Avoiding Tilt

Tilt is a HUGE factor in poker, in most cases it is the difference between a winning and breakeven/losing player. So it is therefore essential that you can recognize tilt and know how to control it. As I was a prime suspect to tilt for many months, I really had to work on controlling it and methods to control it, so that I could stop losing money in stupid ways. I hope to relay some of the things that I learnt along the way to you.

The first and most important thing you must do is recognize when you are on tilt, if you don't know you are on tilt, then you will not be able to stop it. You really do have to try to not think about big pots you lost a little while back, just play the hand as if nothing out of the ordinary (no bad beats) happened previously, this is the first step to killing tilt. If you cannot do this and you are constantly thinking about that lost pot, look CLOSELY at how you are playing, think to yourself 'would i raise that hand if I had not lost that big pot?', if the answer is 'No', and you can't put that bad beat behind you, QUIT. Go and do something else until you have forgotten about that bad beat and are back on top of your game, for as long as it takes, DO NOT go back until you are back to 100%.

One thing I find that helps get rid of tilt quickly enough is to take a break when you feel yourself tilting, and do something PHYSICAL. Go for a run, play some football, kick a dog, wack off to some ****. This will help burn off that anger that is built up inside you and I have found that it generally makes you feel so much better.

Also, set yourself limits as to how much you can lose in one day. Say if you are playing $25 NL, you can limit yourself to losing 4 buyins in a day ($100), if you surpass a $100 loss, QUIT FOR THE DAY. Do this no matter what, even if you feel you are playing your best. This is because tilt is hardest to spot when you are down lots for a day and trying to make it back before the day is out. It's times like these that you do little things, like missing a bet, misreading someone, that REALLY do affect your bankroll in the long run, and it is so hard to spot when you do this. So if you quit for the day if you reach your loss limit then you are guaranteed to come back fresh the next day and ready to kill some fishies.

Remember, you don't HAVE to play poker, it is there for you any time you want to play at the click of a button. Don't play poker because you feel you are obliged to. Play when you are feeling 100% and when you feel you are on top of your game.

I hope this post helps you out. Remember, EVERYBODY goes on tilt, you’re not the only one. Learn to take measures against it to maximize your profits!