Poker tilt can quickly derail even the best player’s game, leading to impulsive decisions and costly mistakes. In this article, we’ll cover eight mindset tips to help you manage frustration, stay calm, and keep your focus sharp, no matter how the cards fall.
What’s Your Budget?
Most people experience poker tilt because they never ask themselves this question.
No one goes to an NFL football game and tilts about the money. No one goes skiing or golfing and expects to make money. All of those activities are expensive, but they’re enjoyable. They’re recreation.
Recreation is what poker should be. You have to have a set amount of money you’re willing to part with. If you have to move down to feel comfortable, then so be it. That’s responsible gaming.
Why Do You Care What Losers Think?
Many people want other poker players to respect them.
Guys, let me tell you something. If you’re good, you’re going to be taking people’s money. No one respects someone who is taking their money. People hate the people who take their money.
The vast majority of players are losing to the rake. Why do you care what they think? Would you trade places with them? Do you want their hygiene or physique?
If you want to be a real jerk about it, if you make a mistake and someone starts criticizing you, just laugh hysterically at them like Joaquin Phoenix in The Joker. Eventually, they will get worried and say, “what’s so funny?” Just wave your hand like you couldn’t explain it. They don’t need to know how funny it is to hear a losing player offering their advice.
What Game Are You Comfortable In?
If you were playing a $1.00 buy-in cash game with your friends, nothing would put you on poker tilt. If you had to put your life savings on the line versus players who love to gamble and suck out, you’d get tilted easily.
The key is to find the sweet spot between those two games. If a game feels just a little too affordable, that’s where you want to be. You want to play for enough money that you care about the result, but not enough money that you’re rattled if you lose.
Get loose in this game and learn how to beat it. Log some hours. Build your bankroll.
What’s Your Budget For Moving Up?
If you do want to move up in stakes, you need to create a budget. Grind at your bread-and-butter game to build up a bankroll. Once you have ten buy-ins at your new limit, set that as your budget. Be prepared to part with that money, because that’s what is going to happen a lot of the time.
Remember, you’re playing this game for the enjoyment of grinding and doing something different every day. You’re here for the love of it. You’re here because anything can happen when you play poker. You always have a shot. Most of life isn’t like that.
Play less tables or focus more at one table. Play with your ten buy-ins. Give it everything you’ve got. If you win, congratulations. Make this your new bread-and-butter game. Log some hours. If you lose, go back to your old bread-and-butter game. Suck it up. Don’t let a tough run put you on poker tilt.
Why Is This So Meaningful To You?
I used to go on poker tilt because I had nothing going on in my life. I was insecure and did nothing but play poker. My diet was awful. My personal relationships were in the toilet. I had no hobbies.
Once I realized that, win or lose, I’d still be a fully formed adult male, I stopped caring as much. I worked on my relationships. I fixed my diet and exercise, and got some hobbies. Once I felt better about myself, poker stopped pissing me off as much.
If poker is constantly tilting you, take some time and ask yourself if you’re making it the center of your life. If you’re not keeping the game in perspective, it can eat you alive.
Is There A Hole In Your Gas Tank?
Most people have some kind of hole in their gas tank. They’re not sleeping enough. They’re drinking caffeine before bed, or they’re drinking alcohol too much. Maybe they’re eating poorly or spending too much time watching Netflix. They’re not going for a walk or moving their bodies.
None of this is brain surgery. None of us are perfect. We all mistakes. My own personal problem is sitting on my butt too much watching sports on TV.
If we’re wearing ourselves out before we play poker, however, we need to watch ourselves. We’ll never be perfect, but if we make some kind of effort to plug up the holes in our gas tank, we’ll do much better.
What’s the smallest step you could take towards improvement today? Do that.
What’s Your Process For The Next Hand?
Everyone gets pissed off at the table. There’s no pro who doesn’t ever go on poker tilt.
What separates pros from suckers is that pros have a process for the next hand. They might be infuriated, but they will still check the stacks around them. They’ll have specific ranges they use in specific situations. They won’t deviate just because they’re angry.
We don’t rise to the occasion. We fall to the level of our training.
Are You Studying Enough?
When I was younger, I didn’t study enough. When I got rocked at the table, I had nothing to fall back on. I’d make it up as I go. My instincts were decent when I was relaxed, but I quickly became an awful player once I was on tilt.
If you study constantly, you won’t have this problem. You’ll take an awful bad beat and go right back to your process. Your B game will be solid and will keep you out of trouble. Eventually, your senses will return to you, and you’ll be able to keep playing well.
Conclusion
By reflecting on these key questions, you can build a resilient mindset that helps you stay grounded and focused, even in challenging games. Embracing self-awareness and committing to continuous improvement will empower you to control tilt and keep your game on track. Then you won’t have to worry anymore about poker tilt.
Want to read more from APT Head Pro Alex Fitzgerald? Try his article about the 5 Ways to Exploit Weak Players