Personal tilt remedy.

_reserved for future info - please do not erase_

First of all, as we are going to find the personal approach to one's tilting, some data must be collected.

In the first topic post I'd like to provide an example of information tracking and collection log-file.
As for me, I'm filling same form of file for an year already, and it is very helpful.
Self-tracking is important not only in poker. (Sport guys would certainly agree). Simplest and most valuable aspect of self-tracking is making the routine that would transform to a habit. And habits bonds us tight to the things we do, that's for sure.
2 min. before your game session to look up your progress and 5 min. right after the game to fill up results would make a great start.

Here it is:

So let me explain the basic ideas:
1. Date&game session format.
A lot of people use professional tracking software collecting session time, hands etc, but not 100% of players. In first columns you can add date and type of game session. My example are hands I've played in speed poker format (I play zoom 6 max, 3-4 tables 800-1000 hands\hour).
I fill the date I've closed tables with profit using green color, and red if I loose money - just to visualize “good” and “bad” sessions.
One file for year, 12 tabs max for each month and 20-30 sessions in a month – that is my poker way for now.

2. Tune up.
“Stretching” your mind to maximize focus on game is very important. It's like a good start for a crucial project in your life. There's a lot of types of tune up, but the most valuable for me are hands reviewing (from last session), video – life play, theory etc. and reading . If there's not much time for tune up, I just look through my log-file (remember, we are trying to create a habit) and start the tables.
But there's one thing I want to warn you – please do not make the tune up very long. It is very personal, but I think no one can watch 3 hours of video and then play for 2-3 hours in the best A-game way. Usually 15-30 minutes will be enough for 1-2 hours of play.

Next topics:

3. Session condition.
4. Tilt
5. Implications
6. Comments

are many-sided and complicated to explain quickly, especially tilt types, so please let me continue later. Hope you got the main idea. Stay tuned and good luck at beating your tilt.

P.S. Sorry guys for lame link, still trying to find image hosting that can correctly add pictures here. Could use some advice

__deleted,reserved (haven't figured out yet how to erase post)

I have fixed your picture for you. So long you are a basic member you can’t post pictures without help of a moderator. Off course it’s easier to drag your screenshot in to your post on the moment you are a bronze member. You can find some information to get bronze in the https://forums.pokerstrategy.com/forum/thread.php?postid=2538859#post2538859 thread.

Only moderators can removing posts, but if you still want to use the post you can always edit it.

Further I wish you all the best with improving your game and losing your tilt issues

Cheers,
SDK1987

Interesting! + 1 like and I´m in.

Hi everyone!

SDK1987, thank you for the answers and your help! Hope my status will update soon.

Hello Primrose6789! It is very nice that at least one person is interested. Hope you will find something useful in this “stream of consciousness”

Today I’d like to talk about session condition. For me, It is combination of physical and mental components.
Maybe you can make a simple checklist like:

1. Slept well
2. No physical distress
3. Had a meal recently and my cup of favorite whatever is ready

1. No hard cogitations in my head
2. Yes – to the question: “Are you ready to play your best game”?
3. Boost of motivation. Music!

I think that music is essential. Just bethink all the men working hard since ancient times used to sing a song (or you can sing along with guys like you). The key is that you have to find this music. You know, It’s like when you hear the song and got goose-pimples
I like to listen to some vocal hard rhythmical music – it’s like a marching drum for my lazy bottom.

The main idea is to understand that if your checklist is not full, then you are below 100% efficiency. So the options are e.g. play less tables (tournamens, SNG or whatever, play on lower limit) – anything that could ease your brain load and reduce bankroll potential loss.
Try not harm yourself like a sportsman before competitions. Just keep moving forward, get 100% again and push the limit.

Check your status, adjust the speed and go – it is that simple. And later you will see how many times you were in the best (or not) condition. This information will help both play good poker and make your life better. For example, maybe someday you learn how to meditate at just one 9-max regular table while getting rid of today’s bad thoughts

Cheers!

I personally strongly recommend meditation before starting a session!!!

Hello!
Primrose6789 I also think that meditation as a tune up is very good.

So, we have 3 sections left to make clear:

4. Tilt
5. Implications
6. Comments

the 4 one, tilt types, Is very huge and diverse, so I think each one would be described later as stand-alone post.

And now I just quickly explain 5 and 6:

5. Implications. It is your experience gained during the session and mini-plan for next one. You can add here everything that can help you to improve your game: condition adjustments, some game skill to enhance etc. For example: you are trying to raise hands\hour amount - added more tables and realized that some game spots were lost due to lack of attention. So the plan for next game will be lowering tables amount or maybe breaking session into parts with pauses to regain concentration.

Devil in the details I always look through my log- file before game to see the session plan right in front of my eyes.

6. Comments
I put there everything left that was interesting, challenging or maybe disappointing. For example, you played tough versus a strong player, your game was solid but you lost some money. Feel free to pat yourself on the back, because to take a punch and stand up is more important than pushing pref-lop all-in with aces (everybody can do that) Just remember that all this “homework” is intended to beat your tilt and minify the recovery time of your 100%-condition.

Cheers!

Hi everyone!

Today I’l like to start with basic definitions of tilt. First of all, it is a process. And I really think that everyone is tilting more or less. The real difference that makes us good players is the time of being in this process – we need to minimize it almost to zero.

Let’s look at one of “bad beats” type of tilt I like to call “Unfair pieces of injustice” : it is when you got something like pushing +EV 5 times and stacked with guy who got one of his his 6 outs. First one is maybe ok, but if soon is second, then 3rd time… and if you are feeling "that it is not fair", "why me" etc. - just stop for a while and maybe take a deep breath or count to ten. Please do not make any marginal decision cause you can loose more money and feel even more upset. And continue as soon as you're 100% again.

Later, you can reduce the timing of similar bad thoughts to a a fraction of a second. And just as another piece of common advice - define your stop-loss limit and end the session if it's been reached.

Do you have any relaxing activity when session is very bad and you got beaten hard early? I usually look and polish photos from my previous trips (I like when they are best served cold :f_pleased:)

So I look on the shot like

and try to clear my mind out of the bad dispersion demonstration.

Cheers!

Hi everyone!

It’s my first post in 2017, a lot of holidays and vacations are over. Every beginning of a year is like a new start - new goals to achieve and a lot of work to do ahead.

My 2016 poker year has ended not as good as I expected – I’ve tried to push next limit aggressively and dispersion has beaten me. Now it’s time to fix my bankroll, improve the game and make new
attempt to move up. When you got a down streak and you fell like falling apart in the game, it is very important to hold on to somebody, maybe friends or family – the one’s who can simply say:”Relax and take it easy”. Take a break, read and work at the theory or simply get a poker day off.

Sure, and I will continue to write some thoughts about tilting. Please stay tuned.

Cheers!

Hi guys!

In poker, if you feel like your game is falling apart, consider to allocate your time more to the theory than playing.
As for me, I’ve started this year from nice coaching from some skilled players and now in the process of adjusting my game using some new magic tricks.

Today I’m gonna tell you about the tilt type we like to call “Numbers can be your enemy”. A lot of new players who are starting to use special software to collect information on their opponents, periodically use this data as a principle. But they understand how to use this info by halves mostly.
For a simple example, the number of the hands played is not enough to say for sure, there’s sample of 3 hands (3 of 3 folds), but the fold % is saying - 100% So one can misuse this stat and make bad decision.

But is not the problem itself, it is only a symptom. Moving up the limits, I’ve seen a lot of guys who has been focusing only on numbers tracking, and got lacks of basic theory understanding. (Players who use someone’s HUD mostly.) It’s like: “When I see this number, I fire 3 bets and I don’t think about the cards on the table.”
And this can be a real trouble, because the later you’ll get it, the more it takes to fix your game backbone. And is very important to have someone with third party view in this situation.

So please do not recklessly rely on insufficient amount of information, use your resources wisely. Sort out priorities like: “At first I think as GTO player, then adjust to this number (if it is relevant), and I will not definitely use this stat due to small sample size etc.”

Cheers!