NCAA semifinals last April, I have Duke +2. Losing by 4, Duke banks in a "meaningless" 3 pointer from HALF COURT at the buzzer! (I'm sure many of you remember that one.)

But, when it's all said and done, all of those things are just part of the game and part of handicapping. You win some, and you hope to lose fewer!

valueman · Feb 15, 2005

People seem to think its a bad beat when they go from a winning situation to a losing one - remember there are probably an equal number that have had the good beat conversely - these are always forgotten however. If its part of the game I would not consider it a bad beat.

I bet UK jumps racing and have many horses lose from winning position because they fall, unseat rider etc but these are not bad beats - they are just part of the game - the obstacles are there to be jumped.

For a bad beat to be genuine IMO it has to go above and beyond events that normally occur in a game.

The Duke example sounds like a bad beat but many of the others don't.

I remember a truly bad beat years ago when I bet a horse in a 3.5 mile chase race and after just getting the upper hand after the last fence the jockey doesn't look where he is going and runs the wrong side of the running rail onto the hurdle (inside course) and gets disqualified. i had bet him to win and show - now that is a bad beat!