Tilt Control

Tilt is when a poker player allows their emotions to cloud their decisions at the poker table. Tilt is usually brought on by a bad beats and can dramatically cut into your profits. Keeping tilt under control is vital for all poker players to increase profits. Over the years I have had a lot of problems with tilt, but with a few strategies have been able to better keep it under control and found ways to decrease the consequences of tilt on my bankroll.

Stop Loss

Setting a stop loss is very effective in combating tilt. Every player has a different tolerance for losses. What has always worked for me is if I lose more then 4 buy-ins I will quit regardless of how I feel I am playing. I found that for me after 4 buy-ins my decisions start to be more about the money rather then making the correct poker decision for that situation. Regardless of where you set your limit, the secret is to stick to it. Only you can know when you are starting to be influenced by how much money you have lost.

Dealing with Bad Beats

One bad beat can send people over the edge, starting a series of emotional plays that cause you to spew money to everyone at the table. If you are the type of person that is affected by bad beats it is best to come up with ways to calm down before heading back to the tables. This may be simply walking away from poker for a few hours or even for the day. Do something else to get it off your mind, then return to the tables when you are thinking clearly and capable of making correct poker decision.

Many people find listening to music can help them avoid tilt when playing. Find the music that works best for keeping you relaxed and try listening to it when at the tables.

Bankroll Management

This may not seem as obvious to many players, but making sure you are properly rolled for the stakes you are playing can have a huge impact on tilt control. If you lose more money then your bankroll can take it will begin to affect your decisions. Losing $200 when you only have $500 can have a much bigger impact then if your bankroll is $10,000. Bankroll management is a much larger topic then can be covered in this article. I would highly recommend reading more about bankroll management.

Bank Your Winnings

A topic that is far less discussed is the concept of “reverse” tilt. Many players will begin to play differently during a large winning session. For different people this can be cause by several reasons. Some people begin to think luck is on their side and start chasing draws when they don’t have the odds or feeling every bluff will work regardless of the situation. For others they begin to play more conservatively in order to protect their winnings. Whatever the case is for you, if you find you are not making correct decisions it may be time to take a break.

One thing to always remember with tilt control is that you can only control the way you play. If you continue to make correct decisions every time, regardless of the outcome, you will be a winning player in the long run. With time you will learn to deal with bad beats and big losses, which will have a dramatic affect on your bankroll.