My form of Tilt and how I am overcoming it

[flair1239]

When some people tilt, they go apeshit PF or on the flop; three-betting and capping at random.

My form of tilt is a little more subtle, I call turn checkraises and raises HU with hands that have little hope against the type of player who is doing the raising.

This results in losing 4.5 BB with hands that should only lose 2.5BB. What is particularly devastating about my form of tilt is that it lasts a long time. Sometimes for days.

Those folks who go wild for a couple of hands just get it out of their system and then move on. But I can spend multiple sessions in my mode of tilt.

So what am I doing?

First I have identified the problem. What I am also doing is talking to myslef. Tonight I suffered a devasatating series of bad beats that had me 70BB in the hole. I started to feel that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach and felt my shoulders start to tighten up.

So I took a few deep breaths and said "let it go". The next time I got AK, then got checkraised on the turn on a Q high ragged board in a small pot from a very passive player, I just said "Not now".

I could gradually feel myself coming under control, and I actually felt a noticeable reduction in tension. After a few moments, I was not only fine, but felt relieved.

It also helped that an hour later I went on a ridculous tear, and finished up for the session. But that is after I brought myself back under control.

Thinking back, I have always had this problem. But playing at the lower limits, it really did not seem to affect my bottom line, as my edge was so large. But now play 5/10 full limit holdem, my edge is not as big over the field. So due to the severity of this problem and how long it can last, I really did start to notice it on my bottom line. Reviewing hands from poker tracker, I would watch these long strings of hands, and just think..."Why... against that player in that pot...why."

Anyways, not sure if this helps anyone. I guess my point is that tilt can manifest itself in many ways and can be hard to recognise... or to separate from normal frustration that we all feel sometimes at the tables.

[Kaeser]

Nice post. I find a little mental dialogue helps me focus on my play as well.

[mosquito]

Recognizing whether what you are doing at the table is
right or wrong, is a constant process of evaluation and
learning.

Identifying the biggest leaks and finding the appropriate
plugs for them is probably the least natural, but most self
concious thing we can do.

Congratulations.

Keep up the good work.

-mosquito