Do Not Play When You Are Not Feeling Right

If you play poker during times when you are angry, upset or depressed then you will be walking up to the table already on a tilt. It is very hard to play a good game if you are not in the right frame of mind. You may start making ridiculously irrational bets just because you are playing with your emotions. By the time the other players catch on the what is going on with you it may already be too late as they may have already started taking advantage of you. You cannot use poker as a way to escape from something else in your life that is troubling you. That is not unless you enjoy the idea of compounding your problems more by adding losses of money to the twist.

In addition, you may walk up to the poker table just fine and then have something there set you off. Perhaps a phone call from a lover makes you angry or even one of your opponents. When this happens it is best to get up and walk away from the table. Give yourself some much needed time to cool off so that you will not do anything you will regret during the game. This is called going on a tilt and when you see it coming then act quickly. Do not allow yourself to stay there if your mind is not totally on what you are doing. This is even more important when you are playing in a casino setting.