Donkey Tilt

I'm trying to figure out if that title is misleading. But it isn't. As much as I wish it was false, it's true. Last night I got bloodbathed at HP and even though I'd like to say it was all bad beats and suckouts, the fact of the matter is that I was not playing my best poker. Not even close.

On the other hand, the good news is that it's definitely confirmed that poker does not effect me emotionally. If I can go through what I went through last night (cue the violins) and wake up this morning feeling the same way I wake up every morning, then it's just another sign that I'm built for this.

For those of you that like poker, I'll go over some stuff.

I get to the casino and there's three $200 tables, all full. There's three names ahead of me on the list and it's pretty evident that the list is not moving. So I happily took this as an excuse to play the $400 game, which I have been thinking about playing. My first hand at the table I get KcTc and call a $30 raise in late position. Then the small blind re-raises to $70 and the other two players fold. I fold. Then the bastards just have to rabbit hunt and the flop comes up three clubs. The next hand I get J-7 and I insta-fold. Flop is J-7-2 with a ton of betting. Great. Third hand I get 6-2 off-suit and I fold. Flop comes A-6-2, everyone checks. Turn is a Q, one guy bets out, one guy calls. River is a 2. One guy bets, other guy calls and the guy wins with A-6. Fourth hand, now UTG, I get JcJh and limp. Flop comes out 9-6-2, all spades. I bet $40 and get two calls from the blinds. Turn is a spade. They check to me and I bet $60, hoping to take it down. The big blind calls and bets out $120 on the river and I fold.

So now I'm down $130. I get KQ in the hi-jack and I call...didn't feel like raising for some reason. The flop comes K-4-5. The guy UTG, who sucks, goes all-in for $80. I call. The turn is a 6 and the river is an 8 and he turns over pocket 77 for the straight. Sweet.

Next round I get KQ again in late position. No raises and again I call. Flop is king high and a guy bets out. I know I have him beat and try to get too greedy with the smooth call. The turn is another low card and a second diamond and he checks to me. I bet $50 and he calls. River is another low card, making a one-card straight with the 8, he bets out $50, I know I'm beat but call anyways and he turns over K-8 of diamonds. Should have raised his ass on the flop, that was my fault.

I lost my next buy-in with a series of bad continuation bets and semi-bluffs, as well as losing with AQ to A-2 to the worst player on the table when he flopped two pair.

The bad part is that I tried to chase my loss on the limit tables.

Yuck. I should have known better.

Huge pot where I raised with AJ on the button and the flop comes J-2-5. Another guy re-raises me on the flop with KJ, I re-raise him, some chick sticks it out the whole way and rivers a 3 for the wheel.

Then I blow some more, then some more on the $200.

Tilt Chamberlain.