Five Simple Ways To Combat Tilt Online

As a poker player, tilt is your greatest enemy. Nothing can destroy many hours of hard work more quickly than steaming off chips when your emotions get the best of you. Luckily, tilt is also one of the things you can control. Finding creative and consistent methods of combating tilt can be the difference between your status as a winning or losing player. With that in mind, here are five ways to make sure you stay on top of your game:

1. Expect Nothing.

There is no quicker way to become disappointed than to expect something that never arrives. Disappointment leads to anger, and anger is the beginning of tilt. Whether you're expecting to quadruple your buy-in because the rest of your table is full of fish, or to outplay the loudmouth who won't stop talking about how many bracelets he's won, chances are you're counting eggs that aren't in your basket. Sit back, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that there is no way to predict what is going to happen when you take your seat at the table. You'll play a better game when you stay calm, play one hand at a time, and eliminate unreasonable expectations.

2. End Your Session.

You've been at the table for three hours. You've had a few decent cards, but every flop has missed you while less skilled opponents rake in pot after pot. Finally, you look down to find pocket aces in late position. You get into a raising war with one of the four table maniacs, and when the smoke clears, he's rivered a four-flush with his ten-two offsuit to crack your monster and take your remaining chips. Your mind races with questions: How could he play that trash against you? Hasn't he noticed your that you've folded everything dealt to you from the time you sat down? Doesn't this guy have any clue how to play poker? (The quick answer? No, he doesn't.)

You reach for your wallet to buy in for another rack, determined to bust the maniac - but, unless you feel yourself to be in total control, what you should be doing is standing up from the table. More often than not, chasing after money lost in a bad session is going to end up badly for you. End your session, go have a drink, and come back to play another day. The old adage that all poker is one long session is true; there will always be another game, and when you sit down for it you'll be thinking more clearly than if you stuck around to bust the fish.

3. Turn Off Chat.

One of the main differences between playing poker online, as opposed to live, is that you're isolated from the game. Most online card rooms have implemented chat windows in an attempt to recreate the social aspect of live poker, but it's a weak attempt at best. What's more, there are plenty of players out there who will try to tilt their opponents by lobbing insults and expletives their way. Sure, you can contact support and maybe get their chat privileges revoked, but is that going to help you in the middle of the game? Disabling chat is one of the strongest weapons you have for combating tilt online. It's impossible for an opponent to insult you if you can't see his words, and you'll reap the benefits of being able to concentrate more effectively on your own play.

4. Switch Games.

Boredom can lead you into playing looser than you know you should, which in turn can lead to more beats (and more of your hard-earned chips in someone else's possession). Don't play your main game so much that you become bored. Branch out. If your strong suit is Omaha Hi-Lo, for instance, try playing nothing but Razz for a day. If you're a No-limit Hold'em player, try some Seven Card Stud. You'll have to concentrate more while playing an unfamiliar game, and it's hard to grow bored when you're fully immersed. And who knows, you might even discover that what you thought was your best game is actually your second-best.

5. Keep A Poker Diary.

One of the best methods for combating tilt is to keep a poker diary. This is especially easy when playing online, as hand histories are available from most of the major poker sites. After every session, pull up those hand histories and review the plays you made. Identify the points where you made particularly good moves and make note of how the hand played out. Do the same for your bonehead moments, hands where you knew you were beaten but paid your opponent off or where you ignored pot odds and chased a flush that never hit. The key here is to be completely honest with yourself - no one else is going to read your poker diary, so the only person you hurt with dishonesty is yourself. As time goes by, you should find yourself becoming more analytical about your play and less likely to succumb to tilt.

Poker is a difficult and sometimes frustrating game. Tilting off a good portion of your bankroll only makes it worse. The more ways you can find to prevent tilt, the bigger the advantage you'll have over your opponents - and the more successful you'll be in the end.