Avoiding Tilt
‘Tilt’ is another poker term that refers to a player who is now playing at a much lower level than he was previously, or is capable of. A player who is now on tilt usually just suffered an unusually bad beat, and is no longer treating his chips with the same cool calm-head that he was using before. A player on tilt will often be betting and raising with hands that don’t justify it, in a misguided effort to make up for whatever it was that set him on tilt. Going on tilt can happen to any player, anytime. It can be quite hard to stay level-headed after losing with the top set, against a drunken opponent who went perfect-perfect for a gutshot straight.
The best way to avoid going on tilt is to knowing all the different things that can set people off. One must be aware of the different things that can make them upset, and try to consciously not let them bother them. All great poker players are able to keep their emotions in check. While all luck balances out in the long run, it is important not to let the short term luck inherent in poker become an overwhelming problem.
On the topic of emotions, remember that in all walks of life, emotion clouds judgment. Whenever someone goes through a large emotional swing, whether good or bad, it can often be a good idea to take a step back from the table, and let what happened sink in. It’s common for players to overplay a hand soon after a large win, or loss. These players are letting their emotions interfere with their judgment, which is something you should never do.
Sometimes going on tilt won’t immediately happen due to one cataclysmic event. Often times it slowly creeps upon a player after a series of small bad beats. These situations are often more dangerous, because players can slowly over time go on tilt and not even realize what’s happening to them. Signs of this type of tilt will often be when one starts to play too many hands out of position, or people start calling in too many situations where it’s obvious they are beat.
The key way of beating tilt is to be aware of it. Keeping oneself off of tilt can save tons of money in the long run.