The more you play online poker you will witness player’s take bad beat’s commenting their “On Tilt”, or “Going on Tilt”. What does this mean? Many of you are already aware of the emotional rollercoaster which is part of NL Hold’em but for those who are new to the game, we will review what being On Tilt means and how to avoid it. During Texas Hold’em play - especially No Limit Hold’em, poker players suffer tough beats - initially considered a huge favorite to win a hand but lose. How do you know they are on Tilt? Often they change their style of play into a reckless all in strategy or chase heavy raises down to the river leaving them felted. You may notice a player start cursing at his opponent; “You mother *****, I can’t believe your Donkey *** called that all-in raise, you’re a piece of ****”.
So just how does one avoid going on Tilt? First it’s important you understand that Poker is a game of partial information, and even though you may be more advanced than your opponent(s), there always remains a luck factor. Discipline is key, be aware of your opponent’s skill level and understand that underdog hands do win from time to time. Most of your bad beats will come up against Loose-Aggressive players, known for betting big almost every hand and never folding. Keep in mind if you’re going to challenge a player with a heavy raise, you should avoid challenging the loose-aggressive player(s) at your table. You will notice Tilt players never last long in Texas Hold’em NL games; whether it’s a cash game or tournament, they simply don’t have the patience and discipline.
If you’re playing an online multi-table tournament and endure a bad beat putting you on Tilt, sometimes its best for you to take a break by selecting the away button - five minute breather. Stepping away from the game will help refresh your mind and eliminate any sudden impulses to change your style of play. Sure you may be dealt pocket rockets or cowboys while you’re not at your seat but it’s more important you tone down your anger and frustration - effectively allowing you to get back into your regular game strategy when you return. Be aware, advanced players can pick up when you’re on Tilt often calling big raises, looking to clean you out immediately after you lose a big hand. So the next time you simply can’t handle the fact you just lost 75% of your chip stack to a one outer on the river- step away for a few minutes and try to regroup mentally. In the long run this will help you work through bad beats and dealing with Tilt.
Next time you watch a WSOP event on ESPN keep an eye on the top pro’s, how they handle bad beats. Well many of you may already know there are one or two that come into mind who are not ideally known for handling a Tilt situation well (I won’t name them), but the majority of the pro’s be it online or live handle bad beats and Tilt, effectively. Look for little to no emotion, sometimes they will comment - “nice hand” or “nice catch”, etc. Many players look up to Phil Ivey as he is known as the best cash game player in the world. Watch his reaction after suffering a bad beat. Ask yourself if you see a change in his style of play after a bad beat and if he seems to be off his game. The top players in the world are aware that going on Tilt is simply a negative emotion which is part of the game and knowing how to master these up and down swings is key to outlasting opponents.
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Online Poker: "Going on Tilt" 