Avoiding Tilt While Playing Online Poker

As many experts have said, poker is a game that must be viewed as one continuous session that lasts a lifetime. If one can keep this simple statement in mind, it can make the short-term variances, or luck, less painful when the underdog wins. Recently this point was driven home to me not once but twice in the same night.

I often play in a local weekly No Limit Texas Hold'Em tournament and the following two hands came up involving my wife and me. Just before I left, she decided to play in her first poker tournament and went with me. She was very nervous and I told her to play like she had learned and not like Gus Hansen. As it turned out, she lasted longer than I did and just missed the money. She played tight and aggressive and got all in with the odds in her favor when it mattered.

The first hand I want to discuss is the one that knocked me out of the tournament. I was under the gun and had about 900 chips left (average was 1500). When I looked down and saw pocket aces, I decided to move all in, as I had built a rather loose image and felt one of the large stacks would try to keep me honest. Well, I got my wish. A very solid player in middle position raised all in for about 500 more to isolate me and had no other takers. When he turned over AK off suit I was elated as I was over a 92% favorite to double up. Of course if my aces had held up you wouldn't be reading about it here. After all of the burns and turns the board read Q, T, 6, T, J giving him a straight and me a seat on the sidelines.

The next hand I want to discuss is the one that knocked my wife out of the tournament. It was down to four players and she and the other middle-sized stack both got all in before the flop. She had AK off suit against his A8 suited, which made her a 69% favorite. After the flop came K, T, 9 rainbow she was a 91% favorite. The turn was a 6 and the river was a 7, giving him a straight and her a place beside me. She would have been the chip leader and in the money if she would have won that hand.

Some people would whine about both of these as being bad beats and act like the cards owed them something. The way I choose to look at these situations is a little different and helps keep me focused and off tilt. If I'm a 95% favorite and the 5% wins, then I feel that the next time I'll be a 96% favorite because I know that I'll win 95 out of 100 times and I've already used up one of the losses. I also know that if I continue to strive to put myself in these situations, I will be successful.

Of course this is not the only method one can use to avoid tilt. Here are some suggestions and methods that work for some players. The most important thing is to have a plan in place ahead of time. So find something that works for you and your game and stick with it.

1. Understand that you will receive bad beats as a poker player. As a matter of fact you will receive more bad beats, as you become a better player. This is because you will be less likely to get your money in the pot as an underdog than your opponents who don't play as well as you. Therefore you will have fewer chances to give bad beats than receive them. The simple process of consciously recognizing that you will receive bad beats is the first step in handling them well.

2. Often a bad beat or two in a short time is a good excuse to take a break. Remember that poker is a lifelong game and there will be another hand dealt when you get back. Missing a few hands or even a few hours can be beneficial. Often a breath of fresh air and a short walk will do wonders for your frame of mind.

3. Make a conscious decision to tighten up your starting hand requirements for a few rounds. If playing Hold'em, play only AA, KK, QQ, and AK. This will guarantee that you will not be playing many hands for a few rounds and will only let you enter the pot with a strong hand. What will happen most times is you will play no hands except your big blind and this will give you time to start thinking correctly again.

4. Short bouts of tilt are least harmful in limit poker. If playing pot-limit or no-limit, even a short stint of tilt can put a large dent in your bankroll or eliminate you from a tournament. For this reason, when playing pot-limit or no-limit I strongly suggest a short break, or even switching to a limit game for a while if you are able.

5. Some players start drinking when they receive a bad beat. Do not let this be you. No matter how bad the beat was, drinking will in no way help you make the correct decisions to turn your session around.

As many before me have written, get your money in with the best of it and over the long run you will be not only a winning player, but a profitable one too.

Wesley R Young is the author of a weekly syndicated online poker column at http://www.thepokercolumn.com and you can find more poker strategy and reviews by him at http://www.pokermonger.com

---

Casinos Popping Up Leads To Negative Impact on Economy

Casinos and other forms of gambling are popping up in... Read More

Odds Comparison ? Increasing Your Winnings

After being in sports betting for about 23 years you... Read More

Spread Betting Basics

Spread betting is a complicated venture; the statement is nothing... Read More

Roulette - The Basics

Roulette is actually one of the simplest games in the... Read More

The Secrets of Hop Bets

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secrets of hop... Read More

Understanding Online Casino Bonuses

Are you puzzled by the workings of online Casino bonuses,... Read More

Gambling Establishments Negatively Affect Our Community

Gambling establishments continue to negatively affect our community by taking... Read More

Play Online Baccarat Game

Baccarat - the game of the rich and famous -... Read More

Online Casino Bonuses Explained

Types Of Online Casino BonusesIf you've ever considered playing at... Read More

Four Tips for Online Poker ? Tells, Mixing it Up, Preflop Rasies and Changing Gears

Tip One: Mix Up Your Play: Once you have mastered... Read More

Internet Poker - 13 Rules to Follow

Add bad poker players to your buddy listPlaying poker is... Read More

Megabucks Slot Machine

"Deposit, click, pull, spin, bells, lights, wait, patience, one, two,... Read More

The Joys Of Playing Internet Poker

I started playing poker on the internet about six months... Read More

The Secrets of Laying the Fives and Nines

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secret of laying... Read More

The Secret of Making Money Before the Come Out

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secret of making... Read More

Gambling History of United States

Against the popular belief, gambling did not originate in the... Read More

Poker

Americans play Poker in many places such as in casino... Read More

Roulette System: How you can win Roulette easily and automatically

In this article, we will discuss on "A personal interview... Read More

Beat the Casinos

Do you have what it takes to become a successful... Read More

Gambling in Monte Carlo

Along the French Riviera, the Principality of Monaco Houses the... Read More

Winning at Slots, The Best Strategies

Casino gambling is often played with a gambling strategy in... Read More

Roulette Strategies - The 10 Commandments for Bigger Profits!

You will see many roulette strategies on the net.Here we... Read More

Online Poker

Are you a poker player? Can't get the guys together... Read More

The Rise Of Online Poker And Why This Could Spell Disaster For The Inexperienced Gambler

The growth in online poker has been phenomenal over the... Read More

Casino Entertainment Basics

Casinos have recently been popular as locations for movies like... Read More

Online Blackjack Basics

Online blackjack or "21", as it is commonly known, is... Read More

After the Flop

After the flop, your hand is pretty much defined. Before... Read More

Party Poker Sign up Bonus Code Tutorial

I have had a lot of emails from people who... Read More

The Secrets of Remembering True Odds

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secret to remembering... Read More

Bookmaking Basics

The role of a 'bookie', the common name of the... Read More

Compulsive Gambler?s Journey To Day One Stop Gambling

Its day one and this was the most exciting day... Read More

How to Play Two Pairs in Draw

The most perplexing holding in draw poker is two pairs.... Read More

Pai Gow Poker Basics

Using the standard poker hand ranking methods (see below), the... Read More