The Tilt Test

Some people will tell you that the answer is always yes.

Some people will tell you if and when you ask yourself that most harrowing of poker queries, “Am I on tilt?” that the answer is always yes.

I disagree. I see tilt almost in the same way as I see addiction. While the question “Am I addicted” is a worthwhile one, the simple act of asking does not equate to a positive answer.

So in an effort to help the poker world figure out if it’s pressing a little too hard, here is a series of a few simple questions you can ask yourself to understand if you are on tilt or not.

1. Can I think about something other than poker right now?
2. If I make it back up to even for the day, would I quit?
3. Did I know I was beat but did it anyways?
4. Is the deck against me right now?
5. How many hands in a row have I played?

The Answers:

1. If you answered yes (and were being truthful) then chances are that you are not on tilt. If you answered no, then you may be steaming. One of the major aspects of tilt is myopia and obsession – all you can see is poker. And we’re not talking about “all you can see is poker” in a super-focused Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey way – we mean you can’t even get your mind off of it.
2. If you answered yes, then you’re probably tilting. Many players become absorbed in a sense of earning back what they are owed after what they perceive to be bad breaks have come their way (either bad luck or a lucky call by an opponent.) Any time you are focused on getting to a certain chip level before you leave, you are not playing your best poker. As a rule, play good poker and let the profit catch up to you.
3. Obviously, if the answer is yes than you are tilting.
4. If you really feel that a series of 52 randomized bits of paper and plastic are thinking about anything, much less what they could do to you then you are most certainly on tilt.
5. If you can’t answer this question, then you are probably on tilt. A poker game does not reset between hands – if you are not on top of your own play then you are way too focused on what is to come. Make sure you know how you and your opponents have been playing.

When you find yourself on tilt, you must stop playing. Not one more hand, not up to your blind, not nothing. Get up and leave because disaster is imminent. Everyone gets unhappy at the table – we all steam from time to time. The best players recognize it and get up. The others, they make the best ones rich.