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The Tilt Mechanism

published on 01/31/06 at 11:08 pm

In the days of pinball, ‘TILT’ was the inevitable result of giving the oversized chrome bearing too much ‘English’. This was usually the result of the ball not behaving as it should, which led the controller of the ball to lose state and begin trying to force the ball to do as it was told. One too many hard bumps on the machine attempting to get the longitudinal waves to create inertia on the ball to hit the specials target or go down the extra ball alley would set off the tilt mechanism, the flippers would cease to function and the ball would slide aimlessly down the chute to eternal pinball oblivion.

Many a poker player has done the same thing with their balance, turning a healthy bank into a memory in a very short period of time. If reasoning were flippers, theirs ceased to function long before the ball disappeared forever. In the aftermath of their demise most players have lamented that they knew they were tilting but couldn’t or didn’t want to do anything about it. In short, they didn’t give a rats and their balance reacted accordingly.

If patience was a prerequisite of quality poker then the antithesis of quality would be the most likely result of poker played on any other basis. The fact that a less useful psychological state was omnipresent during any stage of a poker player’s game time would surely be an indication of the likely long term result of that player trying to make poker anything other than an expensive past-time.

Before we get too lost in the aimless meanderings of a would-be philosopher, let’s make a point here, and perhaps give hope to all the habitual tilters out there. Tilting is a natural part of poker and a natural part of life. In poker we call it tilt, but in life we call it living. Getting frustrated when things don’t go your way should occur to each and every human being. The fact that some aren’t susceptible to the negative effects of it is a legacy of their upbringing, their brain chemistry, or perhaps their hard-wired behavioural imprint. Regardless of the whys and wherefores, it is true to say that some don’t ’tilt’ while others play practically all their poker in the permanent state. That being the case, then tilt can best be described as the inability to order one’s emotions in a useful and constructive manner conducive to winning money at poker. If we can agree on the description then we can begin to unlock the secrets to preventing or redirectionalising our less useful states into more practical and useful transmutations.

Before we can talk about what works we must first agree on what doesn’t work. As a human being, or in this case, a human doing, the first thing we know is that states are often triggered by stimulus response. If that statement loses you then let me say it in different terms; for every cause there is a net effect. If you get pissed off then your underlying state will affect your ensuing actions accordingly, and your subsequent results. Your state will affect your end result, irrespective of the context in which you find yourself. Find me an example of where this is not true and I’ll find you a context in which human emotions play no part.

If you stopped to think for a moment you would realize that every turn of a card requires a stimulus response from the player. Posting a small or big blind might be automated on many poker sites but posting any other blind is at the discretion of the player. Similarly, calling a raise requires a decision. Posting a bet requires an assessment of the cards and your relative hand strength, and determining the correct amount similarly requires you to make a decision. Deciding requires you to emote. It is not a strong emotion like anger or frustration, but it is an emotion nonetheless. When faced with a difficult call you must emote a decision as to whether to call or fold. If you call and lose there is often the feeling of disappointment, and if you win the feeling of vindication and triumph. You get accolades of approval from the observers for making an excellent play and in turn you say thanks. In some way the appreciation of those around you for making a good play resonates and you may get an affirmation that you are a pretty decent player.

People often wonder why their decision-making goes awry when they ’tilt’. If you stopped to think about it for a moment the answer would be as plain as the nose on your face. Can you hear whispered dialogue in a movie with a rock CD blasting in the background? Or even a pinball machine..If you allow strong emotions like anger and frustration to take over you will never be able to hear and feel the subtle cues from your own unconscious, see the minute variations in timing of your opponents dependent upon their level of confidence and make the kind of decisions that require a finely tuned sense of feel as well as an unerring sense of logic.

‘Tilt’ then requires you to be nothing more than human. Being a quality poker player requires you to be a little more than that..

In the next installment we discuss techniques for state management. Stay tuned.

Crazy Snake is a professional sports handicapper and amateur poker player. He has made a profit year after year through his knowledge of Aussie Rules Football, NFL, tennis, and golf. He is a senior writer for PokerPlasm.com.

1. Tilt Mechanism II
2. Don’t Worry, Be Happy
3. Emotion and Choice
4. Are Online Players Cheating at Full Tilt Poker?
5. Guide to the Full Tilt Poker Six Person Sit N Go