Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2
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I am new here but have been reading FTR posts for a couple months now and this topic has intrigued me a lot since I stumbled upon it. In fact this is my first post at this forum. I want to start by saying that I fully concur with what Aok has written up here and would like to add a little splash of my own that I use to minimize the loss/tilt factor. The reason I think this is so important is because this is a psychological issue as it reflects upon the intangible side of poker that can’t be mulled over with statistical analysis.
That said, I do have a psychology degree and have been playing poker for a couple years now. The first thing that I want to stress here is when a situation occurs when a player takes a bad beat the emotional response IS indeed physical. What is happening is that neuro-pathways are being formed in the brain that are reinforced over time when one loses. This is true when a player wins as well, but since this post is about the psychology of losing/tilt I’ll assume people are better able to handle reverse tilt as it is enjoyable (ahh….nice rush  ).
So let’s get to the heart of the matter and what can be done to minimize the risk of tilting full force after that murderous beat. I agree that since your emotional response is physical, removing oneself from the stimuli (table/computer) is important. Detachment is necessary. So after doing something physical as Aok says, taking the dog for a walk, cleaning, bike ride, whatever, there is one thing I strongly suggest before curling back up with the laptop for another session. What I do is a brief centering exorcise. I will take about 10 minutes and do some Transcendental Meditation  . What I’m seeking here is to build in the mind the ability to let go of the thoughts that got me all worked up to begin with. i.e. “How could he call my KK AI with J8s, and then proceed to suckout with the river straight… what an idiot!!  etc. etc.” Harboring these thoughts even in the subconscious will creep into your play unless you’ve built in the tools to release them. So when you begin you meditation, take a few deep breaths and simply release any thoughts that come into your mind. Your bad beat will inevitably creep in and you have to make the effort to quiet your mind of it. Breathing, breathing….ommm.. op there it is “how could he call…ok just release it and let it go… …….” After a few minutes the thoughts will have left and your mind will be clear and centered for you to go back and play at your best! 
So what does this achieve? What you are doing through this process is rewiring your brain pathways in a way that gives you a tool to call upon in a time of stress. It will take time and practice but what doesn’t? Next time you’re in a heated battle at the end of a big SNG and take that bad beat but can’t get up and leave, you can simply deal yourself out for a hand… close your eyes, feel your emotions and know that you have the mental tools and focus to simply let the negative thoughts leave your mind so you can finish strong. Tell yourself “remember to just let go” and really, really consciously LET IT GO. The mind is incredibly powerful and if you are stronger mentally than your opponent you already have an edge that can you take you over the top. 
Well, I hope this helps someone next time they are tilting and are willing to try something a bit out on a limb. A very successful and wise person in life once told me people used to ask him “why are you always out on a limb?” To this he always replied, “Because that is where the fruit is.”
So roll with it or not I just wanted to share something that has been working for me to diminish the length of tilt I feel when I’m playing. I hope to see more responses on this topic in the future and big props to Aok for bringing the intangible aspects of this great game to a forum where we all can learn.
Be well and cheers to minimized tilt!!
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