Tilt Control: When Your Head Is About to Explode, What Do You Do?

[douglasrann]

Let’s talk about that moment we all face, when the last card flipped feels like a bad joke, and all you want to do is blow everything up. The dreaded tilt. What are your techniques for keeping a cool head when the deck seems to be conspiring against you? Any valuable tips that saved you from ruin?

 

[La reytor]

To avoid tilt in poker, take a break when you feel yourself losing control, remember that poker is a long-term game, and analyze whether your decisions were correct instead of focusing only on the outcome. Keep a good control of your bankroll to reduce the pressure, and consider mindfulness techniques to stay calm. Talking to other players can also help put things in perspective and prevent a losing streak from affecting your game.

 

[pirateglenn]

I think the win here is all in the mind even before you sit down to play - i play with a solid framework of when to call, raise, fold and control those things, the board and RNG is something obviously we cannot control.
Look at keeping to your style, try not to change, dont expect to automatically win with an overpair or better, play the board to the last card and be brave, make those decisions and accept all outcomes.
Each BB for me - only serves to make me a better and stronger player.

If you asked me this at 18 or 28 even - the TV may have been launched!

Experience - take those breaks, even when playing well.

 

[john_entony]

Let’s talk about that moment we all face, when the last card flipped feels like a bad joke, and all you want to do is blow everything up. The dreaded tilt. What are your techniques for keeping a cool head when the deck seems to be conspiring against you? Any valuable tips that saved you from ruin?

Always remember what we're all playing for. For money, right? When we still have some small part of the stack left, we need to coldly analyze what we can do in the current situation. First of all, if after a bad hand we get a monster hand, we should just go all-in (thus simulating a tilt). Sometimes this pseudo-tilt gives us an opportunity to double or triple our stack. Secondly, if we still have a tournament opportunity to get into the prize zone, we should try to do it (yes, sometimes using time-banking). Thus, getting into the prize zone will help make losing in the key hand of the tournament not so unpleasant.

 

[havingfun]

It does get me very upset when it happens and often I do end up playing way worse after, but I try to make sure I never play with money that I can not afford to lose.
That helps me settle again after a while.

 

[douglasrann]

It does get me very upset when it happens and often I do end up playing way worse after, but I try to make sure I never play with money that I can not afford to lose.
That helps me settle again after a while.

It's hard for me to get that kind of thought since I always think I can make the money I've been losing all along. But I will try to look for this kind of thought.

 

[douglasrann]

I think the win here is all in the mind even before you sit down to play - i play with a solid framework of when to call, raise, fold and control those things, the board and RNG is something obviously we cannot control.
Look at keeping to your style, try not to change, dont expect to automatically win with an overpair or better, play the board to the last card and be brave, make those decisions and accept all outcomes.
Each BB for me - only serves to make me a better and stronger player.

If you asked me this at 18 or 28 even - the TV may have been launched!

Experience - take those breaks, even when playing well.

I'll look for that kind of thought when I'm playing.

 

[infonazar]

Let’s talk about that moment we all face, when the last card flipped feels like a bad joke, and all you want to do is blow everything up. The dreaded tilt. What are your techniques for keeping a cool head when the deck seems to be conspiring against you? Any valuable tips that saved you from ruin?

I don't face such moments. I simply don't have them, because I play poker primarily for fun and take any situation in stride. Besides, I play for money that I can afford to spend, so I never get upset about failures.

 

[MK_]

I think the first thing to do is realize you need to understand why tilt happens...,

you aren't going to win every hand no matter how well you think you played it,

maybe read up on the mental game of poker, entitlement syndrome, etc.,👍

 

[Suns of Beaches]

Lower ur expectations. Expect to loose before the card(s) hit.

If u have no other games open go away from the computer and try to focus on something else.

I saw situations like this many times: someone goes allin pre with let's say AK against KK. Board brings AxxxK. Now the AK player starts to talk about a horrible one outer and how unlucky he was getting rivered there. But it's not true because the money went in with him as an underdog for 5 cards to come when they agreed on allin preflop. The final board just shows one of many losing combinations to his hand. So if u go or call all in preflop be aware that the final board is what counts in relation to ur hand and not anything else.

 

[Flyer35]

All of the above. You can't outrace fate, unless you live for a million years. See my analysis:

"Does luck or skill prevail in poker?"

What do you consider more important: luck or skill in poker?

www.cardschat.com

 

[pavel1111111]

I stop whatever i play or do in that moment and go out to fresh air drink something , not neccessary alcool , important is to get out of the house

 

[blueskies]

Quit for the day.
Get them the next time.
Easier said than done yes.

 

[thetick33]

This comes with experience...Is almost same as just answered on tournament poker thread...Anytime someone else gets in your head or you tilt this is a weakness of your mindset....You only get confidence imo but experience...I go in tournaments basically same way except believe life I am the best player....I own the table without caring who they are how famous they are or there history....On here mindset is a bit different am playing friends play a lot different here imo then do even on sites that are not this group of players maybe one or two...When enter tournaments im not looking to bubble its one of four things I want but im playing to win always....Sometimes here im playing for position over a bubble or win have more patience....If you get tilted by anything cards luck what someone else is doing you need to simply play a lot more....Its been a long time since I have tilted more then an darn keeping it PG moving on etc... I have never blew up live and is a good game shake hands etc...not matter the beat...basically might have learned something on some players that will try next time face etc but wont be tilted vs bad luck bad cards or someone's play...I am playing my game

 

[La reytor]

Tilt is a common problem in poker, but there are ways to control it. What helps me is taking breaks when I get frustrated, taking a breath and analyzing the game before acting, maintaining good bankroll management, and focusing on making good decisions instead of just worrying about the results.

 

[mssmotilda]

Let’s talk about that moment we all face, when the last card flipped feels like a bad joke, and all you want to do is blow everything up. The dreaded tilt. What are your techniques for keeping a cool head when the deck seems to be conspiring against you? Any valuable tips that saved you from ruin?

Just smile and remember that you were in the place of the opponent who ran you over, and not just once.

 

[dzsire]

It's not easy, but prevention is the most important thing here, because once you are on tilt, nothing good will come of it.
If you are already on tilt, then you are already in the spiral and almost all your decisions will be wrong and in this case even luck will turn away from you.
You have to learn that there are bad hands and even if it goes bad, you shouldn't lose your head. You have to accept that bad hands, bad beats, etc. can happen to everyone.

 

[stil370]

seriously, still working on that 1.
Always interesting to hear what others have to say about that

 

[tw082]

This doesn't happen to me much these days, but it used to be a common occurrence. However, when this or anything really bothers me I will implement one of a few different breathing techniques. I use different ones depending on the situation. If I am really frustrated or having anxiety while at my home. I like the Wim Hof method.

 

[pentazepam]

I play through the tilt. Have never been able to control it fully.

Fortunately, my C-game is better than most people's A-game.

 

[yuriko oyama]

My advice would be: try to get used to it as quickly as possible, because tomorrow it will happen again, and again, and again...

 

[ROYALROAD]

There must have been times in the past when you have inflicted these on your opponents. Let's remember that.

 

[Dejana]

It's easy - breathe, take a break... 🙂

 

[oriole]

I usually just go all-in on the next hand—definitely not the smartest move, haha.