Be Cool, Just ... Be ... Cool - Coping with Tilt

We all have been there: You flop top set and expect to take down a huge pot. There really isn't even anything threatening on the board for you to fear. It came beautifully rainbow, so you have no real flush opposition. Jeez, there really isn't even any straight possibility. Your only concern is that you aren't going to be able to build up a large pot because of the strong chance that no one else has anything to play with. You wait until the turn to try to get at least one more bet. Much to your surprise, however, your opponent raises and you end up capping the action. You couldn't be happier! The river, however, brings a nice garbage sandwich for you in the form of a runner-runner backdoor flush for your opponent. It stings! It hurts! It just isn't fair! It's just not!



Yeah, yeah, yeah, boohoo. What is really going to define your night isn't this one hand – it rarely is. Rather, how you react to this one hand is going to make you a winner or a loser for the night. It's so clear and so obvious, and pros have spent years mastering the art of controlling their emotions. For novices – in other words, us – it is a little tougher than we thought it would be.



It all seemed so simple when I first started playing. What kind of nutcase would lose total control while, what, playing cards?! Are you kidding? It's cards. What could possibly get you so bent out of shape that you would lose all composure and make clear idiotic plays? I mean, most of the time – while playing limit poker, at least – there is a clear and obvious way in which you should proceed. Are you trying to tell me that even though I know this path, I will somehow be thrust from it simply due to my own wackiness? Come on now …



Well, actually, I am not suggesting that you may be pushed into this "temporary insanity" – I am guaranteeing it. The key to overcoming this concept of tilt is to understand it. We all do it. I do it. Doyle Brunson does it. Phil Ivey does it. Bear does it. It just comes with the territory. The good ones, though, don't try to eradicate it, they simply attempt to be aware of it and play around it. It's impossible not to get a little worked up when you lose three long-shot hands in a row in which you had your opponent's back against the wall. You have to learn not to succumb to this anger, though.



No one can truly control every aspect of their emotions at the table. There are usually subtle factors coming into play that you never even considered were affecting you. I have played an entire session, and lost, and not until the next day while thinking about it did I discover that I was playing emotionally and not with my head. It was something to the effect that my girlfriend ticked me off and it bothered me more than I was letting on to myself at the time. You will be surprised, but it will happen, even when you think you are in total control. It can be that subtle. Here's hoping my girlfriend doesn't read this, by the way.



I can tell you that, by far, my worst losing sessions were all due to my becoming frayed emotionally. My play was fine, up until a certain point, and then it all fell apart rapidly. This part of your game is every bit as important as the technical aspect. There is no worse feeling than looking down and seeing all of your chips being pushed across the table and then wondering, "Why in the hell did I just chase that flush when the board was double-paired? What was I possibly thinking?"

The first thing you need to do is accurately – accurately, now – assess whether you are a person who will get caught up in the moment or stay cool. From there, you can decide what to do when things don't go your way. If you can realize what's happening and button it down, you can continue to play on. Just tighten the reins a little. Most of the time it requires little more than a tweak or two.



However, you may be the type of player who at this point cannot suffer several back-to-back tough beats. If you are, you need to get up and walk away from the game. Go to the bathroom, go smoke a cigarette, do whatever you need to calm down. Do not go back and take a seat at the table until you feel that you have simmered down a bit. What's the point of putting yourself in a bad situation, where you can do almost nothing but lose money? I have watched it happen a hundred times, and did it myself probably twice that.



Now, admittedly, this is a huge weakness, and something that you must correct if you are going to progress anywhere in this game. It certainly took me a while to be able to control this aspect of my game, and believe me, it is ongoing. I haven't mastered it, by any means. Be honest with yourself, though. Only by getting in accordance with your vices can you overcome them. A famous man once said that, and it holds doubly true in poker. If you are an emotional person, you can't just turn yourself off. You can, however, learn what you need to do to keep yourself in check.



When I first began playing, I often became what I call "madhouse." This is basically trying to will the cards to come to you, or just simply attempting to run over the table. Suddenly, gutshots look great. Backdoor flushes seem like a completely reasonable excuse to call another bet. Call down with the K 9 with a board of A Q 10 K 6 and four players?



Sure, sounds great, right? Wrong. It's dumb and it's a loser's mentality, and I had to work hard to shake it. It sounds much easier than it is when you just talk about it. You'll be amazed just how good that K may look when you are down $1,000 and tilting off the back of your chair.



Another factor to consider is that you don't want to completely run yourself out of making a comeback. If you really are losing due to untimely drawouts, it won't continue, and you need to hold yourself together long enough for the cards to enable you to start making some money back. The cards will turn around, as they always do, but you need to ensure that they can still help you at that point. If you are playing against good players, they will make it even tougher. Many opponents will "aid" you in your tilt experiment.



Great poker players will become even more vulturous when they see you are exposed by losing all of your composure. I am sure I have made a tasty treat to many players over the last year or so. Don't make it any easier for your opponents, though. If they are going to beat you, make them beat you, and not some emotional freak posing as you.



Tilt is incredibly easy to smell on anyone, and it makes an awful cologne. Not only does it smell bad, but it will cost you dearly.

Joe Sebok is a Cubs fan … and it really hurts. You can reach him at [email protected], and can read all of his past columns in our archives on this website.