Strategies to keep from going on tilt.

[smackdown42]

I will say that I have become much better at not goin on tilt, but on occasion I will subtly going on tilt. This happens sometimes when I have had no cards for 6 hours, finally get a hand to play like pocket aces and lose to a runner runner trips. Ok no big deal, one bad beat who cares? Then I lose another and another and another. Its when these sessions or multiple sessions happen that I begin to doubt myself and my abilities.
When your in a slump, what kinds of things can you do psychologically to help with the thoughts of losing? Is it just something you have to suck up and move on or can you do something mentally to help you deal with it.

I played baseball in high school and college. When I got into slumps, I would start to doubt myself. I just practiced more until I came out of it. Can this be done in poker?

[TripDuck]

Sure, but one of the best ways to avaoid tilt is to quit playing for a while.

[LetsRock]

I would say if you been playing for six hours, have been dealt little or nothing to work with, you finally do and they get snapped, it's time to quit for the day or at least take a break.

It would be real easy to go into some form of tilt. You're probably a little tired and things havn't been going well. Some days are just not gonna be yours. Nothing will grind on your emotions like a very long ugly session because you will start to doubt yourself and could instill some kind of permanent flaw in your game. Which will lead to long term semi-tilt, which leads to longer losing streaks.

Surrender and come back fresh and ready for the next session.

[Al Schoonmaker]

At cardplayer.com the first two articles of my four part series on tilt have already appeared. Part I is on avoiding it. Part II is on creating it (in other people). Part III on exploiting (in other people) will appear in about a month. Part IV on coping with it will appear in about two months.
Regards,
Al

[Kenshin]

Hello Dr Al,
I read and enjoyed your most recent article on cardplayer.com; however, I do have a question. Do you have any evidence that calling a raise from a tight tilt-prone person with an obviously inferior hand produces positive results? Your argument makes intuitive sense, but I wonder at the degree of success necessary to make it a correct play. In effect, how often does one have to successfully put a person on tilt?

[Al Schoonmaker]

I honestly don't know how often it has to work to justify the lost EV. But the same can be said for almost any play that depends upon implicit odds. We have all made plays that were not justified by the pot odds, made our hands, and then not been paid off.
We have all seen people go on tilt because of "another #$%^$# bad beat," but exactly what it takes to have that effect or how much you will lose to create it is just a crude estimate, perhaps even a guess.
I wish I could be more precise, but psychology is an inexact science.
Regards,
Al

[MikeNaked]

Tilting is an irrational, emotional imbalance. So when I feel myself becoming unglued, I use a simple technique.

When I find myself stewing, I bite the inside of my lip and take a deep breath. This painful, biting sensation helps me refocus my thoughts and energies towards correct play. I then concentrate on relaxing all the muscles in my body which calms my mind. Deep breaths and I'm back to cool, disciplined poker. If you want to go deeper into Zen Mysticism, you can incorporate a "Long Run....Long Run..." mantra or something. "Unnnnnnggggeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" sounds cool and cosmic too. Try it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[MRVEGAS]

this seems to be a more and more important issue as a new influx of players are coming in. the poor play or just plain stupid play like i find on the net will make you go crazy!! After a bad beat i will sit out the very next hand and try and think of the beats i have put on people. i try and remember that these players are what i count on day in and day out and the bad beats are my part to keep the good old poker economy flowing!!!!

[paland]

When I get a bad beat, I slap my wife, beat the kids, kick the dog, go out to the still and pour a strong one, snort a line, and then come back a rearin' to go.