Getting back on the rails (recovering from tilt)

The best known and most obvious way of going on tilt is to get hit hard with a bad beat. Online, if you have player chat on a comment by the winner can definitely send you over the edge.

Tilt can also grow slowly, where you are making good decisions but getting beaten consistently, perhaps bad beats, perhaps just a streak of second best hands. Frustration grows as your stack shrinks.

Tilt can also occur against just one specific player, where a comment or string of beats against one player puts a huge target on their head.

Three bad things start happening when you go on tilt:

You pursue draws too aggressively.
You believe other players big bets/big calls less.
You bluff more.

One or two bad decisions in any of these categories can send you out.

If you are on tilt on an individual, you may play other players well, but start making the same three mistakes above against a single opponent.

Except for pure stubborness, most of us know when we go on tilt. There are obvious physical and emotional symptoms, and when you stare at the following hand I played:

I have J 4 off

The open cards are 10 4 7 Q A

I have bet hard all the way down to the river card with my "draw".

And the other player has A 10.

Half my stack gone.

There is no logical explanation for this kind of play except for being on tilt. Which I was.

So, whether your play, your racing heart or sweat that let you know your on tilt, as soon as you do:

1. Turn off chat if its on.
2. Play only premium easy decision hands, where if either card hits, you have a premium hand.
3. No bluffing.
4. Play the cards.

Use the time to assess the other players styles and review the big stacks hand history. Take a break for as long as you need until you can start accurately reading players again, getting back on the rails.

This technique has two advantages, the first and obvious is to plug that massive leak that could send you out.

The second less obvious is that you just changed gears. If you have been playing at the same table for a while, other players will be adapting to your probably looser playing style, and/or they will recognize that you might be on tilt. This means they are much more likely to call you when you do play a premium hand, premium flop.

As soon as you recognize the symptoms of tilt change gears. Most importantly, plug the leak. Secondly, if you do get the premium hands, and you DO get the premium flop, you can get a big payday.