Playing Smart, Avoiding Tilt

When a player lets his emotions, not his brain, control how he plays poker he is said to be on tilt. Referred to as tilting, this method of play can often cause a player to make rash decisions and play poor poker.

Not falling into the trap of tilt takes an understanding of why a player goes into tilt in the first place.

A few common reasons player revert to tilt are:

1. Poor or dumb play by others at the table. Ever met someone who plays all the wrong hands and bets at the wrong times? Seeing someone do this a few times can cause some players to explode and fall into tilt.
2. A huge bet is lost on a bad beat…meaning you should have won the hand but didn’t do to bad luck on the turn or river.
3. A bluff causes you to lose to a worse hand.
4. After winning almost every hand you suddenly find yourself looking for hands to win and play.
5. You think you are better than you are at poker and are losing money because of it.
6. Although you have been getting good hold cards dealt to you, the right cards just aren’t flopping for you.
7. After folding an average hand you find out that you would have had an unbeatable hand after the flop or turn.
8. Haste causes you to fold a winning hand because you thought you had a worse hand and misread the situation.

Even if one of the eight things listed above happens to you, tilt isn’t going to help you recover losses. In most cases it will probably have the opposite effect, and help you to lose more money.

Some methods to avoid tilt:

1. Stop looking for the miracle river card. Fold average hands when you feel you are beat and avoid big losses early.
2. If at any point you feel yourself getting mad, take a time out and stop playing for a little while. Once you feel OK, start again.
3. Play against opponent’s who fit your skill level and comfort level. This will allow you to play more loose and avoid tilt.
4. Music can also help you to break this streak. Listen to some relaxing music or anything that will help you calm down. Keep changing up your tunes to keep the mood good enough to keep playing.
5. Just play the best you can and hope you do well. You are bound to lose some days, just accept it!

If you realize you are on tilt, you have to know you should stop the effects of tilt right away. Tilting is probably the number one cause for good players to lose their money. Keep your emotions separate from the game of poker, and play without tilt!