Multi day tilt

GreenDaddy1 · Apr 18, 2022

Anyone ever experienced prolonged tilt that lasted days and longer and was quickly re-triggered as soon as the next session went even remotely against you? I can't seem to break the cycle right now.

Pretty clearly I need a break. Thought talking about it might help too though.

Background is this: Been having my best ever year grinding micro cash tables and even had been withdrawing a hundred dollars here and there. Balance never over about $250 though. Was only slightly over break even but bonuses/rakeback were getting me a tidy profit every month.
Then... I hit a lucky sports bet win, then a very lucky $100 bonus, and suddenly my balance was significantly higher than ever. Oddly this has turned out to be a bad thing and sent me off the rails. Terrible shot taking at stakes far higher than I ever played before, chasing losses, playing way too long, tilting crazily, suddenly I'm just totally off the rails, huge entitlement and raging at suck outs coolers etc, going berserk in chat window. The extra balance seemed to give me a false confidence that I was going to hit the big time and keep running the money up astronomically. Uh hello reality, not happening. Lost a ton of money, all of the lucky bet/bonus in fact.

This is totally contrary to how I successfully made a small amount of money this year. I was patient and played about 90 minutes a night, happily booking small wins most nights and accepting a few small losses. I've now lost faith in my self control and my strategy, and ability to read the game with cool head. And I feel totally addicted too. So yeah, time off needed, and I feel pretty awful. Fallen into a pretty epic trap.

Anyone experience similar? How did you regain that good mindset? I know the obvious solutions, just be nice to hear from some others rather than battle it alone

MishkaZL · Apr 18, 2022

If I feel angry, tense, and I can't control my emotions, I immediately stop playing and take a break. This is the only effective method for me. Only a break allows me to deal with my negative feelings and take control of my emotions.

sincos · Apr 18, 2022

I don't have a multi-day tilt. My title is that I'm trying to win back at a higher limit

starting_at_the_bottom · Apr 18, 2022

If you are only breakeven at the games you play you should not be moving up. It does not matter that you have the roll to beat higher games.

dreamer13 · Apr 19, 2022

Also, if you already fall into such a tilt, then I advise you to take breaks in the game for 1-2 days and during these rest days do not think about how much you lost that day, you will not return them. You just need to understand that poker is a distance.. of course I'm sure you understand this, but you can't accept it exactly as it is. Most often, tilt appears with a long series of losses. It especially affects players who are used to constantly winning. Due to the psychological impact of losses, a person begins to play passively, makes wrong decisions and folds even good poker hands.

Redman1902 · Apr 19, 2022

I had a similar experience earlier this year. Have then also tried several times to press the mental reset button, but this phase has lasted for several weeks. I was simply no longer willing to struggle and put in the work off the tables and I then felt a certain indifference and I lost all discipline with my hard-earned bankroll.

I then gave myself a break for several weeks and that wasn't easy at first. After 2-3 weeks I started to study the game again and I noticed how the approach to the game became different again. I started to develop a joy again, to deal with difficult situations and to make a mental effort.

In addition, I thought about my mistakes to the self-imposed BR management rules, because they were apparently not optimal and therefore sometimes too focused on the result and not on the right decision.

Maybe there is something helpful for you. I see a break as absolutely necessary, but in my opinion something must happen to you during this break, because otherwise you will find yourself in the same situation sooner or later in the worst case.

Good luck

BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch · Apr 19, 2022

When there is excitement whether you're hitting the deck, taking shots or you're excited that your account is up then that's a BAD, BAD sign.

You want to get to a place where playing poker is boring as "you fill in the blank" and you don't emotional one way or another.

You don't play games out of your bounds or "take shots" or do anything to mess around with what should be a constant grind up to the next level.

That's what a lot of folks don't get. They think if they take shots when they can't turn a profit at the level they're already playing at and it will somehow get easier or something at the higher level which makes absolutely zero sense or they play for some type of thrill and when your go broke call it tilt or something.

What happens most of the time is they'll win some money, then take a shot then lose a nice chunk of money playing over their account then waste the rest trying to "get it back", lol. Don't fall for that trap folks.

RustyRed83 · Apr 19, 2022

Your story is a very common one. I myself have gone through similar. At the moment, I feel like i'm running bad. My first major meltdown years ago, made me stop playing the game and only recently i have started playing on a more regular basis, but i feel my mindset has completely changed.

1. I now don't look at poker as making money. For me, it's now a hobby.
2. I don't use my poker bankroll to sports/casino bet (Big no no)
3. I accept bad beats coolers are part of the game, what other players do, is out of my control.
4. I don't chase back losses by playing higher stakes, than i should be. I actually play lower stakes if i feel tilty.
5. Don't dwell, it's over, you cannot change previous hands.
6. I have other hobbies that can take my attention away from poker, sit-out for an hour, play a game on your phone/computer. I throw at the dart board for an hour.
7. Fresh air, just switch off and go for a walk, say hello to everyone you walk past, it's amazing what this does to put that smile back on your face.

GreenDaddy1 · Apr 19, 2022

Some good responses there, thanks for taking the time

Lipki3 · Apr 19, 2022

When I learned to play poker, I remembered forever one very important phrase: "You always need to play with the money that you don't mind losing and that won't change anything in your life." You broke this rule and everything went wrong for you. You always need to control your emotions and learn. Only in this way can success be achieved. Good luck!

freedom4L · Apr 19, 2022

Yeah i have plenty of experience about blow ups like this. Best thing to do is to always play with a very nitty bankroll management to avoid tilting like that

efranto2286 · Apr 20, 2022

Hello everyone, sometimes it happens to us, you just have to stop for a while, if you force yourself to play under pressure, you won't get out of the hole...

SpanRmonka · Apr 20, 2022

Lots of good responses, I'd like to add in to do some study. Watch some videos, even if its things you feel you already know. Maybe even especially if its things you already feel you know. Hopefully this will help you get back to the mentality you had earlier in the year.

But first def have a full break from playing/thinking about poker. At least 3 days or even a week I'd say.

tony2521 · Apr 20, 2022

Responsible gambling avoids falling into these processes, never play committed money or that you are not willing to lose.
Although it is true that nobody plays to lose, we all play to win, but playing money that you should have used to cover some payment and decided to invest it to try to duplicate it, the vast majority of the time it ends badly because you play limited and sometimes you do not go with good hands, flush or straight draws that could give you good profits but for fear of losing you do not risk and they are plays that if you were in another situation you would risk.
But in any case when one is at that stage it is best to take a break.

weralomos · Apr 20, 2022

efranto2286 said:
Hello everyone, sometimes it happens to us, you just have to stop for a while, if you force yourself to play under pressure, you won't get out of the hole...

Or maybe find a way to solve the problem at the root?

reraee1 · Jul 13, 2022

I tilt when I know that the opponent has a good hand and I'm pricking! There's nothing I can do about it

emfya · Jul 17, 2022

GreenDaddy1 said:
Anyone ever experienced prolonged tilt that lasted days and longer and was quickly re-triggered as soon as the next session went even remotely against you? I can't seem to break the cycle right now.

Pretty clearly I need a break. Thought talking about it might help too though.

Background is this: Been having my best ever year grinding micro cash tables and even had been withdrawing a hundred dollars here and there. Balance never over about $250 though. Was only slightly over break even but bonuses/rakeback were getting me a tidy profit every month.
Then... I hit a lucky sports bet win, then a very lucky $100 bonus, and suddenly my balance was significantly higher than ever. Oddly this has turned out to be a bad thing and sent me off the rails. Terrible shot taking at stakes far higher than I ever played before, chasing losses, playing way too long, tilting crazily, suddenly I'm just totally off the rails, huge entitlement and raging at suck outs coolers etc, going berserk in chat window. The extra balance seemed to give me a false confidence that I was going to hit the big time and keep running the money up astronomically. Uh hello reality, not happening. Lost a ton of money, all of the lucky bet/bonus in fact.

This is totally contrary to how I successfully made a small amount of money this year. I was patient and played about 90 minutes a night, happily booking small wins most nights and accepting a few small losses. I've now lost faith in my self control and my strategy, and ability to read the game with cool head. And I feel totally addicted too. So yeah, time off needed, and I feel pretty awful. Fallen into a pretty epic trap.

Anyone experience similar? How did you regain that good mindset? I know the obvious solutions, just be nice to hear from some others rather than battle it alone

happens. has to do with motivation. when poker stops being about the fun and more about the money. play for the fun. take breaks

Cooking · Jul 17, 2022

Do you usual make sports bets? I'm asking that because I already had been through a similar situation. I know that I rarely tilt when I only play poker, but I identified that sports bets can be a tilt trigger for me. Now I avoid to bet on sports and only play poker.

fernandofcp · Jul 17, 2022

When you have the opportunity to win money for a long period in poker then you need to focus without deviating from the initial strategy that resulted in having the proper winnings.

044hero · Jul 17, 2022

Idk, never had those periods for long time) If I catch myself on tilt vibe even before session started - I will definetely choose option to not play this day/session) Anyway: if you are starting day by day session in tilt - you will just waste your money and time, banal - take a break, do something else except poker, that will switch your mind and mindset in general)

Multi day tilt

GreenDaddy1

Rock Star

MishkaZL

Legend

sincos

Visionary

starting_at_the_bottom

Legend

dreamer13

Legend

Redman1902

Rock Star

BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch

Visionary

RustyRed83

Legend

GreenDaddy1

Rock Star

Lipki3

Visionary

freedom4L

Rock Star

efranto2286

Legend

SpanRmonka

Legend

tony2521

Rock Star

weralomos

Rock Star

reraee1

Visionary

emfya

Rock Star

Cooking

Legend

fernandofcp

Legend

044hero

Rock Star

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