Handling Tilt

[ohgod123]

In the last month or so, I started playing 5/10 NL. I bought in 2500 total and was down to my last 200 before I went on a disgusting 19000 dollar run. I would really like to control my bankroll this time instead of blowing all of it away, and tilt always gets the best of me.

Just yesterday, I had my KK beat by KK...KQ by JK on the river...top set beat by a guy who put me all in with his draw - you get the picture, just disgusting beats. After taking a few hits, I went on tilt and started calling raises with marginal hands, costing me tons of money. I went on to lose 3700 yesterday.

My question is what should I do about this tilt? I think I am a pretty decent player(rated as neither tight nor loose bomb on poker-edge.com) and I get my money in with the best hand most of the time...but if I take a few hits and go on tilt, it feels like I'm going to lose everything.

Thanks

[alwaysburied]

It's a matter of your perspective. If you can realize that it's all part of one big game, and keep it in that perspective, than you should feel better about your results. Sure, when your KQ gets out drawn by KJ it hurts, but it's SUPPOSED to happen once in a small while. Not 1 in 48, 1 in 24, 1 in 12, or even 1 in 6! KQ is only a 3.5-1 favorite. (70.8%-23.6%) I know it feels horrible, but what separates mediocre players from the best, is the amount won in those 70% vs money lost on the 23%. Keep these things in mind, and continue to make the right decisions. If losing hurts your ability to continue to make the right decisions, perhaps you are playing above your comfort/bankroll level and should move down for awhile.
-md
www.myspace.com/iambabyd

[trentk268]

When you start feeling like that, it's time to pull up and leave. You're gonna lose if you chase, and you'll lose playing weak-tight, too. If you lose the will to gamble when you have to, and push out the chips when you have the best of it, you're going to lose your BR, too.

[ohgod123]

[ QUOTE ]
It's a matter of your perspective. If you can realize that it's all part of one big game, and keep it in that perspective, than you should feel better about your results. Sure, when your KQ gets out drawn by KJ it hurts, but it's SUPPOSED to happen once in a small while. Not 1 in 48, 1 in 24, 1 in 12, or even 1 in 6! KQ is only a 3.5-1 favorite. (70.8%-23.6%) I know it feels horrible, but what separates mediocre players from the best, is the amount won in those 70% vs money lost on the 23%. Keep these things in mind, and continue to make the right decisions. If losing hurts your ability to continue to make the right decisions, perhaps you are playing above your comfort/bankroll level and should move down for awhile.
-md
www.myspace.com/iambabyd

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, it's just that when I take a barrage of bad beats like losing KK vs KK or seeing people put me all in with flush draws and hit...it really gets to me. Pulling out is the right answer I suppose, but sometimes I just get the urge to play again - and I'm still on tilt when I return to the tables.

[ohgod123]

I suppose I should take a break...just got all my chips in with 1010 against 99 and he rivers a 9

[NateDog11]

simple solution here. u have to be able to control ur steaming. whatever the solution, medetation listening to music or jerking off. steaming is the poker players nightmare. just realize it happens to everyone and its just random chance that falls against u. if u get bad beat.....stand up walk around and remind urself that u want to get bad beat. i know that soudns wierd but trust me u want to get bad beat. 2 reasons why. 1st if u get bad beat that means u made all the right decisions and got ur money in when u were ahead.......2nd is that if u get bad beat, the quality players that u are playing with is most likely lower than u which means u can out play them. so one bad beat is just a wake up call saying PLZ PLZ TAKE ALL MY CHIPS U ARE SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN ME THAT I CAN ONLY WIN BY BAD BEATING THE [censored] OUT OF U!!!!! so dont go steaming, dont go and get revenge, just play ur game control us steam and remember that in the long run donks like the guys who bat beat u are going to lose everything. read this article about tiger woods helping u control ur steam and improving ur game management.......its an excellent article

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_maga...53&m_id=75

[thelyingthief]

i also have a tilt problem--and it's compounded by over play. do you play too much? does the game seem to burden you? do you take breaks when you should? do you take long breaks to alleviate the stains of multiple days of bad beats? are there other, major stress issues in your life? a bad marriage, job, life situation, and are you dealing with them?

if you answer no to these questions, you may need to rethink the strategic implications of persisting in the face of impending disaster.

like the other poster said, it's up to you. you have a handle on when and where the tilt-beast bites you, but you seem unwilling to deal with those issues. that (and i say this from my own experience) is what being a winner really is all about, isn't it? dealing with the issues.

i made a living sports betting, and i repeatedly witnessed talented, hard-working would-be professionals stabbing themselves in the foot, tilting, and busting their bankrolls.

in this, as with all the other issues revolving around poker-playing, or wagering in general, you need to identify when tilt happens, what the characteristics that come with your specific brand of tilt may be, and set up strategies to deal with them.

and believe me, there are a lot of them--and self destructive behavior, like the AIDS virus, mutates at an alarming rate. you'll be dealing with this, maybe, for the rest of your life, so you'd better get started, i reckon.

[HoldemPokerPlyr]

The June 2006 Bluff magizine contains a few good articles on tilt.

-HoldemPokerPlyr

[Scottery]

Take a break