--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you always start with the worst hand…" description: "\"If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a bad-beat story to tell.\" — Chuck Thompson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg" --- # If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a… ![“If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a bad-beat story to tell.” quote by Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg) > “If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a bad-beat story to tell.” [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing the worst scenario first guarantees you avoid disappointment later. **In simple terms:** Starting with the worst prevents bad outcomes. Key Takeaway Embrace optimism to improve experiences. Themes optimism risk management perspective Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - gaming - project planning - personal decisions Key Concepts cognitive bias expectation setting Questions to Reflect On - Do you often imagine the worst outcome? - How does this affect your confidence? A Different Perspective Assumes worst-case is always possible, which may be unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-beat-1380020/) [Beat Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beat-story-3473594/) [Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) [Hand Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand-bad-2353332/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Start Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-worst-3307157/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-hand-847286/) ## Related quotes > [Telling Phil Hellmuth a bad beat story, is like telling Joan Rivers a Botox Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-chad/telling-phil-hellmuth-a-bad-beat-story-is-like-telling-joan-rivers-a/) [Norman Chad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-chad/) > [You want the bad news, or the really bad news? (Eros) Oh, let’s see…how about we make my day special, and start with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-want-the-bad-news-or-the-really-bad-news-eros-oh-let-s-see-how/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“In the game of cards, he would always get the worst hand. In the game of dice, he always got the worst numbers. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naren-singh/in-the-game-of-cards-he-would-always-get-the-worst-hand-in-the-game/) [Naren Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naren-singh/) > [“During our first date, I wanted to hold your hand so bad I almost cut mine off and threw it at you to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-gilbert/during-our-first-date-i-wanted-to-hold-your-hand-so-bad-i-almost-cut/) [Colin Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-gilbert/) > [If there is a god, why did he rig the casino and give 99% of us the worst hand in the deck? Why are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-a-god-why-did-he-rig-the-casino-and-give-99-of-us-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Now I really feel sorry for her. Your hand is as bad as Rob’s paddle,” Cassie shuddered. “Thank you.” “I didn’t mean it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breanna-hayse/now-i-really-feel-sorry-for-her-your-hand-is-as-bad-as-rob-s-paddle/) [Breanna Hayse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breanna-hayse/) > [I beat a story to within an inch of its life - that's when I know its done. Not before, not after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/i-beat-a-story-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life-that-s-when-i-know-its/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [A bad system will beat a good person every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/a-bad-system-will-beat-a-good-person-every-time/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > ['Kangal Marapathilai' is an off-beat story and I am hopeful of getting a few awards after the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navya-nair/kangal-marapathilai-is-an-off-beat-story-and-i-am-hopeful-of-getting/) [Navya Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navya-nair/) > [It's not whether you won or lost, but how many bad-beat stories you were able to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grantland-rice/it-s-not-whether-you-won-or-lost-but-how-many-bad-beat-stories-you/) [Grantland Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grantland-rice/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) ## More by Chuck Thompson > [It's easy to be a tough competitor and still be the kind of person with whom people love to compete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/it-s-easy-to-be-a-tough-competitor-and-still-be-the-kind-of-person/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) > [There are two things to do in Juneau, drink and get drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/there-are-two-things-to-do-in-juneau-drink-and-get-drunk/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) > [No place is ever as bad as they tell you it's going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/no-place-is-ever-as-bad-as-they-tell-you-it-s-going-to-be/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) > [“Country jakes are always whining about the sanctity of states' rights and individual freedoms. Yet when a couple of queers want to get married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/country-jakes-are-always-whining-about-the-sanctity-of-states-rights/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) > [Learn Languages the Right Way. Language acquisition games and abstract communicative method are bullshit. The second-best way to learn a foreign language is alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/learn-languages-the-right-way-language-acquisition-games-and-abstract/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) > [Here’s a secret intel bulletin for all y’all who’ve never left Yoknapatawpha County and imagine the United States is constantly on the precipice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/here-s-a-secret-intel-bulletin-for-all-y-all-who-ve-never-left/) [Chuck Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) [Explore all 7 Chuck Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) [Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a bad-beat story to tell.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand-you-never-have-a-bad-beat/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand-you-never-have-a-bad-beat/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/chuck-thompson-52153_beats_if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand_2078632.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you always start with the worst hand, you never have a bad-beat story to tell.” — Chuck Thompson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chuck Thompson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-thompson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you always start with the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand-you-never-have-a-bad-beat/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-thompson/if-you-always-start-with-the-worst-hand-you-never-have-a-bad-beat/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```