Even pro poker stars like Daniel 'The Kid' Negreanu face the king of all tilts

Playing a $1/$2 table, I'd built my starting $120 bankroll up to around $160 within 15 minutes.

Then I was dealt pocket Kings in late position.

Four limpers came round to me so I put in a large raise to $12, hoping for just the one caller.

Worryingly, I got two.

But when the flop came 2-J-2, I thought I was in clover - yet the first limper bet the pot and was matched by the second.

Working it out, I reasoned they had hands ranging from AJ to J9. Afterall, there was no way they would have called a $12 raise holding a deuce, even an A2, surely?

No point in giving them a free card though, I thought, so I raised by another $40 to end the tricky battle.

After a few seconds, the first limper went all in - followed immediately by the second!

Now I was convinced that one of them had a deuce. But the tilt in me meant there was no way I was folding my Kings for the remainder of my dwindling bankroll.
I called.

The pot was now close to $500.

First limper turned over his cards and had J10!

Yes! What an idiot.

Second limper turned a 9... and a 2. That's right, a lousy 9-2.

It would have been an awful limp. But calling a $12 raise with that garbage left me stunned. It was possibly the worst call I've ever seen in poker. What the hell - did he think he might beat me?

Obviously, trips.

Of course his hand held up past the river and I was broke again.

But I'm in good company as most pro poker player admit being busted out at one time or another, even Daniel 'The Kid' Negreanu.

The Canadian legend is unusually open about the ups and downs of his career and freely admits to previous bankroll-busting moments.

''The thing is, even if I was completely broke, that's not something I'd even be ashamed of really,'' he said on one forum.

''I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, and I HAVE been broke before. Many times. It's all part of the learning process.

''Obviously if I were to go broke now it would be a little more troubling, but it wouldn't destroy me."

Wise words.

In fact, shuffle up and deal...