Almost the whole table went on tilt-did I ruin this game?

[MichaelD]

Jeff,

While it is nice to be well, liked last time I checked poker is not a popularity contest. With that said, I do go out of my way to be liked in the poker room, but I do it simply by trying to be nice to people outside of the play of hands.

If I am planning on being in a really tight game for a number of hours, I will definitely invest a few bets to try and loosen a game up such as the one you describe. While I do not employ use of the straddle, there are a few other things I do to try and put some people on tilt and get things going in the game.

All this being said, there is a very fine line between trying to loosen a game up and becoming the mark in the game. After the session you had today, if I were you, I would be really looking forward to my next session with this group of players. They should give you excess action and if you play the situation correctly and hit a few hands, it has the potential to be another very profitable session for you.

Best of Luck.

Just some thoughts...

Michael D.