The strains of poker can be both financial and mental, which is why so many players can get burnt out after long tournaments, continuous losing sessions, or even just a few bad beats. As a result they can allow their frustrations and stress levels to begin to have a major influence on their decision-making, usually with extremely negative results. This is known as going “on tilt”.
Tilt is a poker term used to describe a player that has lost their cool and is now allowing emotions to rule their decision making process. If not kept under control, going on tilt can lead to big losses in cash games and put your tournament life at risk.
Learn to Identify Your Tilt Symptoms
There are a lot of articles that suggest that successful poker players need to develop their mental toughness to the point to where they will never go on tilt; however, this is practically impossible to do. Instead, you will be better off learning to identify your own personal symptoms of tilt (they are different and unique for each individual), and also familiarize yourself with the best ways to recuperate from tilt tantrums. This is particularly important for players that want to play poker for a living (Playing for Living – Advanced).
Thankfully, it is not hard to identify when you may be suffering from a brief episode of tilt. Most people will exhibit changes in behaviour such as becoming irritated more easily than usual, changes in their body language and tone of voice, and carelessness in their game. The problem is that players normally aren’t thinking all that clearly when they go on tilt, so having the discipline to do the right thing can be difficult.
Stop Playing and Cool Down
A common solution recommended by many pros is to simply get up and leave the game. It is the same theory that applies to when you get very upset over something else in your life and you take a day to calm down and get back in the right frame of mind. This tends to cure typical tilt side effects in the vast majority of players, as most players just need some time away from the table to get their head back on straight. For online players this is an even easier thing to do, as they can just logoff and go do something else without having to get in the car and drive back home.
How to Get Back On Fighting Form
If you really don’t want to end your session for the day, it would at the very least be advisable take a quick lunch break, watch some TV, listen to music, and spend at least an hour or two unplugged from the poker world. By then most of the aggression and stress will have left your body and you can restart your session with a clean mental slate. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to call it a day and start fresh tomorrow.
Key Points
• Learn to identify your personal tilt symptoms.
• Take an immediate break from the game to cool down.
• If your frustration remains after an hour, quit for the day and block all aspects of poker from your life for at least a 24 hour period.
Chris
- Chris Laquinta is a magazine editor, content specialist and poker fanatic with 10+ years writing experience and over 1,500 published articles. Chris is a naitive of Southern California, where he spent his entire life learning gaming concepts and theories from relatives that had been former professional gamblers. He currently resides in Torrance, CA where he works as a professional content writer and part-time SNG professional.
