Poker- Controlling Tilt

Poker players will often tilt when they are tired, frustrated, or recently on the losing end of a huge bad beat. Any time you step into a poker game, the biggest weakness your opponents have is their inability to fully control their emotions. Poker is a game played by humans and anytime money gets involved, emotions start going wild. Learning to control your own emotions is key to becoming a great poker player. Experience at the poker tables will help you realize that bad beats are part of the game and every poker player makes mistakes. You should always be playing at a table where the money does not affect your decisions. You often hear of players taking a shot at the higher limits and then they lose their whole bankroll. When you play at higher limits, the money will affect your decisions and you won t be able to play your best game.

Have patience with the poker game and always play within your limits. As easy as it is to recognize when your opponents are on tilt, it is sometimes difficult to recognize when you are on tilt yourself. Learn to recognize when you are not concentrating and playing your A game. When you are not playing up to your abilities, it s time to leave the game. Recognize that you are a human being and some days you simply won t have the focus to play poker. Take off some time away from the poker table and do something else. Go watch a movie, go exercise, or go out and just have fun. Poker is a great game when we are winning and terrible when we are losing. You will enjoy poker a lot more when you are winning, so get out of the game when you are not focused.