The Agony and the Ecstasy

I lost my biggest pot yesterday, nearly $440 in Pokerstars, when my full house was done in by quads. I was closing down the tables and this was one of the last hands to play, with both myself and the opponent sitting on deep stacks. It’s the fourth time I have been in such a situation since February, and only once have I had quads. Each time I have lost my stack. Whilst that may seem obvious, at least twice I feel I could have at least limited my losses. Yesterday the only possible hand he could have had was quads (he was as nitty as you get) but I was a non-believer.
Each time I take a beating at the tables, my immediate instinct is to play, play, play. I closed down the tables after that beat with the quads and couldn’t relax. It was eating away at me. Fortunately I don’t suffer from tilt that much and don’t believe in superstitious stuff, so, to avoid the turmoil, I waited for the girlfriend to go to bed, and then I returned to the tables to make back what I had lost within around 400 hands. Although I got some decent opportunities, I played as well as I think I could, and maximised my winnings.
I went to bed more satisfied than I would, had the quads hand never happened, and I had learned a thing or two as well.