Poker is a complicated game, a never-ending series of calculations based on the cards you’re dealt, your position at the table, and the actions of your opponents.
Being a game of information, your chances of being a winning poker player get bigger as your understanding of the math and the mechanics grow. The ceiling of knowledge is practically unlimited. You know the saying, poker takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.
But there’s another element to success that’s easier to overlook, having less to do with your cards and more to do with your brain. Winning at poker demands a particular mindset and an uncommon level of focus, and it’s this part of the game I’m going to focus on here.
I’ll sum it up as self-discipline, but it’s typically easier to spot its rival behavior: tilt.
What is tilt in poker?
Tilt is an old arcade term that refers to the way game designers would punish a player who’d lost their temper. Even today’s modern pinball machines often include a sensor to detect excessive movement – typically a physical “tilt” from a dissatisfied player hoping to cheat gravity and run up their score.
In poker, tilt is used to describe the sort of distress that causes a person to make bad, reckless decisions. When someone loses control of their emotions at the poker table, that player is on tilt. It tends to follow a big loss or a bad beat, and it usually comes with a noticeable increase in frustration.
It’s not hard to spot a player on tilt; you can almost feel it in the air. Apart from the visible annoyance, a tilted player will typically play more hands more aggressively until they either regain control of their emotions or, more commonly, run out of chips.
And they’ll almost always tell you how bad they run on their way out the door.
The importance of emotional control in poker
Whether we’re talking about the game of poker or any other aspect of your life, making consistently good decisions is no easy task – even in the best state of mind. But poker is a fantastically difficult game, and controlling your emotions is fundamental to your long-term success.
These negative emotions are therefore a direct liability, as they hinder your ability to make objectively good and rational decisions. They impair your ability to play the game at a high level. You’re simply a lesser poker player when you’re on tilt, almost by definition.
Tilt is a leak just like any other in poker, but it’s particularly hard for some players to address. It doesn’t show up in any tracking software, and it’s frankly uncomfortable to be critical of our own mental fortitude in times of failure. Nobody likes to admit they let their emotions get the best of them, especially when there’s money involved.
Neglecting to address this leak, however, makes you vulnerable at the poker table. Tilt can be weaponized to great effect by players who’ll behave in a way that’s specifically intended to gnaw at an opponent’s weakened emotions. They’ll try to brute-force your decision-making process and crack it wide open.
Think about the way Tony G navigates the poker table. Or William Kassouf. A lack of emotional control makes you more vulnerable to these types of attacks and puts you at a clear disadvantage against players who deploy them deftly in battle.
Tips for avoiding tilt and developing self-discipline at poker
This column is not meant to read like a self-help book, but it’s certainly prudent to periodically evaluate your ability to control your emotions at the poker table.
You might be the type of diligent player who studies theory and analyzes your sessions, but how much time do you spend tuning your emotional performance? Taking small steps to improve your mindset and your mental health will invariably have a positive effect on your performance at the table. Your brain is as much a part of the game as the cards.
So how do we get there? How do we make sure our emotions don’t become a liability?
Like any effort to reshape your behavior, developing self-discipline in poker starts with the small things. It starts with creating good habits and sticking to them, both at the table and away from it. Take care of your sleep and your nutrition, two of the first things to suffer in a full-time poker schedule. Be self-aware of your mood. Exercise and seek out some sunshine every now and then. Stay hydrated (seriously). Play within your time and bankroll limitations. Give yourself the best chance to perform at a high level when it’s time to get down to business.
The patience and persistence stimulated by setting goals and maintaining a process are valuable qualities for a poker player to develop. Build a life routine that allows you to maximize your mental performance. Set a target, establish the steps that you need to take to get there, and stick to the plan regardless of the short-term outcome.
That’s an important one, because getting hung up on results seems to be one of the most-common precursors to tilt. Avoid this pitfall. Remember that variance is a colossal force in poker. You’ll lose plenty of hands that you feel like you’re supposed to win. It’s part of the game. Don’t let these losses erode your mental fortitude. The only thing you can control is your decision-making; the math will work itself out over time.
When all else fails and you find yourself on the brink of tilt, try to follow the original intent for the arcade mechanism. Take a break. Cool down. Reset your emotions and try again when your brain is in a better place to make rational decisions.
Your bankroll will thank you for your discipline.
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