Going On Tilt

This subject has been covered by So many people in the past, and I don't think a poker player is alive who has not done it. I like to refer to it more as 'stacking off' because you might as well say goodbye to your stack.

Now most of these articles try to teach you to avoid tilt by just not doing it, but when your AA gets picked off by a 72 off suit for the third time in a session even the best of us lose it a bit, a lot in most cases.

I like to embrace tilt, that is I know it will happen I look for it, I know what causes it and I know what it does to my game. It makes me loose, aggressive and if I can't stop myself from clicking in that chatbox-obnoxious.

It was the number one reason I used to lose when I first started playing, I knew what were good cards, I knew in NO Limit Tournaments KQs was a mediocre hand at best, but the monster within erupted and I stacked off.

Now I embrace it, I look forward to tilt moments in my head and I tell myself, this is what all poker players are going through all the time-the good ones and the bad ones. They can't believe they are losing and believe they are playing well and everyone else is a Donkey, so they are going on tilt.

So this insight gives me an edge, I recognise tilt in myself and use this insight to calm myself down before I completely 'stack off', I then look for the same patterns in others, if someone who has a VPIP of 15 loses with an AA I watch for the following.

1. Are they playing more hands?
2. Are they being obnoxious with there chat?
3. Are they being too aggressive?

I then know I can see a flop with them more than usual as they are not being selective or rational.

To sum up recognise your own tilt demons and examine them, if you understand them you will understand them in others and be able to take advantage.

Tilt WILL lose you money when it happens to you so be on guard look for the signs, but do not despair if you understand your own monster then you should make more from others than you lose from your own.

One particular player I regularly see losing his temper at the table I have given a few bits of advise to in the past, in fact I joined a table just the other day and won my first hand and got told to '**** off'.

Upon exclaiming he realised who I was and apologised as I have given him a lot of free advise. I recommended the following book to him Zen and the Art of Poker. I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't come to terms with there inner Tilt Monster. Recognising you have it is the first step.

Anyway good luck at the tables.

Peter

A week of Tournaments (Killing Phil)

Just in case you guys thought I was not posting my results anymore, it has simply been because I have hardly played any micro limit poker in the last week.

I received a new book I had ordered called "Kill Phil" and was inspired to play a few small stakes tournaments.

My Results were as follows.

Lost quite a few but had 2 big wins

$10 short handed tourney 64 entrants 1st Place -$224
$3 Buy in to ladders tournament second place - $300

oh yes and for $5 I have won a seat onto the GBPT final to qualify for GBPT in Edinburgh

lost about $50 altogether with other buyins but was more than impressed with my results.

The question is will I switch to tourneys.
I don't know, the variance is much greater and a few night you just lose after hours of work, while as in limit you seem to win most nights and the variance is not that great if you play well, I will keep you posted.

Anyway the book I used as a primer for these tourneys was Kill Phil see link below, and if you are considering buying it please use the link below and help support my blog.

Kill Phil is excellent for beginners (but all levels can get something out of it) and gave me a few insights that I never saw before, a sort of extension on Harrington's Low 'M' Theory in lots of ways. Anyway if you are serious about tourneys I would also recommend Harrington's books which are must reads and can be bought from my astore (click here to open).

Anyway good luck at the tables whatever your chosen format, just remember that they vary greatly and pick a format that suits you and your temperament.

Peter

Poker Book Store

Hi all I have added a link to Amazon Bookstore below.

Really cool maintains similar design to my own site.

My Amazon BookStore

I have at the moment just filtered on Poker books but I will be adding books that I rate highly and reviewing them soon.

Let me know what you think of the design etc.

It is linked to amazon.co.uk so I would only reccomend using it if you are in britain, however feel free to read my reviews then buy locally.