A ‘bad beat’ in poker refers to a hand that appeared to be strong and looked like the favourite to win but you nevertheless lost.
It’s obviously subjective and there’s no consensus among poker players what exactly constitutes a bad beat. But you are inevitably going to encounter bad beats, especially if you play low limit games where they are more common. The trick is to not let this cause you go to on tilt.
You should keep an eye out for bad beat bonuses which are offered by a few good online poker rooms. These are bonuses given to players holding a great poker hand that is on the verge of winning but nevertheless gets beaten at the showdown.