Online Poker Tilt
Online Poker Players Who Go on Tilt
This article is about online poker
tilt. If you know when online poker players go on tilt, you can take
advantage of this to improve your results against them. Here are some tips
and strategies for dealing with Internet poker players who are tilting as
well as ways you can recognize when you are going on tilt and how to stop.
Tilt, or going on tilt, is when a poker player starts making poor decisions, including betting and raising, after something triggers and emotion, usually anger. What this means is that when a poker player gets a bad beat or misses on their draw and it makes them angry they may start playing in a less than profitable way. Playing on tilt is usually very costly and just makes the situation worse.
The two sections below deal with how to recognize when an opponent is on tilt and how to take advantage of it and how to recognize when you are starting to go on tilt and how to stop.
How to Tell When a Poker Player is on Tilt
The first thing to watch for is when a player has received a bad beat or has missed their draw a few times in a row. Good players can usually make all of their playing decisions based on the information they have and keep an eye toward the most profitable play no matter what has happened in the last few hands. But many players let what has happened in the past hands change the way they play this hand.
Some players who are on tilt are obviously angry, often complaining in the text box. But always remember when playing online that you can't see your opponent so they may be trying to fool you. In live play it is often easy to see the angry player who is making foolish decisions.
Players who are on tilt tend to start playing aggressively, raising pre flop and continuing to bet and raise throughout the hand. Most of them are chasing a loss trying to make up for a bad beat or something similar in one big hand. They are often willing to chase even with the poorest of draws like an inside straight draw. When they miss again it often just makes their tilting worse so they start chasing more on the next hand.
Recognizing when an opponent is on tilt can be very profitable.
Taking Advantage of an Opponent on Tilt
When you see a player going on tilt, here are some of the ways you can take advantage of them. You can usually let them lead the betting pre flop because they will want to bet aggressively. So if you have a strong starting hand you can let them bet aggressively and have your hand disguised.
If they're really on tilt, you may be able to get them all in before the flop while you have them dominated by re-raising them. Be careful and aware of other players who are yet to act though.
If you have 10 10 you are likely a favorite against the tilting player, but with 3 or 4 players yet to act behind you it might not be wise to act too aggressively. You do not want to be trapped between a player on tilt and a good player with a good hand.
After the flop you should take over the betting lead if you still think your hand is good. The player on tilt will chase poor draws and you need to make them pay a premium price to do so. Make sure you bet enough so they are not getting the correct pot odds to try to hit their draw.
As with all hands in poker, you will occasionally get drawn out on, but by getting your money in the pot while you are ahead and making the pot odds in your favor you will win more than you lose in the long run.
Don't play hands below your normal hand requirements just to try to take advantage of another players tilting. This is the one place where you can start making poor decisions while trying to take advantage of a player on tilt.
Getting trapped between a player on tilt and a good player with a decent hand can be very costly. You can try to isolate a player on tilt, but don't try to do it without a good hand. Yes you AJ suited may be a much better hand than the player on tilt but it is a big underdog to another players KK or QQ.
How to Avoid Going on Tilt
The best thing you can do to avoid going on tilt is to separate every hand from the last. Each hand is an opportunity to make the right plays and correct decisions.
You'll use information you have gathered about your opponents on previous hands, but on an emotional level, you should always be the same while playing poker. By controlling your emotions at the poker table you will be able to make clear headed decisions on a consistent basis.
Making Profitable Decisions
Your job as a poker player is to make the most profitable decision every time you have to make one. The most profitable decision is always the one that will make the most money in the long run.
When you get yourself in a bad situation the most profitable long run decision may be the one that currently loses the least amount of money. To make the best long term decision, emotion has nothing to do with playing poker.
Getting Drawn Out On
Be aware of how you feel about getting drawn out on or missing your draw and how these feelings cause you to react. If you can't let a past hand go, you should stop playing immediately.
Making Bad Decisions
Some players go on tilt after they make a bad decision. They just can't let the hand go and they dwell on the bad decision over and over again. While you should not just forget a bad decision, you should be able to let it go.
You should learn from it so you don't make the same bad decision again, but you should be able to move on and still play at the top of your game.
What to Do if You're Frustrated or Angry
The best thing to do in any situation where you are frustrated or angry is stop playing. Get up and take a walk or watch a little television. You can not make the best playing decisions and play your best and most profitable game when something is bothering you.
Health and Rest
Another thing that sometime can trigger tilt is your health and how tired you are. If you aren't feeling well or if you have been playing for 10 straight hours can start changing the way you play.
Other Players
Other players can also start to irritate you which can make you start tilting. While playing online the best way to not let the other players bother you is to turn off the chat feature. I rarely have the chat turned on while playing online because it just distracts me from the game.
This page about online poker tilt and online poker players who go on tilt was last updated on August 26, 2010.