how much of that is the fact we BELIEVE we MUST be better than our opponents??? in the back of my mind there is always the voice which is telling me that... "you read, you watch vids, you've picked up some coaching... there is NO REASON you shouldn't be a better player than the majority of 50nl players! for krissakes that 54/4 with 1.6k hands is absolutely CRUSHING two tables and is up 6.5 bi's!!!! wtf????

Great suggestions! I especially like the 3rd one..

If I feel like I play a hand terrible, it will be stuck in my mind for the rest of the session either trying to figure out a solution to the problem (while 9 tabling), or telling myself that I'm bad... I'm gonna give those a shot and see if they help me

Paradoxically, this is partly because of confidence. You say to yourself 'No problem, I've won 3BI in a session lots of times'. The problem comes when you start trying just a little too hard to make it happen rather than letting it happen. If you are a good player, over time the right situations will arise where you can profit from them and make up your losses, but it might not be tonight. The problem is 'I don't want to be a loser tonight'. Ask yourself if you would already have quit if you were up 2BI rather than down.

I've become much better at recognizing that bad state of mind in myself.

Been there. Every time I opened tables I was right back in that desperate state of mind. First time I got sucked out on I was totally steamed. When you are at that point, you just have to walk away for a few days or even weeks, because if you keep going you are conditioning yourself to feel this way more and more. Watch some vids and read some books and chill for a while. Play some tournaments. Play some micro HORSE or Razz. You'd be surprised how good something like that can be for your state of mind.

This has definitely been -ev for me when I'm tilted.

Exactly!!!!!!!

I want to get back to even so bad I start making "meeeh **** it, if I win this I'm back to even"-kinds of call and other bad plays like trying to bluff people when it's not a good spot.

Funny thing. My approach to the game in tournaments is completely different than cash. I'm looking at a completely different set of variables and it just doesn't feel the same to me.

Also, I'm not talking about playing the Sunday 750K . . . I'm talking about playing ultra-low bi satellites and things like that, where there is little to lose but you are still playing poker.

This is gold.

I have a slightly wider definition of tilt as any emotional reaction that reduces your ability to make good decisions, not just negative emotions. An example (that maybe only affects new players) is hitting the flop and getting so excited all you can think about is getting the money in.

Physiologically, what's going on is the limbic system, which among other things controls emotion, is taking control of the brain, which greatly reduces your ability to think logically. The key to managing tilt in the moment is noticing it and shifting control back to the prefrontal cortex. I recently listened to a webinar with David Rock, the author of the recent book Your Brain at Work and learned a great technique he calls "labelling." Basically, if you put language to the emotional response by simply assigning a label to it, you necessarily shift control back to the PFC, because the PFC is required for language. When you notice you're tilting, just label the emotion, like "frustration" or "anger" or even "excitement." Your ability to think is immediately lessened and you give yourself a chance to get back to your thinking game.

great post,
Like to add that tilt can be caused by lots of stuff, not just bad plays/bad beats:

-Playing scared
-Tilt from being up a lot
-A successful Hero call
-Bad day IRL
-etc.

This is supposed to say "The impact on your ability to think is immediately lessened and you give yourself a chance to get back to your thinking game."

Great post(s)!

I believe tilt is one of the main reasons decent players are break even or losing.

Here's my little story:
Lost a whole lot of money myself playing the game doing everything wrong i could do, playing semi-depressed, doped up or drunk all the time, $1000s in debt (had my own business which went wrong due to burnout) trying to win big quick to get out of it, no br management, depositing more and playing higher the more i lost, frustrated, anxious, tilted... the worst downward spiral in my life, as a result i'm now living with my younger brother until i have payed back all my debts. (since december 08).

The first 6 months i didn't play any more at all, sick of the game, busto on all sites.
I started to feel better again, landed myself a great well paid/low stress job and started to feel the itch again, i said to myself; ok Tommy you can play again but you'll never deposit 1c again!
So that's what i did, started playing freerolls and satelites with the points i had left and applied the nittiest br management ever.
Now i have a decent microroll of $600 and i am working very hard on my game.
Had some ups and downs in the beginning of my comeback but the last couple of weeks it finally clicked and i'm really starting to get my tilt under control.

Things that help me to tilt less and play well more:

1. Tommy Angelo's series on DC was the catalyst, the breathing exercises really help you relax, also bought a book on mindfulness and am studying the techniques.

2. Focus; turn off everything but the game and play no longer than you can keep your focus, for me about 1h/session is ideal, i also set a target nr of hands and stop if i reach around that number, doesn't matter if i'm up or down.

3. Multitable; used to play only 3 tables max and played too many hands out of boredom, got tilted when i lost a hand.
Now i play 6-8 tables shrug and insta-rebuy when i get bad beat, no more time to worry about the beats, there's to much going on at the other tables.
Also if a certain player starts to get on my nerves i try to close that table and open another one, trying to stack someone out of hatred is -EV as are any other negative emotions.

4. Reading strategy on 2+2 ldo.


Thanks to applying those rules i'm now consistently winning for the first time ever and it feels great even if it's at the micro's, right now i'm on a 12 session / 16 buyin winning streak.

Something i still have to master is to stop getting all excited when i have Aces or Kings, when that happens my inner voice goes "Oh yes! i'm going to make alot this round, get ready to be stacked!" which is the ideal setup for tilt if beaten and makes it hard to let go of your hand if you have the feeling you're beaten.
Instead you should think: "cool, i have AA,nice hand but it's just 1 pair let's see how i can play this hand best, oh and if there's a wet flop with lots of action i might have to fold"

I don't think you can ever truly eliminate those feelings (at least I haven't), but as long as you minimize the effects it has on your game by following some guidelines that I (and others) have posted, then you'll save yourself some money!

Such a great point, I recently have been guilty of this. As I was nearing a goal that I said would allow for me to move up to 200NL, I felt like I was pushing myself to try and make that last $1200. Before I know it, cards start running bad, and I'm trying even harder to get that money back.. Before I know it, I'm in a 18BI downswing

probably most of those were somewhat unavoidable, however, I certainly remember making some decisions that I would normally not make. Even if it's just a few buyins difference.. That's a lot of money that could be saved!!