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As poker players, we are all too familiar with what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a bad beat.
In this article, I'm going to discuss what tilt is and how you can deal with it if you ever find yourself experiencing one!
What is Tilt?
You're down in chips, feeling frustrated and angry about what's happening. This is what is known as tilt.
Tilt can strike anyone at any time, but what most people don't know is that there are ways to recognize when you have a case of the tilt before it does damage to your game.
Tilt happens when we experience negative emotions such as frustration, anger, disappointment, or sadness.
These causes of tilt can be experienced during bad beats (e.g., losing a big pot after having the best hand), getting outdrawn by a miracle card on the river, or even just losing a big pot because of an unlucky draw.
Tilt can also be caused by what is known as running bad.
It's definitely not fun to lose with what you thought was going to be a winning hand only to find out that every other player in the game had better luck than you did.
Tilt can cause us to lose our focus on what's important in poker.
This is what happens when we go “on tilt” and start making plays that are out of character or playing too loosely because we're frustrated or angry about what has happened during the game.
We might also find ourselves behaving erratically, trying to intimidate other players, or being overly aggressive.
Tilt can be difficult to deal with because it often comes on suddenly and without warning.
In order to protect yourself from experiencing tilt, you should try your best to relax when playing poker if what has happened is going to make you feel angry or frustrated.
If what's happening at the table makes you want to leave or even smash your computer, do what you can to take a break and come back when you're feeling more relaxed.
How to Recognize When You Are on a Tilt
Tilt can strike anyone at any time, but what most people don't know is that there are ways to recognize when you have a case of the tilt before it does damage to your game.
In order to protect yourself from experiencing tilt, you should try your best to relax when playing poker if what has happened is going to make you feel angry or frustrated.
If what's happening at the table makes you want to leave or even smash your computer, do what you can to take a break and come back when you're feeling more relaxed.
Strategies For Dealing with Tilt
One of the most important things to remember is that tilt can be managed.
Tilt often comes on suddenly, so it helps if we have some strategies in place to help us deal with it when we're on the verge of tilting or if tilt has already struck.
One strategy that works well for many people is what's known as pressing.
This means you should play tight and try not to bet unless you have a strong hand, so your opponents will be less likely to outdraw you.
When you're playing tight, what you need to worry about is making sure that what's left in your stack will be enough for you to last the rest of the game.
Another strategy we can use when we find ourselves on tilt or there is a possibility we might go on tilt soon is what's known as semi-bluffing.
This means that we bet with what could be the best hand, but is also a bluff.
This will help us avoid tough situations and trick our opponents into folding when they otherwise might not have folded against a regular-sized bet.
Why It's Important to Know How to Deal With Tilt
It's important to know how to deal with tilt because what happens when we go on tilt can be really bad for our game.
Tilt is what causes us to make plays that are out of character or play too loosely because we're frustrated or angry about what has happened during the game.
We might also find ourselves behaving erratically, trying to intimidate other players, or being overly aggressive.
When we go on tilt what's left of our money can quickly disappear because it leads to us making bad decisions that cost us what would have been winning hands.
Because people are often tempted to bet their entire stack when they're tilting, what happens is you might put all your chips at risk for what is most likely a losing hand.
Tilting also causes what's known as leakage.
Leakage is what happens when we can't stop thinking about what has happened during the game, what our opponents might be holding, or how much money they have left in their stack that could potentially put us at risk of going on a losing streak.
Scenarios That Might Cause Someone To Experience Tilt
When we get angry with what has happened during the game it might cause us to experience what's known as trigger tilting.
This is what happens when we start to feel that someone has been taking advantage of us by trying to bluff or bet aggressively.
Another scenario where what happened can cause us to experience tilt is what poker players call the bad beat scenario, which means a player who normally wins only loses because they have what appears to be a good hand that they lose because someone else ends up with what would have been an even better hand.
People who are not used to playing poker can also experience what's known as situational tilting.
This is what happens when what happened during the game was so unexpected or unusual it might leave us feeling confused and upset.
Tips For Preventing Yourself From Experiencing Tilts In The Future
The best way to avoid what is known as free tilt or what we might experience when we haven't pre-planned what can happen, what we will do if it happens, and how much money we have allowed ourselves for that specific situation is by what's known as pre-flop planning.
This is what happens when we plan out what could happen during the game so that we can avoid what might have been dangerous situations.
What you should also consider doing to prevent yourself from experiencing tilts in the future is what's known as post flop analysis, which means watching and thinking about what has happened during the game once it's over.
This will help you avoid what might have been dangerous situations in future games.
Another way to prevent yourself from experiencing tilt is by what poker players call spotting suckouts.
Suckouts are when an opponent ends up with what would have been a better hand than yours despite not having what you had.
In order to spot what's known as suckouts what might help is when they're not used to playing poker, being aware of what would have been better handed and what wouldn't have been a big deal.
In addition to spotting suckouts it can also be helpful for us what we know about someone else's playing style what might cause us to get on tilt.
This is what happens when what you know about someone else's play will help you avoid what might have been dangerous situations in the future.
Conclusion
You have a case of tilt if you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or tired.
There are strategies for dealing with these feelings and preventing them from happening again in the future.
Knowing how to deal with tilt will help you get more out of your day by being able to stay focused on what needs to be done without feeling like it's too much at once.
