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When it comes to any competitive environment, albeit, esports, football, chess, or even poker for this matter, it’s crucial to keep a calm mind and not give in to mounting frustrations. Situations will oftentimes not go according to plan, and for the inexperienced, sticking to their game when things go south soon becomes a herculean task.
Hence, there are many poker enthusiasts who are a bit curious as to what they can do to avoid getting tilted at the game.
Therefore, today’s guide will go over how you can deal with tilt in poker along with some moves and strategies which will allow you to win more games.
What is Tilt in Poker?
Before moving on to how you will be able to deal with tilt in the game, let’s first understand what getting tilted actually means in poker. When it comes to any competitive sport, may it be esports, traditional games, or chance-based games, tilt stands for a poor state of mind caused due to mounting frustrations at how your game is going.
When the cards are stacked up against you, the inexperienced players will start to make rash decisions where they either start to overplay their hand or bluff too many times, making them more predictable.
This is what is called tilting, and when a player gives in to their frustrations completely, they often start to forget the fundamentals of their game completely which impairs their ability to think and make a decision.
How to Avoid Tilt in Poker
As poker itself is a game of decision, you will be required to avoid getting tilted at all costs. Hence, here are some practices you should try to stay more focused on the game:
1) Don’t let your frustrations show
The first and most fundamental of all tactics is to not let your frustrations show on your face. It’s ideal to vent internally instead of holding onto it, which will allow you to release the tension and have better clarity as to what you should be doing next.
2) Be more aware of the present
Awareness is key when it comes to winning more games in poker, hence, it’s best if you can constantly keep a tab on your emotional state while at the same time being aware of the players around.
3) Breathing exercises
You can look up a few simple breathing exercises online and put that into practice while in and out of the game. Breathing techniques will allow you to keep a calmer and steady mind, allowing you to have a better focus on your gameplay.
4) Plan out your steps
Even when things do not go according to plan, it’s important to learn to improvise and plan out your steps as the game unfolds. Irrespective of the situation you are in, avoid being predictable, and make plans on the fly as the game progresses.
5) Analyse your mistakes
Luck isn’t always the one pulling the strings to your downfall in poker, as you are prone to making a lot of mistakes as well. Hence, analyze where you are going wrong, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. As the more you falter, the more you will learn in the game.
6) Improve self-awareness
The last step that you can try to avoid tilt in poker is to improve your own self-awareness when the chips are down. This is one of the hardest tricks to pull off and will require a fair bit of practice from your end to master it.
How to Use Tilt to your advantage in Poker
Once you become the master of avoiding your own tilt in poker, you will then be able to take advantage of other players who have completely given in to their frustration. Here are a few things that you can do to take advantage of tilted players in the game.
1) Identify the tilted players
As mentioned, when a player is tilted they will often get too predictable and employ strategies that work against them. Try observing your opponent’s behavior to know if they are tilted, as there will be a lot of signs and signifiers which will give them away.
From over-bluffing to overplaying the hands, to drinking too much at the table, there are a lot of clues that will give a player’s mindset away.
2) Exploit bad strategies
If a player is tilted they will invest in a lot of bad poker strategies, while the tilt might manifest differently for each player, once you have been able to identify it, you will be able to exploit it.
If a player is bluffing too many times, then you will be able to call them out, which will grow their frustrations even more.
3) Try bluffing when you have a better hand
While it’s more of an intermediate tactic, you might want to show a bluff on the river if you have a better hand. It will often throw other players off your game, however, it’s one of the riskier tactics to employ.
