On Tilt: How to avoid a dangerous situation

Going on tilt is quite possibly the single most important and significant money drainer on a poker player’s bankroll.

I remember when I was first starting out, I used to lose a big hand and I would get so angry that I could feel my cheeks burn up with redness. What happened after that would sometimes be a blur, but I know I would usually go home pretty much broke. So what was that?

I didn’t know there was a name for it, and when I told my poker pro friend about it, he let me know that I had gone on “tilt” and my money disappeared as a result.

By definition, tilt is to play wildly or recklessly. A player is said to be "on tilt" if he’s not playing his best, playing too many hands, trying wild bluffs, raising with bad hands, etc.

What causes tilt? Well, a number of situations cause a player to play poorly and on tilt.

Here are the most common reasons:

• Losing a lot of money on a big hand
• Losing a big pot on the river when our opponent had no business hanging around
• Losing a hand when at one point you clearly had the best hand and other players wouldn’t fold
• Playing correctly and still losing
• Slow-playing big hands only to be outdrawn at the end

For some situations, there’s nothing you can do. Being outdrawn is a part of poker. But for others, such as slow-playing, bad outcomes are definitely avoidable. Remember, it’s much better to win a small pot than to lose a huge one.

Unless you flop the absolute nuts, do not slow play. Many times, I’ve seen a player check post flop even though they have top pair. What’s the point of that?

Always remember that most people you play against aren’t playing a high caliber of poker. Not everyone has put in the time and effort to master the craft and when a good player goes on tilt, they are stooping to the level of these other players.

They begin playing marginal cards in early positions when they are most likely to be raised and possibly re-raised. These actions waste chips and they call everything to the bitter end, even when it’s obvious that they’re beaten. These actions further weaken their stack as well as their self-esteem.

How do you overcome tilt? Anything I say is in theory because it’s virtually impossible to play poker and never go on tilt at some point. It just happens. I’m guilty of it as well. 

The goal is to minimize these occurrences and then minimize the damage caused by them. If you have a bad beat, or feel that you were beaten by a player playing badly, forget it. Control your emotions.

You are not going to win every hand you play; it’s a part of the game. Just absorb the loss and move on. If you’ve had several bad losses in a row and feel yourself losing control of your emotions, take a break or call it a night.

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is a player trying to get it all back in the next hand and then digging themselves a deeper hole.

It’s ok to have a losing session. It’s not ok if the losing session completely breaks you. Sometimes, the best way to end a losing streak is to simply walk away. It’s easier said than done, and requires discipline but it may be the decision that saves you.

Stop playing marginal hands. The best way to get your head back in the game is to tighten up and start with better hands to play. If you do this, your results will improve.

Avoid tilt and watch your bankroll become more consistent.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

-Carrie