Bet-ology: betting definition of ‘Tilt’ 🎥

The word “tilt” is heard in the poker world, casino floor and sportsbook – and even everyday life. We have all encountered this emotion.

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Sports betting is complicated and it can be intimidating as a new bettor. We’re here to help.

Bryan
All right, time for a little betology, Doug, where you go ahead and inform me about stuff that I do not know. However, I do know this one. We’re going with tilt is the word for betology. This is to inform you all, not me this time, but I’ll let you go, because tilt…

Doug
Because you know it from playing poker. There’s actually a company named Tilt, right?

Bryan
Yes.

Doug
Okay, so this is a term that has been used in various conversations regarding some form of gambling because it can be done on the casino floor.

Bryan
You can go on tilt if you’re playing blackjack.

Doug
What tilt means is you’re frustrated and you decide to make impulsive or reckless decisions.

Bryan
Bets to try to get your money back.

Doug
Right, you’re basically thrown off and your normal equilibrium has been disrupted. Because you can be on tilt in everyday life. Yes, you can. Road rage is tilt, right? Yes, you can. And other forms of that, so. Basically what it is you have a wave, a sharp wave of emotion, whether it’s a bad beat or a losing streak, and rather than sitting and letting your emotions run their course, processing the emotions, feel your feelings as they say, you instead keep it bottled up and suppressed and go try to get a bigger high to squash the low. Is that fair?

Bryan
Yes, well making bets while you’re upset.

Doug
Because you’re chasing, you’re trying to feel better by not over time letting it pass. You’re trying to get a bigger high to get a higher score of the high versus the score of the low. Yes. So you’re trying to just chase a bigger high. So you’re making a reckless impulsive decision based on that.

Bryan
That is the exact definition of tilt.

Doug
And the concept, the reason it’s ill-advised is because it’s because it’s very unlikely a good value play is all of a sudden gonna pop up.

Bryan
When you’re mad.

Doug
That one, the time that you’re just upset.

Bryan
You don’t make the best decision?

Doug
You wanna be methodical, pick your spots, the right next value play unit size, all that may be like two days away, not two minutes away.

Bryan
You don’t do that when you’re just mad?

Doug
Well, I have, these are called growing pains. And you know, I always say like, I have the scar tissue and the gray hair. Like that is an advantage in this space. I’ve made the mistakes and I’m trying to share the wisdom as you probably have in poker.

Bryan
Absolutely, yeah. I’ve been on tilt then. I’ve moved. You usually don’t have anything good come.

Doug
Well, you know, there’s people, and I’ve watched enough TV shows with cop shows and stuff like that. Some people don’t believe in coincidence, right? It’s not coincidence that this bet. is all of a sudden a great value play when you happen to be really mad at a loss and wanting to get it back. It’s probably forcing it. You’re probably forcing it. So avoid these pitfalls. It happens. If it happens, it happens. You’re not the first person. Won’t be the last. Just don’t let it snowball into more. So try to avoid being on tilt. And what I would say is tell that to the gambling gods because they usually come from bad beats and things along those lines. I mean, you’ve been in some poker hands where you had the edge mathematically and yeah, you had it all.

Bryan
Oh, I lost a one outer, like come on, that’s the only card in the deck that you could have won and that’s the one you put out there?

Doug
Right, so you don’t just keep bluffing and try to chase your money.

Bryan
No, okay. Man, no, I don’t do that. Stay off of tilts. Thank you for letting them know I’m on tilt right now.