Causes and Consequences of Tilt

Tilt is one of the most popular poker terms around today. The term is popular that a website built its name around it. When most people think of tilt they envision Mike Matusow pounding his fist on the tables in a fit of rage after he just lost a huge pot on the river. While this angry tilt does run rampant across the game, it is far from the only form of tilt out there. The reality is that some of the most subtle forms of tilt are the most destructive and undetectable. Most players wouldn’t even think to consider the fact that their lack of sleep is contributing to the losses they have undergone. There are many outside factors in any player’s life that will help to spur on varying degrees of tilt. Some players are prone to tilt at anytime and almost anything will set them off, but other players will really need to be upset before they let tilt affect their game. Every poker player wishes they fell in the category of “doesn’t get upset too often,” but the fact is that most players do get extremely angry with poker from time to time. All that a poker player can do is work to identify forms of tilt and then do their best to try and eliminate it.

Identifying and Eliminating Tilt in Poker

The reasons that a player could go on tilt is literally endless. A player somewhere in the world might be filled with rage every time they hear a bird chirp. Now, that wouldn’t make most people upset, but I bet there is a guy somewhere who can’t deal with it. The point is that only you will be able to target what your tilt triggers are. The most common trigger of tilt is a bad beat. When a player loses a hand that they were a large favorite in it is only natural for them to get angry. The goal is to ultimately eliminate those angry feelings that overwhelm you after losing a big pot. There is no set way that this can be done and many players are never able to completely wipe out tilt from their game. The best way to keep it contained is to either take a break, move down in limits, or decrease the number of tables that you are playing. There is no off button for tilt and it will only get worse if you elect to let it go.

The other common form of tilt stems from small outside issues or forces. Some popular cause for tilt include tiredness, hunger, intoxication, financial stress, or irritability. If any of these general areas are playing a role in your life you would probably be better off not playing poker. These types of tilt inducers might have been hard to identify if they were never pointed out to you, but now it shouldn’t be a challenge. The fix for this type of tilt couldn’t be easier, simply eliminate the cause of the tilt itself and don’t play poker until it is totally gone.

SUMMARY: Dealing with Tilt at the Poker Tables

Tilt is one of the biggest issues that poker players deal with on a daily basis. Some forms of tilt are more recognizable than others, but they all have their own unique cures. Without proper reform tilt can easily destroy any player’s bankroll.