Any Tip For Avoiding Tilt?

[Dazzler69 0]

I've been playing poker for about 18months now, I started out playing with friends and then moved to play online. I began at the real micro levels of 0.02/0.01 and slowly built myself up a bankroll playing SnG and Cash Games, after goin broke a couple of times. I managed to move up the levels quite well and have been playing at 0.50/0.25 level, but recently things are not going well for me, I lost on severeal occasions at the 0.50/0.25 level so i dropped down to try and build up again, but the same was happening. It has been a month now and I'm still losing. I used to play a fairly agressive style and it was working for me, I'd rarely ever throw out a stone cold bluff (as I'm not really confident in my ability to place others on a hand atm). If I ever did bluff it would be with outs, like a flush draw or a straight draw. But recently none of my draws seem to be hitting atm, and my big hands seem to be getting cracked consistently by very weak hands (most recent by 56off calling my 4x raise while they were out of position) and when this happens I am finding myself becoming extremely frustrated and it is starting to affect my play and it is costing me money.Does anyone have any tips or advice on how I can stop getting so tilted and losing my money?N.B - I'm new here so if this is in the wrong section or a simlar post has been made before, i apologize!

[Zach6668 513]

N.B - I'm new here so if this is in the wrong section or a simlar post has been made before, i apologize!

Works for me!Welcome to the forums!I'm too tired to think out a coherent answer... I tend to tilt a bit, although lately I've been better, but I think it's just because I haven't had a losing session in a while... :DAnyways, welcome.- Zach

[SCS 0]

Welcome to the forums.The best way to improve your game, is through experience and by discussing hands with other players. There are a lot of good players here and posting your hands will help you out a lot. One of the biggest obstacles facing the beginning player is that they don't know if they are losing because they are playing bad or are just running bad. It's easy to think that you are just unlucky, but you may not be playing winning poker. The best way to find out is to have someone go over hands with you and see if you're doing anything wrong.

[Actuary 3]

if your game is NL tournies, read Harrington on Holdem, the series.and read other books too for other games...And post hands and particiapte in other hands posted by others and give your opinion.THat is an excellent way to start seeing if you got the right idea and play decently.Bad players (thank god) get lucky a lot, too. And they will continue to suck and eventually the money flows toward better players who make correct decisions more frequently. Blaming variance is ok, you just need to know that is what it is.Also, focusing on the obvious hands is the easy way out.Look also at the marginal calls you make, or over bets with marginal hands into passive players who won't "tell you" that your TP is no good, and the missed value bets..etc. Post hands.welcome.ps: Oh and I find that not having any prolonged downswings is the best way to avoid tilt. js

[litlebullet 0]

How to avoid tilt? Happy thoughts of rainbow monkeys and cold showers. Just stop playing when you start tilting though. Seriously, that is the best way to avoid tilt.

[antistuff 0]

I have found that as I have grown to understand the game, how it works, and the reasons why some people win and some people lose I have been able to keep my emotions in check much better.To sum it up - you need to win more and lose less in in each situation than they would if the roles were reversed. Losing is a part of the game. Learn how to be a better loser.

[BudBundy 0]

"Everybody will eventually run worse than they thought was possible. The difference between a winner and a loser is that the latter thinks they do not deserve it."

[fighter 4]

Play with play money.

[Frez 0]

It's been said a thousand times by a thousand different writers:You can only control your own play. Get mad at yourself if you do something stupid. Post the hand and get advice on how to play it better. Be happy when your opponents do something stupid. That is where your long term profit comes from. Ask yourself: would I replay that hand with that player a thousand times and be happy with the long run results? If the answer is yes, then smile and move onto the next deal.

[Snamuh 0]

Once you start to let your emotions affect your game, you need to take a break. Then just tell yourself you are a good player (assuming you are one) and when you play again, play with confidence. Never play scared.

[Jordan 1]

Play within your bankroll.- Jordan

[Moneyball16 0]

Just stop playing when you start tilting though. Seriously, that is the best way to avoid tilt.

If you are just a cash game player this is your best advice. Dont worry about getting even just wait for the blinds then leave. I think I have good tilt control normally but anytime I think something might be affecting my play negatively or I stop focusing because Im too busy thinking about a hand I leave, normally come post on here or catch up on some TV and then if I feel like playing again afterwards Ill play some more.

[TheCinciKid 0]

I've never had a good answer for this question. If I did, I'd be playing poker for a living instead of goofing around at low stakes.Intellectually though, I'd say that the biggest key is to try to find a way to not get emotionally involved in the game. That's really the biggest key. If you can detach yourself emotionally, you can avoid tilt. Now, if you figure out a way to do that, let me know.

[Verdimme 0]

Tilt can be the result of many things. I've found that I tilt easier when:- I'm tired- I'm drunk- I'm not happy, I got a problem on my mindIf I'm in one of those conditions, I keep telling myself not to play. If I do, I only play insignificant stakes. I even play on one site with not much money on that site just for that sole purpose. Most of the times this happens when I'm drunk :)If I feel I'm tilting, I tell myself that after one more bad decision I need to stop. If I see myself raising J8s UTG again because its so pretty I call it a day. Harder said then done, but I'm making progress.Another thing I'd like to say is this:Don't get angry when you get outdrawn. Don't slam tables, don't yell. Just sit back and relax, and be genuinely happy for the fellow that took your stack. You know what poker is about, you are in it for the long run. The sequence I just described is also described in Psychology, and its supposed to make you tilt less. I don't remember the exact quotes hon ow it works with the brain, but I do remember that just sitting back and taking a deep breath can help alot.

[Roberts2003 0]

i think that its natural and okay to get angry when you get outdrawn. as you keep playing, you will realize that this is part of the game and cannot be avoided. G Bucks and S dollars are the key. What you should focus on is getting your $ in good, not whether you lose or win the hand. Also, getting angry after getting outdrawn and tilting are two separate things. It IS possible to be pissed after taking a an outdraw on the river and still play your A game. Just keep your poker thoughts separate from your emotions in this time period.

[Dazzler69 0]

Thanks for the input guys it is much appreciated and will take it and attempt to use it. Seeing as most of the post suggest posting hands here is the one that got me most recently, I didn't get as tilted as I have done previously but I did get angry as hell.$0.20/$0.10 Cash GameI’m dealt 9h9c on the button and call a raise of $1 as do 2 others, so 4of us see the flop. Pot = $4Flop = 5c 2c 4hP1 checksP2 checksP3 bets $2I raise to $5P1 foldsP2 foldsP3 Calls $3Turn = 6hP3 bets $6.55 all inI call $6.55River = 6cHe shows 7s 6s for 3 of a kind 6’s for a pot of $27.95I did not expect a call of $1 raise pre-flop from 6-7suited, let alone calling a bet and a re-raise with an open ended drawAgain your input is much appreciated! Thanks

[Gonefishin55 0]

I play at these limits, I stacked a guys KK with my 67suited yesterday. He min raised preflop. Flop was 774. EZ moneyPlenty of hands to worry about on the flop in my opinion. Obvious flush draw would have been my first thought. Then either a set or an overpair being held by bettor. Follow that by maybe he is holding a 3 like A3 or 33.What did you think he had calling your raise to $5? I would think he had a made hand or a big draw. I guess you thought he was making a C-bet after the flp to take the action away from you.

[Actuary 3]

imo, he outplayed you. (at least on the flop, for sure)Your flop raise was $3 and the pot was $11, given the money behind, I think he can call with almost always 8 outsDid you have good reason to think you were ahead + ahead at SD enough to call his turn shov getting 3:1That last questio is jsut curious, I'm not passing judgement on that call

[mln_falcon 0]

I used to tilt, I started to slam the table, throw things. I was getting worse rather than better.Now, I type in the chatbox and reload.It makes me feel better and has reduced the tilt alot. Find something like that, something not violent, that you can do.

[litlebullet 0]

I just scream at the computer and listen to heavy metal. I tilt less than I used to though.

[Actuary 3]

I used to tilt, I started to slam the table, throw things. I was getting worse rather than better.Now, I type in the chatbox and reload.It makes me feel better and has reduced the tilt alot. Find something like that, something not violent, that you can do.

wow.Um,... welll... um... if it works, what can I say!

[Verdimme 0]

Following is cross-posted from 2p2, and explains what I said earlier a bit better.'You get a bad beat. Your mind takes this as a threat (to your livlihood aka bankroll). First flow of adrenaline comes in. This flow is small, but prepares your mind and body for an encounter. You hit another badbeat. (Usually your tilt after 2) Now the major flow of adrenaline and other chemicals comes. Now here comes the intricate info, so pay attention. You're brain is made up of many parts, but the two that are related to poker are the amygdala and the lymbic system. The amygdala controls your basic emotions, sex,food,and when to fight or flight. Basically think of a dog's brain. The lymbic system is what separates us from the dog. Its an extra layer of tissue that we evolved on top of the amygdala. It controls a lot of what we think of as "concious thought". It is attributed to calculations, logic, and rationality. The amygdala is much more neccessary for us to live than the limbic system. It controls all of the basic needs for life, and its also the core part of the brain, the limbic system is an extension of it. Now back to poker. When we hit that second bad beat, and the large flow of chemicals starts, the amygdala takes over. We've been threatened and if we were cavemen, we need to decide on fight or flight. The amygdala is much faster than the limbic system to make decisions, but the decisions are very crude and far from very accurate. As the limbic system is no longer guiding our actions, we lose a lot of our control over solid logical decision making. What do you do to fix this? Take a break, get some excersize, and do not ruminate on the bad beat, you will just make the flow of chemicals even stronger and you will lose even more control. '

[Dazzler69 0]

imo, he outplayed you. (at least on the flop, for sure)Your flop raise was $3 and the pot was $11, given the money behind, I think he can call with almost always 8 outsDid you have good reason to think you were ahead + ahead at SD enough to call his turn shov getting 3:1That last questio is jsut curious, I'm not passing judgement on that call

Well before the flop I didnt expect him to call with A3 so I didnt think he would have flopped the straight. I thought I was definately ahead on the flop which why I raised, and it turns out I was correct in my assessment. I thought he was on a flush draw on and and I called his all-in because it was $6 into a pot that was approx $20, I also thought I was ahead at the point as the club didnt come on the turn and I was right I was approximately a 80% favourite and then he hit one of the cards that he needed.

[David_Nicoson 1]

Take frequent breaks. Try to emotionally distance yourself from what happened before the break. Think of it as a new session. As much as you can, avoid thinking of yourself as behind. When I focus on getting even instead of playing well, I will surely play badly.

[mln_falcon 0]

wow.Um,... welll... um... if it works, what can I say!

This is only if I'm sucked out on, If I'm playing bad I quit.you should try it.