Tilt: Why do I go on Tilt? How can I prevent it?
What is Tilt?
At the highest level, tilt is a state of mind in which you play poker sub-optimally to your usual game. It affects different people in different ways, but has a tendency to to reverse your game: If you are very aggressive, you might become passive when you go on tilt. If you’re tight and disciplined, it might make you become loose and impatient. When your emotions take control of your logical mind and you start making irrational decisions.
What causes players to go on tilt?
All poker players, whether they want to admit it or not, go on tilt from time to time. It is inevitable. Now matter how good we are, we are all human. The best players in the world have the strongest ability to limit tilt and control it’s effects on their decisions. The less experienced you are, the more likely tilt is going to effect you. Some of the reasons a poker player may go on tilt are:
- After losing a bit pot where they were a favorite
- Having to make several big folds in a row (ie. folding aces on the flop)
- Paying somebody off even though you knew you were beat
- Missing several draws in a row
- Constantly being re-raised when out of position
- Dealer mistakes, online lag, misclicks
- Urge to leave the table
- External Factors (fight with friend/spouse, laid off at work etc)
- Being stuck more than usual
- Getting bluffed by a rookie and having him show the hand
- Getting SlowRolled
How do I know if I’m on tilt?
Recognizing tilt is different for all players. As previously stated, different players have different severity levels and triggers of tilt. There are however commonalities in the deviations of optimal play – particularly mindset changes, rationalizing illogical decisions and so forth. Here are some of the thought processes you need to watch out for:
- Having a desire to “get even”
- Having a personal vendetta against a player who took a pot from you
- Over Estimating your implied odds – thinking if you hit your hand, you will always get paid in full
- Just “calling” when you think someone’s raise is weak. Generally this would call for a re-raise
- Either want to double up or leave. Going all in too frequently pre-flop
- Thinking you are “due” to hit a hand
But Why? Why would a player go on Tilt?
While not a psychologist, there are many innate things about human psychology that can be easily mapped to the causes of tilt. One must first understand the reasons why humans have emotions in the first place. It is theorized that when facing threatening stimuli – emotions helped us make split second decisions in the face of danger. Further to danger, in social situations people’s emotions are invoked by other humans challenging status in the social hierarchy. There are two responses – fight or flight. Your emotions will tell you to either stand up against the challenger or to back down and submit. Our society has evolved to a point where reason and intellect should negate these primitive emotions. In Poker, your chips will be in danger and people will challenge you the entire time. For example:
- Somebody goes all-in over the top of your raise, putting you to the test. This opponent does it frequently. This opponent is is challenging your status. Don’t let this challenge interrupt your normal, logical reasoning.
- You’ve lost a bunch of money tonight. If you leave while you are down, you’ll feel like a coward. In fact, it is weak-minded to not be able to control these emotions. There is nothing wrong with leaving when you are tilting – in fact it might save your bankroll.
Ok, I know I’m on tilt. What do I do?
Leave the table. Plain and simple. Even if just temporary – grab a drink of water, have some fresh air, maybe grab a hot dog – anything that helps you clear your mind. I assure you the most difficult thing you can do is try to ride tilt out at the tables. You are not a coward, you are not weak, you are not bad. You are on tilt and therefore should not play. Plain and simple.
What are some of the ways you deal with tilt? Leave your comments!
