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Tilt is one of the most common problems in poker today. Primarily it is based around negative emotions that kick in when negative events happen but the emotions become extreme when certain loss limits are reached or exceeded. Often these negative emotions are created by players not really fully understanding the level of variance that is inherent within the game. More likely though it is because of players not accepting variance on a subconscious level!

So educating people isn’t always the answer if people cannot accept the negative events subconsciously. Often our behaviour is pre-programmed into the part of our brain that controls our subconscious behaviour and avoiding tilt for some people could be an impossibility……or is it?

The overwhelming majority of poker players play worse when they are losing for this very reason. It is also why when we are winning, it is always a good idea to stay in the game because if we are winning then by sheer definition it is our opponents who are losing. If you do have a problem with tilt then I suggest that you take the following action. You cannot avoid losing pots in poker or experiencing bad beats or outdraws. If the poker gods have decreed that you will lose a pot horribly or a series of pots then there is nothing that you can do about it.

But if your emotions get the better of you and take several hours before they calm down then you need to do something about this. If you cannot stop yourself from tilting at poker then you need to avoid the problem if a cure isn’t possible. This means sitting down at the table with less money or having less buy-ins. It is also a good idea not to have too much money in any online poker site because having a cooling off period is essential to overcoming tilt.

Getting hold of your credit card and then buying in for more money takes time and it is this time that can allow a player to cool off. If you tilt after losing $100 then why would you want to ever sit in a poker game with $1000? It is basically all about knowing yourself and keeping emotional control is the hallmark of an accomplished player.

If you cannot keep emotional control then you have to find your own individual limits and avoid going over them. Poker is a game that does not suit perfectionists for instance or people who hate losing.

If you absolutely abhor losing at anything then you may not be psychologically suited to playing poker for meaningful amounts of money. Likewise if you cherish money too much. These traits are terrible for any person to have who wants to be successful at poker. If you hate losing then you had better stick to playing games where having a skill advantage means that you will win a very high percentage of the time like Chess for example or other types of games where luck is limited.