Dealing with Bad Beats and Tilts

Tilt is a term used in poker to generally denote a situation in which a player who gets upset, emotionally unstable, or frustrated in a game as a result of bad beats or bad cards, characterized by inconsistent and aggressive play. 

Tilt almost always has a negative impact on one’s play and should be avoided at all costs. Every unfavorable situation in any card game has to be dealt with rationally, so avoiding a Tilt depends on how you tactful you are at handling a bad beat.

To put it in a simple example, say you are dealt two aces, and the flop comes A Q 7. You bet out because you’re confident with your hand. The turn and the river is a 4 and a 5 respectively. You continue betting aggressively because you still feel confident with your hand. However, the opponent reveals that he has a 2 and 3, hitting straight on the turn and the river. So, frustrated with this bad beat, you start to bet any hand aggressively, for instance raising with 2/7 offsuit, which indicates that you are definitely on a Tilt and it’s pretty sure that it’s going to be all downhill from here.

A player on a Tilt usually has a weak hand and may just be betting out of frustration. Once experienced and good players sense this, they can take a lot of advantage on the person who’s on a Tilt by taking him/her to a showdown with a decent pair of hole cards because the odds are always in their favor.

The best way to avoid being on a Tilt is to know when to fold. 

For example, on a table where a lot of betting action is going on, if you have Q? J?, and the flop comes A? Q? 10?, it’s time to fold. Whenever you suffer a bad beat, fold your next bunch of hands unless it is absolutely a premium hand. Any experienced play will catch on that you’re on a Tilt if you start to bet wildly, thereby taking advantage of your situation. 

In poker games such as No-Limit Holdem, one spur of emotional instability can lead to a distressing game, so another way to avoid a Tilt is to distract yourself from becoming too emotional on the table, calm down and take a break before continuing with another game. 

Try to listen to some soft music or have a light non-alcoholic drink, which can really freshen up one’s mind and judgment. Remember that losing one’s head over a bad beat can really mess up your whole play.

Once you’ve pulled yourself together after a bad beat, go back to your computer with a firm resolution that you’re going to give it your best shot on the next game. Consider the bad beat as a momentary episode which you will not let happen again. Even if by chance it does, remind yourself that you already know how to deal with the situation, and avoid a Tilt.

Next: Mental strategy for online poker