What do you do to avoid tilt?

[olavfo]

I strive to always maximize the quality of my decisions since it's easier to stay tilt-free when you know you have played your best.

When I multitable online I usually play 1 hour sessions where I focus fully on my game without listening to music, chatting or surfing the web.

Each time I'm faced with a non-routine decision, I pause and take few seconds to think things through, often verbally (I raise because ...). Even if the choice seems simple, I force myself to pause and think.

Taking these small pauses before I choose what to do may be the single most important thing I do to stay off tilt. Losing a hand I was favored to win doesn't affect me when I know I have played correctly.

I have a visual reminder (my watch) sitting infront of me reminding me to take time, be patient, and think things through. This also acts as a chip guard in live games, and if I so choose, a randomizer.

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Each time I'm faced with a non-routine decision, I pause and take few seconds to think things through, often verbally (I raise because ...).

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That's interesting. Sometimes my wife comes and sits on my lap while I'm playing. Whenever she watches, I explain to her what I'm doing and why. I usually perform much better when she's around and like to joke with her that she's my good luck charm, but after reading your post I'm thinking that I'm playing better because I'm explaining my decision process to someone else, thus forcing me to think through each play.