Tilt
pokermatt, Apr 23 2010
A poker player's worst enemy is himself and his emotions, not as his opponent's as some may be lead to believe. When a poker player has let his emotions take over his game, he is known as being on tilt and the dreaded tilt as decimated and taken many a person's bankroll over the years.
Tilt comes in many shapes and forms, including No Limit holdem but they all point to a person playing poker sub-optimally. When a player goes on tilt, they may start to play far too loose and aggressive and begin to make plays and calls that have a negative equity. This in turn puts them deeper into tilt and the cycle continues.
Another form of tilt, that is much more difficult to spot, is passive tilt. This type of tilt usually sees the player tighten up and stop playing as aggressively as they usually do such as folding when they would usually call or not chasing draws even when they have the correct odds to do so.
Preventing yourself from going on tilt is a very difficult thing to do and can only really be done through months, if not years, of practice. One measure you can put in place straight away is to have an adequate bankroll for the stakes you play, this way if you lose a hand that costs you a full stack the financial implications are not as severe as if you were playing with your entire worth at the table.
You also need to train yourself not to become results orientated and instead focus on making decisions that have a positive expectation in the long run. Just because your opponent hit his flush this time, despite you pricing him out of calling, but in the long term playing like that will cost him money and therefore make you money.
If you find yourself slipping into the dark depths of tilt the best action to take is to simply sit out for a few hands until your emotions are back in control. Even if it means you chill out and watch some Poker Videosinstead.
This is easier at a cash game where you can sit out immediately but more difficult in a tournament scenario. If you are going on tilt in a tournament, either step away from the table for a few minutes and calm down or simply say you will only play kings or aces in the next orbit or two and then revert back to your usual game.
|
