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Controlling Your Emotions and Avoiding Tilt in Poker
- By Thomas Kearns
- Published 03/2/2010
- Stress Management
- Unrated
Most folks when asked about what constitutes a really good poker player will respond with such qualities as calculated thinking, talent, lack of risk aversion and so on. The one aspect most mentioned by all, however, is psychological toughness and endurance.
The term “tilt†is one just about everyone has heard of and refers to a change of course in the game – a downturn. Tilt represents a specifically poker-related mental and emotional state, one where the player is irrationally influenced into making moves he never would have made in his normal play. Quite often, in this tilted condition, the player begins a sudden phase of loose-aggressive play or can turn into an unmanageable maniac, or many other weird undesirable deviations from his usual method of play. At times, fear is behind the tilt and the player becomes tight-passive. Whatever the tilt origination, the player is headed down the road to defeat.
The wise player will avoid being tilted in the first place rather than attempt to undo the damage it will inevitably cause. The best way to avert this type of disaster is to gain a thorough knowledge and understanding of the game of poker. You need to familiarize yourself with what distance and dispersion mean in poker to enable you to more easily get through the tough times. In many aspects of life, not just at the poker table, knowledge of mathematical statistics and the laws of probability will lead to a firmer grasp of reality.
Understanding statistics gives you an awareness that specific combinations do not always guarantee the same result. For instance, AQs is only a 68% successful combination. It stands a good chance of losing approximately one out every three deals.
It would be nice if knowledge alone was all that was needed – not so. Of course you are aware that bad things can occur but you don’t dwell on the negative. Even so, when they do happen, that extraordinarily lucky, but obvious beginner, can drive you up the wall and very shortly put you into full tilt mode and you are off on a tangent. Even if you recognize the tilt, you are too far gone at this point to control it.
So besides theoretical knowledge, you might try another means to avoid the tilt and that would be an awareness of your personal triggers or hot buttons that when pushed send you off into the cosmos.
You must have a clear idea of an event to gain any control over it. You must be able to recognize such an event coming on before it hits and brings out the demons in you. Do not go with falling blindly under the spell of the tilt, observe yourself prior to, during and after the event and this insight will help you avoid the sensation of impending doom and can be more easily dealt with.
Once you have learned to think about it pragmatically, even before you acquire any specific on controlling tilt, you will be able to respond to the signs of an impending tilt in a controlled, analytical way.
The term “tilt†is one just about everyone has heard of and refers to a change of course in the game – a downturn. Tilt represents a specifically poker-related mental and emotional state, one where the player is irrationally influenced into making moves he never would have made in his normal play. Quite often, in this tilted condition, the player begins a sudden phase of loose-aggressive play or can turn into an unmanageable maniac, or many other weird undesirable deviations from his usual method of play. At times, fear is behind the tilt and the player becomes tight-passive. Whatever the tilt origination, the player is headed down the road to defeat.
The wise player will avoid being tilted in the first place rather than attempt to undo the damage it will inevitably cause. The best way to avert this type of disaster is to gain a thorough knowledge and understanding of the game of poker. You need to familiarize yourself with what distance and dispersion mean in poker to enable you to more easily get through the tough times. In many aspects of life, not just at the poker table, knowledge of mathematical statistics and the laws of probability will lead to a firmer grasp of reality.
Understanding statistics gives you an awareness that specific combinations do not always guarantee the same result. For instance, AQs is only a 68% successful combination. It stands a good chance of losing approximately one out every three deals.
It would be nice if knowledge alone was all that was needed – not so. Of course you are aware that bad things can occur but you don’t dwell on the negative. Even so, when they do happen, that extraordinarily lucky, but obvious beginner, can drive you up the wall and very shortly put you into full tilt mode and you are off on a tangent. Even if you recognize the tilt, you are too far gone at this point to control it.
So besides theoretical knowledge, you might try another means to avoid the tilt and that would be an awareness of your personal triggers or hot buttons that when pushed send you off into the cosmos.
You must have a clear idea of an event to gain any control over it. You must be able to recognize such an event coming on before it hits and brings out the demons in you. Do not go with falling blindly under the spell of the tilt, observe yourself prior to, during and after the event and this insight will help you avoid the sensation of impending doom and can be more easily dealt with.
Once you have learned to think about it pragmatically, even before you acquire any specific on controlling tilt, you will be able to respond to the signs of an impending tilt in a controlled, analytical way.
Thomas Kearns
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Players Only and Rakeback at Poker Kings.
View all articles by Thomas Kearns