How To Ensure You Don’t Tilt At the Poker Table

Tilt is one of every poker player’s worst enemies. No matter how good you are, no matter how much you know about the game, it all goes out the window when tilt kicks in. The moment emotions take over, you’ll stop making rational decisions and playing in this state can be devastating for your bankroll.

No one is immune to tilt. Things will happen while you play poker that will throw you off. However, good players are fully aware of this and they have mechanisms in place to either prevent tilt from happening or quickly control it to minimize its harmful effects. If you have problems controlling tilt yourself, these six tips could come in really handy.

Recognize Your Triggers

Not everyone tilts for same reasons. Some people are triggered by bad beats, while others will become annoyed by a prolonged run of bad, unplayable hands. Still others will tilt when they feel they’re being targeted by an aggressive player.

The first step towards making sure you don’t tilt at a sbobet poker table is figuring out what your personal triggers are. Be honest with yourself and admit there are some things that get under your skin. When you know what triggers you, you’ll be prepared for whatever emotions might come your way ahead of time and will be able to handle them much better.

Don’t Start a Session When Tired or Irritated

If you play poker professionally, you might feel like you need to put in the hours no matter what. After all, your profit at the end of a week, a month, and a year is directly connected to the number of hands you play during that period of time.

However, sometimes you’re better off sitting one out. If you’re in a bad state of mind due to not having enough rest the previous night or because you’re dealing with a big non-poker related issue, you probably shouldn’t be playing. When you feel this way, you’ll be much more susceptible to tilt. Things that trigger you in general will become annoying much more quickly and you might even discover some brand new sources of tilt.

Understand and Accept Variance

The number one reason why poker exists is the variance. It’s because of it that even casual players win on occasion and these wins keep them coming back to the tables. If best players won all the time, amateurs would quickly get tired of the game.
All players need to accept and embrace variance. Don’t get tilted because someone is running hot during a session. Whenever you start to feel these negative emotions, make it a point to tell yourself that these bad beats are actually a good thing in the long run. They are what makes game going.

Avoid Complaining Too Much

Bad beat stories and constant complaining aren’t just annoying for other players to listen to; they’re also very bad for your mental state. Poker tilt can sometimes last long after a session end and you’re only prolonging this tilted state by insisting on recounting your bad luck.

It’s fine to share some really brutal beats with your friends, but if that’s all you do you’re setting yourself up to start the next session already tilted by those previous experiences. That’s really not a starting position you want to be in.

Don’t Get Goaded by Table Banter

Some players are really good at table talk. Even if they don’t play poker that well, they have a way of getting under your skin and getting you to make mistakes you’d never make if you were playing with a clear head.

You don’t have any way to silence these players – they’re allowed to talk and do their thing as long as they aren’t being abusive or insulting. So, the best thing you can do if you know this to be one of your triggers is to avoid getting into conversation with them. Just ignore them and don’t give their remarks any significance.

Don’t Play Above Your Limits

Getting into a higher-stakes game or a tournament with a buy-in that’s bigger than what you usually play can be quite tempting. If things go right, you could easily increase your bankroll by a substantial amount. However, this is usually not a very good idea for a number of reasons. One of them is that you’ll struggle to play your best game.
All your tilt triggers will be much more pronounced when you’re playing in a setting where you don’t feel as comfortable. Every bad beat will hurt more, and every bad decision you make will have a more profound effect on your mental state. If you want to avoid tilt, you definitely don’t want to be playing over your head.

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