Being a player of low limit hold'em, Omaha Hi-Low split, and fixed limit Omaha High only can be frustrating and it can cause you to lose your mind at times. Tonight was a perfect example of such an occurrence and it can even happen to a long time player such as myself. The frustration stems from the number of hands that must be discarded during dry stretches while watching terrible players take down pots with very weak holdings. That coupled with losing hands with quality cards to Grandma, who called your $12 pre-flop kill button raise with King-3 off suit as she proceeds to bury your pocket aces when the flop comes out K-K-3. This can cause even an experienced low limit poker player to lose...their...mind. That's when normally good players begin playing low expectation hands (or even negative expectation hands for that matter) strongly both in and out of position. This is known as "tilting".

Tonight I was playing low limit (3-6) Omaha Hi-Lo split with a full kill and I was at a table where most players were playing pretty much any cards they were dealt. I began my slow decent into tilt when I had to throw away hands for about 90 minutes playing only the blinds when there was no raise. I bled my chip stack down a lot during that period of time. During that time I saw many hands go to the river with the winner taking down pots with negative expectation hands.

I watched as one astute gambler took down a decent pot that he aggressively check-called (yes, that's sarcasm) down to the river after spiking an ace on the flop while holding A(d)-4(h)-4(s)-4(c). While stacking his winnings he explained to the table that the only reason that he was in the hand was that the ace was suited to one of his fours (which it was not) and that he, flopped his flush draw (which he had not), and that he had a decent draw to the low (the flop was A-7-10 rainbow). This happened on my big blind and I had discarded 10-10-6-2 pre-flop. In my mind the players at the table resembled a roomful of idiots stumbling around in the dark flinging chips in the air as they ran into each other. It was frustrating that none of the chips were landing near me and I seemed to be the only one with a flashlight. The very next hand was split with the high hand being a pair of sevens with a 6 kicker. No, she didn't have the low. Her hand was 7-6-5-2 rainbow.

That was on my small blind and I had folded pocket 9's in a hand what had otherwise been junk, which was a good fold in Omaha Hi-Lo as it was a negative expectation hand. That's when it happened...I lost my mind.

I do have one bit of advice about losing your mind. If you find that your mind has gone missing, the least you can do is bet your hand aggressively to hopefully knock out better hands until you are forced to show your meager holdings at the river if you are called. You may end up losing more money on the hand than you would have, but you will also take down some pots that you otherwise would have lost by playing passively.

I was on the button and was holding A(c)-10(c)-6(h)-3(s). When the action came to me, I raised it to 6. The blinds folded out, but all of the limpers called. Whoopsie, I had mistakenly figured that I would get some credit after folding nearly every hand for the past hour and a half. I had not once had a hand with which I could raise from any position at the table during that time. This should have set off some alarms for any decent players at the table, although looking around the table I could not spot any decent players. This was going to hurt, but I had chosen a path and now needed to play it out.

The flop came out 3(h)-9(d)-Q(cl). Great, now my low draw was destroyed. The good news was that I was only runner-runner away from the nut flush, Broadway, or even a royal flush (yes, my mind was still missing). The player first to act checked and the second player to act bet out $3. This could not be good, but it was too late to turn back now. I had to get this hand over with quickly before my mind returned and saw what kind of mess I had gotten myself into. The next to act folded and it came to me. What do you mean did I raise? Of course I raised! The next player called with the original raiser smooth calling as well.

I was not sure what card I wanted to see come out next. An ace would not have been bad since my low draw was destroyed already and two pair might actually be the best hand at this table. I knew I did not want to see any card between 8 and king. I was hoping for another three or a two. That would be the easiest card to bet as a 2 would most likely destroy someone else's low draw. A 2 (cl) hit the board. My flush draw was still alive and so was my emergency low. The action checked to me and I bet $6 more. The person in first position called and the person who had raised last round folded out. Three down and one to go. I had no idea what I wanted to come out on the board next, but I knew I had to bet it whatever it was if I stood a chance of taking down this pot.

A 9(h) hit on the river pairing the board. I was hoping that the caller did not have a nine, but could not worry about that now. He checked to me and I bet $6. His money beat mine into the pot. I feared I was undone. He did not wait for me to reveal my hand. He turned his hand face up on the table: A(h)-J(cl)-8(d)-7(s). I was in shock. He had called me down with a gut-shot straight draw that had missed and the second worst low draw. There was no low on the board and I could not figure out why he called as his hand could only beat a complete bluff. I had missed my flush draw and there was no low on the board. I feared that I was going to have to muck my hand to his A-J high and I was frantically trying to think of a way that I could get out of this embarrassing situation. I took one last look at my hand and noted that I had paired one card. I smoothly turned my hand face up on the table and stated confidently, "I thought my 3 was good".

As I stacked my chips I thought about what good advertising that hand should have been for me and that I would get them to call me down with very light holdings, but then I recalled that they were doing that anyway. Oh well, at least my mind had returned. Although it seemed that I had done just fine without it, I knew that over time I would be crushed if I kept it up. I went back to folding nearly every hand pre-flop and playing only positive expectation hands. At least I had some chips to splash with now.

Oh, and I am sure some of you are wondering where to find this fantastic table at which to play low stakes Omaha Hi-Lo split. I don't mind sharing this information with you. It's in Alaska...yeah, Alaska...um, Nome or something like that. Take care and good luck finding the table.