The concept of tilt is something most poker players are aware of, but the severity of the effect is only realized by a few. Taking a bad beat or two then losing your composure during a poker game is called tilt. When another player gets under your skin it can also happen. You tend to make plays you wouldn’t normally make which end up costing you money when on tilt. Often these plays cost you a lot of money. When playing live in a casino or card room, you only lose control at one table at a time then usually can regain your composure after just a few hands. Playing online on 6 to 8 tables a once is a different story.
There are many advantages to playing online like multi-tabling and faster dealing, which allows you to play far more hands than live play. If you’re playing your best poker this is a great way to make money, until you tilt which can cost you a small fortune. You will more than likely tilt for 3 or 4 hands in a live game in the ten minutes it takes for you to calm down. During a game online in ten minutes you may see 60 or more hands go by. Chances are you will make more mistakes and lose more money if you are tilting for 60 hands. Poker players tend to become more agitated when this happens, instead of calming down, costing them more money. Of course losing money will cause a player to stay on tilt longer and so the cycle continues. These situations can be identified.
If you are normally a tight solid player but find yourself playing fast and loose, chances are you are experiencing tilt. If you have lost several hands in a row this can be a sign. If you’re losing a lot of chips you may be tilting, so you better do something fast.
Taking a walk, as easy as it sounds, or taking a ten minute break, can help you regain your composure. The problem is, if you stand up every time you lose a big hand you’ll spend more time walking than playing poker. Tightening up and paying close attention to your game is a more realistic solution. Talking to yourself, as crazy as it may sound, may help plays make more sense after losing a big pot. If you ask yourself, “Does it make sense to raise with Ace Four Suited under the gun?”, and your answer is no, then you should probably fold. You can also fold a few borderline plays that you may otherwise take a chance with. You may be surprised at how many mistakes you can save yourself from just by talking to yourself.
Whatever the answer for you is while on tilt the most sensible thing is to do whatever works for you to get your head back in the game. Your bankroll may take a big hit otherwise, especially if you’re multi-tabling.
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