I realize that through my writing, I’ll I’m really doing is expressing what I need to tell myself while at the poker table. This topic is something that is a struggle for a lot of people. Present company DEFINITELY included.
Let me set up a scenario for you. You are on the button. In your hand you have 8/8. Two players limp in in front of you. You raise to 4 times the big blind. Both the little blind and big blind fold. The first limper re-raises 4 times your bet. The second limper re-raises, All-in for 10 times the pot. The action is on you. To make the call is going to cost all of your chips. In your mind you feel you are behind and likely facing at least 1 big pair if not two. And, if the first limper calls, at best you are facing 3 or 4 over cards to your pocket 8s. Feeling that you are likely behind you muck your hand. The original raiser calls and you see that the first guy has A/K and the second guy has J/J. The flop comes out A/8/3 and you would have flopped a set. The turn and river are no help and you WOULD have won the hand if you had made the call. Does this mean you made the wrong decision? Absolutely Not! When you are judging whether or not you made the correct call, you can ONLY USE THE INFORMATION YOU HAD AT THE TIME YOU MADE THE CALL. You thougth you were behind, folded and it turns out you were right. Good For You!!

Time after time I hear players (including myself) berate themselves over a call they wish they had made after all 5 cards are turned up. If you never fold a hand that would have turned out to be the absolute nuts, you aren’t folding nearly enough. And, just because J/2 made you the winning straight when the board came out A/K/5/4/3 doesn’t mean you should start playing J/2 on a regular basis.
Next time you fold a strong hand when you know you are way behind and, even though you would have won the hand, you find out made the right play at the time you layed down your hand, pat yourself on the back. You made the right call.