# Tilt

> Source: [Tilt in the Smarter.Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary/tilt)

## Definition
Tilt Is An Emotional State In Which Frustration, Anger Or Overconfidence Leads A Player To Make Worse Decisions Than Usual, Such As Calling Too Wide After A Bad Beat. It Is One Of The Largest Leaks In Poker. Common Remedies Include Stop Loss Limits, Short Breaks And Reviewing Decisions Rather Than Results After A Session.

- **Category**: Theory
- **Term Code**: `tilt`
- **DefinedTermSet**: [Smarter.Poker Poker Glossary](https://smarter.poker/glossary)

## Related Poker Terms

- [Variance](https://smarter.poker/glossary/variance) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/variance.md)): Variance Is The Spread Of Results Around A Player's Expected Value. High Variance Games Such As Tournaments And Pot Limit Omaha Produce Long Losing And Winning Stretches Even For Skilled Players. Understanding Variance Keeps Decisions Tied To Expected Value, And It Is Why A Large Sample Of Hands Is Needed Before Judging Any Strategy.
- [Bad Beat Jackpot](https://smarter.poker/glossary/bad-beat-jackpot) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/bad-beat-jackpot.md)): A Bad Beat Jackpot Is A Progressive Prize Paid When A Very Strong Hand, Such As Four Jacks Or Better, Loses At Showdown To An Even Stronger Hand. The Losing Player Usually Takes The Largest Share, With The Winner And The Rest Of The Table Splitting The Remainder. It Is Funded By A Small Drop Taken From Each Qualifying Pot.
- [EV (Expected Value)](https://smarter.poker/glossary/expected-value) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/expected-value.md)): Expected Value, Or EV, Is The Average Result Of A Decision If It Could Be Repeated Many Times. Each Possible Outcome Is Multiplied By Its Probability And The Results Are Added Together. A Positive EV Play Earns Over Time Even When It Loses On A Given Hand, Which Is Why Good Players Judge Decisions By EV Rather Than Results.
- [Exploitative Play](https://smarter.poker/glossary/exploitative-play) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/glossary/exploitative-play.md)): Exploitative Play Deliberately Departs From A Balanced Strategy To Win More Against A Specific Opponent's Mistakes, Such As Bluffing More Against A Player Who Folds Too Often. It Can Earn More Than Game Theory Optimal Play Against Weak Opponents, But It Opens You To Counter Exploitation If The Read Is Wrong Or The Opponent Adjusts.

## Related Strategy Lessons

- [How To Control Tilt At The Poker Table](https://smarter.poker/learn/tilt-control) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/tilt-control.md)): Tilt Is Any Emotional State That Makes You Play Worse Than You Know How To, And The Most Reliable Control Is A Plan Decided Before The Session: Warning Signs You Watch For, A Break You Take When They Appear, And A Stop Rule You Do Not Argue With.
- [Poker Variance And How To Survive It](https://smarter.poker/learn/variance-and-downswings) ([Markdown](https://smarter.poker/learn/variance-and-downswings.md)): Variance Is The Gap Between What Your Decisions Earn On Average And What Actually Happens, And It Is Large: At The Example Win Rate Below, A Winning Player Still Finishes 10,000 Hands Behind About 31% Of The Time.

## Practice On Smarter.Poker

- [GTO Training](https://smarter.poker/hub/training): Scenario Based Poker Training, Free To Play.
- [Virtual Poker Table Sandbox](https://smarter.poker/features/virtual-poker-sandbox): Interactive Multi-Street Hand And Range Scenario Explorer.

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