How to Avoid Tilt in Sports Betting
One word you hear a lot in all areas of gambling is tilt. Betting on sports is no different. Tilt in sports betting is something that all bettors should try to avoid. What exactly is tilt? Tilt in sports betting is when you start losing control while making wagers. Tilt typically starts when you take a bad beat or lose a bet on a game you were “sure” would win. After this type of loss, you start to make bets you never should make and typically for larger amounts than you typically bet. As you continue to lose bets, you continue to place more and more bad bets for more and more money. This process continues as is referred to as being on tilt.
So how do you avoid tilt in sports betting? We try to identify three great ways to avoid tilt and ultimately make you better at sports wagering.
1) Standard size bets: The most common cause for players going on tilt is when they lose a bet that was for a higher amount than they typically bet. For instance, if you commonly make $5 bets and then decide to bet $50 on a single game. If that game loses, beware of the tilt feelings to start creeping in. You want to make that money back. So to avoid all of this, avoid making larger bets than you are comfortable with. Pick a “unit” amount and stick to that betting amount. No one game is more important than another. And if you truly feel it is, just bet a very small amount more and nothing crazy. Sticking to your standard bet sizes is one great way to avoid tilt in sports betting.
2) Don’t chase bets: Having a plan for the bets you want to make in a day is very important. Lay out the games you like, make your bets, and enjoy the games. If you lose a game, don’t rush back to your sportsbook and chase that loss with another impulse bet. This typically leads to losing more money and eventually leads to tilt like behavior. One result should not give you reason to make a stupid bet. There is always another game and always another day, don’t try to make it all up in a single night.
3) Walk away: If you are starting to feel like you are on tilt, just walk away for a while. Take the night off from sports betting and get back at it the next day. Maybe you need to take a few days off or more. Whatever it takes to get your mind back and focused is what you need to do. Just taking a break is sometimes the easiest and most overlooked thing to help you avoid going on tilt.
In conclusion, tilt in sports betting can be destructive to both your bankroll and your mind. Finding ways to avoid going on tilt is very important and will make you a more confident sports bettor in the long run.
