Identifying Tilt

The majority of money in a cash game is won, and lost, during periods of tilted play. That's just common sense.

I can't even count how many times I've been playing a normal six handed cash game online when all of a sudden the table turned maniacal after a bad beat pot.

Here are some ways to tell that you're on tilt:

• You use the chatbox to question someone's play or berate them (obvious one)
• You start clicking and typing bets harder than usual (semi-obvious)
• You act faster than usual when action is on you (this one is more subtle so pay close attention)
• You make aggressive calls (unsuited connectors from the blinds, overcalling with weakish hands like QTo, etc. Again, subtle)

You can reduce your chances of tilting using a couple different things. Gay ass Blogger won't allow me to make a second bulleted list because its interface likes to be face fucked by moose cock, so you'll have to settle for line breaks.

Music: Whatever you listen to, listen to the softer side of that genre. Listening to frenetic music from experimental and noise-rock bands will make your mind race and will affect your game.

Sleep: Get enough of it. Playing tired leads to bad decisions which leads to going on tilt because you're pissed off that you decided to play while tired.

Water: Drink it. Keeps your mind alert and water will give you a lot more energy than caffeine ever can.

Coffee: Don't drink it. The caffeine will make you jittery and it takes over two hours for it to exit your system, but only about 10 minutes to fully kick in.

In the end, though, it comes down to how you're hardwired. Some people are more even keeled than others. The key is recognizing when you tilt and having the discipline to walk away.