Steps to Avoid Going on Tilt in Poker
Many players talk about going on tilt, and even more talk about
not going on tilt. But like a deer caught in headlights, to save
yourself you must focus on ways to get away instead of the
oncoming disaster. Poker is so mentally draining that a bad beat
or a moment of bad play can turn your profitable session into a
downward spiral. Here are a few tips I've learned from playing
online poker for the past few years.
1. The second you realize you are making calls are raises that
you never should, get away from the tables. Go for a walk and
focus on something besides poker. Forget about the cards, give
your attitude time to adjust, let your mind go free.
2. Call a fellow poker friend. Let them reassure you when you
made the right move, or laugh at the bad play of an opponent.
When the bad play is your own, get advice; just talking about it
will help you learn from your mistakes.
3. If you continue to play, then become even tighter than usual.
Win a few pots and get your confidence back. Then you can slowly
move back into your normal poker strategy.
4. Just remember that bad beats and mistakes are part of the
sport. Every professional in any sport makes mistakes and
encounters unfortunate luck.
5. Final advice is a piece of simple philosophy: Have a
short-term memory when it comes to bad beats and a long-term
memory when you made a mistake.