Avoid
Going On Tilt In Both Online Poker and Live Poker
Games
Everyone
has been on tilt. No one is immune to getting a
little rattled from time to time. Tilt always begins
with a trigger, some unexplainable injustice that sets
you off into a betting rage. Triggers are different
for everyone. For some, it’s a run of bad luck. For
others, it’s losing a pot to a horrible player who
rivers you with a gutshot.
The
best way to avoid going on tilt is know your
triggers. Recognize them and make a conscious effort
not to let these things effect your play. To be a
great poker player you must be able to keep your
emotions in check. There’s no way around it. Emotion
is key in poker or any game that involves even the
slightest bit of luck. Much like life, poker is not
always fair. The sooner you accept this fact, the
sooner you can move on to what is important in poker,
self-control.
Knowing
your triggers will not always be enough to stop you
from going on tilt. Sometimes you will need to
physically get up from the table or sit out from the
game to regain your composure. Anytime a huge
emotional swing takes place, it is a good idea to step
back and gather yourself before reentering the game.
It’s human nature to want to come out firing after a
big win or to try and gain instant revenge after a bad
loss. The bottom line is this… Emotion clouds your
judgment and will ultimately cost you money at the
poker table.
Sometimes
going on tilt is not like hitting a light
switch. In many instances you are heading down 
the slippery slop to being on tilt and you may not
even realize it. This is why it is important to always
monitor your play. If you notice you are taking more
and more bad beats, don’t just dismiss it to bad
luck. Think about the starting hands you’ve been
playing. Are they looser than normal? Are you losing
with a lot of lower kickers because you are playing
hands you normally wouldn’t play? If you do notice
you are playing differently, then usually there’s a
good chance you are on tilt. When you see this happen
make an effort to play extremely tight until you find
a rhythm again or quit for the night. There will
always be another game tomorrow.
The
truth of the matter is, avoiding tilt means
actively taking preventative measures. There are no
magic tricks or special phrases to snap yourself out
of being on tilt. It takes discipline. You have to
know your game, understand what situations could set
you off and recognize when your emotions are getting
the best of you. If you can master these elements you
will greatly reduce the amount of times you look back
on a session and attribute your lose to being on tilt.
