Playing Tilt poker can lead to loss of money
One of the many variations of poker today is
tilt poker, which is a form of poker where
players go on tilt when their emotions take over
their thinking capacity. When on tilt, the
player does not play rationally, and usually
uses an over-aggressive strategy when playing.
It is very likely for a person to lose lots of
money when playing tilt poker; this is why it is
not that advisable to play tilt poker. However
due to unavoidable circumstances, even the best
players occasionally end up tilting out of
frustration or bad luck.
Origin of the tilt poker concept
Though there is nothing solid to prove the
origin of tilt poker, it is attributed to be
similar to the tilting of a pinball machine. The
frustration a pinball player experiences when
the ball falls between the flippers makes the
player tilt the machine. However in doing so,
the word ‘TILT’ usually flashes, where the
flippers freeze and the game ends.
It can be said that tilt poker is a metaphor of
this tilting in pinball where when you play tilt
poker, the aggression you exercise will only
lead to your losing money and thus, ending the
game of poker.
It is important to realize that you are
heading for a tilt so that you can stop playing
poker and avoid the humiliation of defeat. The
signs that you are heading for tilt poker are:
• When you fold a large bet to find your
opponent turning over a bad hand
• Getting bluffed by small bets
• Thinking you have a dominant hand, only to
find that there is a stronger hand you were not
aware of
• When your opponent gets a miracle card later
in the hand
All these moves lead to your mental equilibrium
getting disturbed and thus, lead to tilt poker.
Even rude behaviors, intoxication and poor
etiquette of others at the poker table can get
to your nerves, and lead to a tilt.
Ignore uncommon pots to avoid tilting
To the beginner, eliminating tilt poker from
their game play is an improvement in their game.
Though professional players don’t end up tilting
frequently, there is a possibility of them
experiencing a leak in their game that may lead
to them playing tilt poker.
The best way of avoiding tilt poker is to ignore
the outcomes of certain pots, especially those
that are uncommon. If you go through bad beats
of losing pots of chips despite having good
hands, don’t worry about it. Just forget it and
continue playing your normal game of poker
instead.
Leave the table at the onset of tilt poker
You can avoid playing tilt poker by lowering
your variance, even if it means you end up
winning fewer chips. You may have to play
passively and fold marginal hands to attain
this, and avoid tilting.
If you see a tilt starting in the game, you
should leave the table and return when emotions
subside. You could eat or drink if hungry or
thirsty, go for a walk outside in fresh air and
mentally block results that lead to tilt poker.
If you find that none of this helps, you might
as well quit the game of tilt poker entirely and
don’t return to the game at all. With all this
done, you will not run into loss because of an
unexpected game of tilt poker.
