How to avoid tough beats

The most basic way to avoid tough beats is to control the betting and to know when to fold. If you think you're beat on a hand, don't throw a HUGE raise into the middle and gamble. If your opponent re-raises, you'll fold if you know your beat and you'll look like an idiot. Throw a value bet out-- roughly 1/3's - 1/4's the size of the pot-- this lets you see where you are in the hand. Unless you have the nuts (the best possible hand) don't throw out a bet that you know you can't back up. Don't bet a hand that you'd feel hesitant to call if faced with a re-raise.
The biggest problem with aggressive and conservative players alike nowadays is that when they become frustrated or agitated they tend to over-bet the pot and run into a wall. Great players know when to fold good hands, and mediocre players can't get away from a pre-flop made hand when it really isn't that good post-flop. What separates Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and other great pros is that they never let their hanger take control of them. They can make tough lay downs even against the most arrogant opponents. Here's an example of Phil Hellmuth being able to avoid a lot of damage when going against a made hand. Although emulating Phil's aggression isn't suggested, Phil simply called at the end instead of raising with a set because there was a possibility that he had the inferior hand.



Anyway, back to the topic. Tough beats can be avoided by miscellaneous cues also. Players tend to smile, flinch, jitter, and shake when they hit a desperation card. Players also tend to be overly aggressive and nervous. Often times, its better to fold a really good hand than risk losing nearly all of your chips on a hand that can be beaten. Although it's situational, it's important to remember that unless your playing with a donk, most players (who play for money) wouldn't risk all of their chips on a mediocre hand or a bluff. As the players you play against get better, the easier you'll realize exactly why going "all-in" isn't very smart at all unless you're completely sure you'll get a call and maximize your benefits.
According to Arthur S. Reber from pokerlistings.com, "controlling pot size has two obvious elements: keeping it small and making it grow. When you're on a draw you usually want to keep the pot small (adjusted, of course, for fold equity)."
This quotation perfectly sums up how you would play a draw. Don't commit too many chips because the percentages are against you in terms of hitting your draw. If your opponent has a a slightly better hand than you, chances are that he'll simply call and let you do all the betting. Once again, the key is to CONTROL the betting, which will lead to you being able to control the game.

Sources: http://www.pokerlistings.com/strategy/this-one-is-tricky-more-on-postflop-play
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