More on playing on tilt:

So, last time I mentioned I would take a break from online play to let my tilt pass. In the meantine I would play live poker at a home game that I sometimes go to. So, what happens tilt turns to a run of bad luck

Ok, I know that luck comes in many different forms in poker ie: getting good cards/getting good flops/getting bad cards that are slightly better than your opponents, but this genuinely is a case of bad luck.

So the table is playing very loose aggressive: We've been playing for half an hour and im down to about 1300 hundred chips (we start on 2500) Blinds are 100/200. I havent been playing particularly well: I've been weak against a couple of raises when Ive had pot odds and overcards, but Im also getting a read on betting patterns and hand ranges: As I said, people are playing loose - raising by large amounts pre flop with Ace/middle kicker and more than a few people are making large bets on the flop with hands like middle pair.

Anyway. Ive got 1250 chips: Im under the gun and I get dealt 10-10. I can fold, call, make a small/medium raise or make a push and go all in. Although there are only 6 players left and 3 make the money, I calculate that as Im the shortstack, folding probably wont get me to a place - rather, with the blind structure and my chipstack this is where I need to be doubling up if i am to have a chance. All in is likely to chase people away and i dont want to be called by someone with a premium hand or higher pocket pairs. If i make a raise, I dont have much chance of taking people off the pot on the turn, and if i elect to call Im only still in the hand if I hit my 10 or there are no overcards.

I elect to call. Someone who had been quite loose, but could obviously play a bit raises me to 800. I decide to move all in even though he is probably not going to fold. He calls and turns over A-6. Im in better shape than I expected. He hits his Ace on the river and Im out. He tells me that I should have pushed and then he wouldnot have called me. My estimation of his ability goes down slightly. I tell him that I wasnt just trying to take the blinds and that I was over 2:1 in front pre flop.

I observe the table for the rest of the game and there is some seriously loose play. With a more generous blind structure I would really relish that, but with 10 minute blinds, you are not even getting a round of action before blinds go up.

Anyway, second game, and its the third round already and Im in the small blind for the second time. Blinds are 100/200 I get dealt K-K and I thank my lucky stars as this is near perfect position to get them. Under the gun limps, as does the person to his left and everyone folds round to me. I raise to 800. BB and under-the-gun fold. Position number 2 re-raises me to 1600 (see what I mean about loose-aggressive play). I only have 600 so its quite doubtful I can make him fold. I try to imply that I have kings saying to him that I hope for yoursake you have aces. It doesnt work and he calls. I turn over my Kings and before he can turn his cards, the dealer deals the flop and deals me a king. I have three Kings and my opponent turns over A-7 hearts. Why would he re-raise me with that? did he think I was stealing the pot with rags?? Anyway, the flop, K, 8, 4 also comes down with 2 hearts. The turn is a non-heart queen and the river is the 9 of hearts which is kind of ironic since I was more of a favourite to improve to a Full House (10 outs) than he was to improve to a flush(7 outs - I had the King of hearts). He went to shake my hand, I did, but told him to play better next time and went back to Mill Hill thinking that considering I would have had over 5000 chips out of a total of 2500 with 9 players remaining, that I had been more than a little unfortunate.