Understanding Tilt and Controling it While at the Poker Table

Most folks when asked about what constitutes a really good poker player will respond with such qualities as calculated thinking, talent, lack of risk aversion and so on. The one aspect most mentioned by all, however, is psychological toughness and endurance.

No doubt many of you have heard about "tilt" in poker: the term implies a certain change in the game - a change for the worse. The term stands for a specific poker-related psychological condition, a state of affect in which a player is emotionally influenced into playing the way he would never play in a normal state. Usually a player in a tilted state is taken to start a sudden spell of loose-aggressive play, becomes an unmanageable maniac, though there can be other more or less similarly undesirable changes in the players normal game. Some players are driven into tilt by fear and so become tight-passive. In any case, the result is usually a complete defeat.

One can save money and psyche by averting the disastrous tilt rather than attempting to struggle against it once it has you under its spell. An in-depth knowledge of poker is helpful. An understanding of distance and dispersion in poker will make it easier to get through the rough patches. Also, a general awareness of what mathematical statistics and probability theory laws are can give you a more realistic view of poker and many other aspects of life.

Even a simple comprehension of statistics will help you to realize that specific combinations do not always result in specific results of success, e.g., AQs in combination come with a 68% chance of success which can result in a loss of one out of every three deals.

As we all know, knowledge in itself is not enough to always be of assistance. One can be in total awareness that odd things occur and that you can handle the situation. But a long train of bad cards can upset the coolest cat and the lucky morons become even more annoying at this point. Despite your coolness, in spite of yourself, you may find that you are running completely amok. This is tilt, my friend, and you must ride it to the best of your ability without becoming completely unhinged.

For now, yes; but besides theoretical knowledge, there is another trick which may help you avoid going on tilt: a practical knowledge of your personal "triggers" - those specific events which trigger the undesirable reaction.

To gain control over any event, you need to have a full understanding of it prior to its inception. You need to be able to identify it prior to its occurrence so you can thwart that demon in you that sends you out of control. This will allow you to avoid flailing blindly into full tilt mode, because you knew the signs in yourself before, during and after the event and can catch yourself before madly spiraling into the abyss. You will be able to maintain at least a semblance of clear headedness and reverse the trend if not altogether avoid it.

Once you have learned to think about it pragmatically, even before you acquire any specific on controlling tilt, you will be able to respond to the signs of an impending tilt in a controlled, analytical way.