a little tip on tilt

Tilt is the "cancer" of a poker player. If you go on tilt, just one bad decision can ultimately lead to your losing the game. Tilt creates a negative momentum that will lead you to lost pots and more bad luck...

So how can you avoid tilt?

Well, since tilt is usually the result of a bad beat, you've got to BE AWARE OF YOUR BEHAVIOR after a bad beat. Personally, any time I get a bad beat, I instantly fold the next 5 hands or so (unless I've got a high pocket pair). It's kind of like taking a break. This gives me the chance to cool off.. and "restart" my thinking process.

The NATURAL behavior after a bad beat is to immediately start betting more aggressively, in hopes of winning back the chips you just lost. Of course, that will just hurt you further. So when you feel "tilt" creeping into you, take a break and relax. Clear your mind and start to mount a comeback.

When someone at the table gets HOT, what do you normally do? Most players feel bitter and start to play against the guy who keeps getting lucky. They want to beat him. If someone else is hot, don't go up against them. Especially avoid trying to bluff them or going heads up for a big pot (unless you've got a monster). Instead of giving this lucky player a chance at winning your chips, minimize their luck.

It's the same way with tilt. When you see someone on tilt, you definitely want to take advantage of the situation. Make a large pre-flop raise and try to go heads up with the guy on tilt. You want to be the one who wins all his chip. After all, he's on tilt so there's a good chance he's going to make a stupid bet. Try to force him all in and win the rest of his stack.

Nice post Trible! I agree with you on this subject. You have to strike while the iron is hot. Played in tourney last night and that was the setting for 2 players at the table, didn't take long they beat themselves. They were upset with me on their last all-in crap and I called their bluff with a A high flush,they had nothing! Knocked them both out,they chatted with me a bit switched around words( I can't put in) and said I baited them the whole time for the play.(I did hit it right off) It was the truth and don't deny it,but they should have thought of it before hand instead re-raising all the time.

I agree with Selynn on this one. Very good post Tribal. It is hard to not play against the idiot that is getting lucky. You know there luck is going to run out sooner or later. I'll have to give your calm down period a chance.

BUT......... If you do happen to flop a monster next hand you can use your "implied" tilt to your advantage. An all-in push is much more likely to be called (often with an inferior hand) than a similar bet from someone else on the table.

Good point I've used this online a few times after bad beats. Mr. 4/8 os cracks me then next hand Pocket thunder. All-in, Mr. 4/8 and others call thinking I'm desperate and crazy. Hehe I win.

Great posts all. One thing you can do online when you feel yourself going on tilt, go to a very low limit table (like .05 and .10) and splash around a bit. Get it out of your system but at a micro limit game where you won't due much damage to your bankroll. In fact one top player (I think it was Negreanu) suggested players should play like a maniac for one session at a low limit game just to see what it feels like from a maniac's perspective.

Tribal, your post is what I wanted to read.

I am very much a beginner at online poker and I find myself falling into the trap of 'tilt' all the time. Now I know that there is a word for it and I recognise the symptoms, I can begin to work towards eradicating the 'tilt' that often cleans out my bankrolls.

Thank you and thank you again, your post was invaluable.

No problem El Viajero, i'm glad you found this advice helpful.

very nice post TK. ive experienced this a few times as im sure we all have lol. but as you say if you give it some time and come off the bad beat you should be ok


g/l

Tilt can also be from winning a big huge pot, your head swells, you play more hands thinking you're ferior, bet more pre-flop. Just because you took a great swing instead of the bad swing.

This is so true!!! I've found myself fall victim to this myself, and is one of the aspects of my game that I need to work on. The other side of tilt (losing your cool) I think I pretty well have a handle on (most of the time ).

Rob made a great point as well, and I too have used this to my advantage on more than one occassion!

Great advice form tribal and rob used both to my advantage today
Thanks for the tips once again

This is a thread written by Joshyb20 awhile ago and I never forgot it but it goes along the same lines as Tribals post.

"For those about to tilt"..... I salute you LOL thats the name of the thread just ressurecting some good ol' stuff

For those about to Tilt....

I love to take advantage of this when a guy sucks out on me. The guy who just lucked out and won a big pot is on win tilt (he starts to think he's invincible, getting involved in too many hands and playing aggressively). Meanwhile, rather than going on loss tilt (thinking I need to get back my chips and/or get revenge, so I'd play too many hands and play them aggressively), I start to play more deceptively, especially against the guy on win tilt. I know he's going to be throwing chips around with anything, so it's more profitable to slowplay with a monster against him. It's happened a couple of times that I won more than I'd previously lost because the guy tries a large, ill-advised bluff or loose bet.