Random Poker Thoughts

Tilt is a concept most poker players are aware of, but the effect it actually has on their bottom line is realized by few. When you lose your composure at the poker table due to a bad beat or two, this is called Tilt. When another player gets under your skin it can happen, causing you to make plays that you wouldn’t normally make. These plays not only can cost money but sometimes a lot of money. At a casino or card room, if you lose control, thankfully it’s only at one table at a time, so you can maybe calm down and regain your composure after a few hands. When playing six to eight tables at once online, what then?

When asked what qualities a poker player must possess people mention talent, mathematical thinking, the ability to take risks, etc. But by far the most commonly mentioned quality is psychological endurance.

Tilt spells are very difficult to deal with once they have begun as it is the nature of the tilt to cause a loss of control. Tilts, like aggression, are part of homo sapiens make up and cannot be eliminated altogether. But fits of aggression and fits of tilt cause us to run amok for a reason. They are always triggered by an event, bad news, bad bruise, a gross insult, or any other fardle as Hamlet would call it, toying with his bare bodkin. Discomfort is the main catalyst to bring on an instant fit of aggression – discomfort such as pain or a really, really empty stomach.

It is surprising to discover how thoroughly our basic functions sometimes control our conscious minds. Scientific studies have shown that mice and pigeons, and recently other animals such as cuttlefish, can be taught to react to a specific arbitrary sign with a specific set of behaviors: animals learn to expect food at a sight or sound, and learn to receive food by manipulating a lever, ringing a bell, or pecking a certain spot. Through habituation, they are conditioned to consistently believe that specific phenomena or actions regularly lead to the same specific results.