Quote:
Originally Posted by JayKon
Well, I have some differences with Mason myself, even if they're minor. However, I'm unaware of any empirical science on tilt. Perhaps you could elaborate a bit on that before we explore it deeper.
Well, when dealing with anger, I've had success with both Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT has been the best for me. Once I learned strategies that helped deal with my tilt triggers, my tilt dramatically improved. It takes a good deal of work. I think that's where a lot of people give up. They want a quick and permanent fix like amateur hypnotists claim to provide.
The big thing with tilt in my experience is that you have to catch yourself when it happens, and keep getting better at identifying what you're upset about. CBT refers to something called the ABCDE's. Activating Event, Beliefs, Consequences, Dispute, Evaluate
Activating Event (eg. someone chased a 42 flush draw on AQK9x and caught a river)
Beliefs (it's not fair, bad players shouldn't get rewarded etc)
Consequences (now I'm angry and playing too many hands, wanting revenge instead of playing solid, or I quit the game etc.)
Dispute - use logic to explain why that Activating event is fine (their decisions over time are why the game is +EV)
Evaluate - how can I get ahead of it the next time, etc.
Usually when I get a hand all in on a flip (55%), I minimize that screen until the runout is over. It helped me put less emphasis on whether this particular hand hits or not. In the past, I'd be excited when my hand improved, upset when villains got there, and sometimes that was changing multiple times between the flop, turn, and river.
The ideas here have been proven empirically to work across many different disorders etc. Things like "real psychology" have actually not applied scientific rigor to their ideas, and would never get published in any peer-reviewed literature.
Does that mean they are useless? No, and they probably still help some people. Some poker players claim to be "cured" of tilt from hypnosis. Maybe they are. I tried a dozen sessions from someone on here and I felt like literally nothing changed.
That's why I'd go with the solution that seems to work for nearly everyone.