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ONLINE POKER: Thoughts on Avoiding Tilt

Tilt is a problem that affects every single person that plays poker.  You may read this and disagree but I feel confident that the above statement is correct.  Not everyone tilts in the same way.  Some players turn into complete maniacs.  Others tilt in much more subtle ways.  Perhaps they simply do not pay attention to all of the information that is available to them.  Perhaps instead of turning into a maniac they become passive in spots they usually are not, because of a fear of losing more money.  Bad beats and losing affects everyone differently and it is crucial that you know how they affect you so that you can combat tilt.

The players that excel in the highest limit cash games are the ones that are able to manage the best when losing.  Even the best of the best are not immune to tilt, but they tilt much less and in less damaging ways.  Some otherwise great players spend their entire lives in and out of money because they have serious issues with tilt.  Months of good play and hard work can be wiped out in one disastrous session of bull blown tilt.

Not all tilt is caused by things that occur at the poker table.  Fights with girlfriends, husbands, the boss, or any of a number of other real world stressors can cause a player to play below their ability.  If you find that you have problems with this the best thing to do may be to just be aware of the problem and avoid playing when you are likely to play beneath your potential.  This may hurt your earn but not nearly as much as a disastrous session when you take your anger with your wife out on your bankroll.

While away from the table stressors can cause tilt the most common cause of tilt is a run of bad cards or an especially bad beat in a large pot.  Human beings are emotional and it is very difficult to continue to play well in the face of these things.  Everyone has a different point when they start to steam, be it a dollar amount, or particularly bad beat.  Be aware of what your triggers are.  Knowing what is likely to set you off will make it easier for you to take preemptive actions.

Unfortunately knowing why your upset or tilting and stopping doing so are two different things entirely.  Try to regain control before it is lost.  Tighten up* to prove to yourself that you are in control.  Focus hard and make sure that you…

Stay in the moment

What has happened in the past or what you want to happen in the future is irrelevant**.  In the past you have been losing or have suffered a bad beat that has upset you.  In the future you want to win your money back, which could cause you to take unnecessary risks in an effort to recoup your losses.  These things are irrelevant.  These things are actually very detrimental.  Stay in the moment and focus on the job at hand which is making…

One Good Decision at a Time

This is the most important thing you can do when things start to go bad at the poker table.  Everything else is just noise.  Given the information I have what is the very best decision I can make.    Keep stringing these good decisions together and before long you should find that your equilibrium is returning.  Take pride in the fact that you have not tilted when many others would have declared war on their bankroll.  Stay in the moment, and make one good decision at a time.

Some days even the best players will be unable to maintain their cool.  There may be a combination of personal issues and bad luck at the table that makes it impossible to retain concentration.  Despite your best efforts you are having an impossible time following through on what you know is the best course of action.  At these times it is best to pack it in for the day.  It is hard to quit when in this mental state, but it can be one of the most important decisions that you can make.  If you find yourself unable to make correct decisions do yourself a favor and get this one right.  Get up and go home.  The game will be there when you get back.  Do not turn a bad session into a catastrophic one.  Feel good about yourself for making this decision, as it is incredibly hard to do.  If you are unable to make this decision then you may need to put some restrictions on when you stop for the day.

Stop-Loss

A stop-loss is simply a number that you select as the most you are willing to lose in any given session***.  Math guys will argue against stop-losses and in a perfect world they would indeed be unnecessary.  We do not however live in a perfect world and a stop-loss may be the only way some players have of protecting themselves against large losses.  If you find that in the heat of battle you have a very hard time knowing when you are playing poorly, or a very hard time stopping once you identify the poor play you may want to consider a stop-loss.  Three buy-ins at no-limit or 30 big bets in limit may be appropriate stop-losses.  If you have trouble stopping when you are losing consider a stop-loss.

Ability to deal with tilt is one of the things that keeps many otherwise competent players from reaching the upper limits.    There are no easy fixes or simple ways to avoid tilt.  Learn to identify what sets you off and try to take preemptive actions.  Tighten up and prove to yourself that you are in control when things start to go bad.  Focus on staying in the moment and making one good decision at a time and you may find yourself able to continue to play well in the face of adversity.  If you are unable to continue to play well then you need to be able to get up and walk away and stop the bleeding.  This decision is very difficult for many players.  If you have difficult making this decision then you may want to consider a stop-loss.  If you can learn to identify when you are off your game and take steps to avoid turning minor set-backs into catastrophic losses your bankroll will thank you for it.

*It could be argued that tightening up is a form of tilt, since you are playing differently than you normally would.  This may be true but I still find that it is a good idea to do so.

**It should be clarified that I am not talking about what other players have done in the past.  As always you want to stay alert to how your opponents play and what their tendencies are.

***A stop-win is the exact opposite.  A stop-win is never a good idea.