Playing 2/5 no limit.. I raise to $15 UTG with A6o. UTG plus 1 makes it $30. 3 other callers and I call.

Flop - A6T rainbow.

I check, UTG plus 1 makes it $75.

Fold to me, I make it $200.

He tanks for a minute then shoves for $900. I call.

K on the turn gives him a higher 2 pair and the win. I don't necessarily fault his raise, but I'm sick of getting unlucky.

How are people dealing with getting it in good and losing? Happened to me twice in the same session and makes me want to give up playing forever.

I mean you played a garbage hand utg for raise. And you lost like you're supposed to.

Don't give up playing the game needs you

Fold pre both times.

But more importantly, if getting 6-outed twice (or whatever it was the other time) tilts you that hard, then at least one of the following is true:

1) You're new to poker; this is just regular variance and you get used to it.
2) You need to play lower stakes.
3) You don't have the temperament for this game.

You're missing the point. If you don't vary your hands, your won't be successful.

It's not what was played preflop, it's losing big hands, repeatedly, when getting it in with the best of it.

1) I've been playing for 20+ years
2) the only lower stakes is 1/2. Not going to happen
3) I don't have the temperament for getting it on when I'm a 2 to 1 favorite?

The point is, aren't we supposed to push our advantages. But mentally, it's tough. I know math is always supposed to win, but when it doesn't repeatedly, then it's tough.

I was going to say you'll get used to it with time, but I see you registered in 2008 so you've been playing way longer than I have.

So a couple of things. Opening A6 off is never a good idea, especially for that sizing but more so because of the position.

You have to put yourself in good positions. And playing this hand almost always will be putting yourself in trouble.

But to answer your question at the end:

In regards to this specific hand I wouldn’t be mad at losing I would be mad at playing this hand. And would remind myself this is why we don’t play weak aces.

In general if your playing correctly and run say kk into AA preflop you can’t get mad. That’s just the way the game goes. Same thing if you have an overpair and run into a set or a trash two pair hand.

You need to know that your skill level is going to overcome the variance. You win based of off the mistakes you don’t make vs the mistakes they make. The discipline is the hard part.

Welcome to the forum, OP. Unfortunately, this is a strategy forum. Try Poker Psychology for how to deal with beats.

From a strategy standpoint, your play is pretty bad, especially if this is full-ring. As the Best of Thread starts: Sure, you have to vary your play, but that doesn't mean play trash from OOP. It means that you might have a suited wheel ace in your range as well as the ace-face combos. An off-suit non-wheel ace-pip is total garbage.

Since there isn't a strategy question in this thread, and everyone is likely to comment on the strategy problem, I'm going to lock this. Feel free to repost in Poker Psych, but I'd leave out the pre-flop part when you do, or people will probably focus on it even there.