🔥Rewiring Tilt Into Tactical Flow

March 17, 2025

Vegas Poker Trainer Vegas Brain Carousel

🎲 Got Tilt? Decisions, Luck, and the Power of Process

When your left brain masters communicating with your right brain: it's like Mr. Metrics teaming up with Mr. YOLO for the ultimate collaboration.

🎙️🎧 Presented by Ed Reif Audio

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🎲 Enter the Insane World Of Alan Keating

♠ Poker Doesn’t Think, and the Cards Have No Memory

“Hold’em is too random to be left up to chance. Yet, we attribute our successes to our skills, and our failures to external events outside our control, namely to randomness.”

Poker is a game of decisions, not outcomes. Tilt begins where logic ends.

💡 Improving Decisions, Not Chasing Results

Poker is not about winning every hand but excelling over time. You don’t play hands—you play ranges, process, and probability.

🎤 Karaoke Poker

ABC Emotional Players mimic what they've seen, not what they’ve processed. Sing the right song—or go silent.

📚 Egonomics 101

Loss Aversion: Players hate losing chips more than they love winning pots...
Anchoring: The first bet size you hear isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a trap.
Sunk Costs: “I’ve already put 80% of my stack into this pot...”
Overconfidence: “Everyone thinks they can outplay the table...”

🧠 Poker and Behavioral Biases Info Hub

1. What is the "Egonomics 101" concept in poker?

Egonomics 101 refers to the impact of mental biases on poker gameplay, from denial to distortion, and how they chip away at your edge.

2. How do "Flounders" differ from "Rounders" in poker?

Flounders approach poker as a game of chance. Rounders? They study, iterate, and fold with purpose. One floats, the other rows.

3. What is the significance of emotional return on investment (ROI) in poker?

Emotional ROI distinguishes professionals from gamblers. You don’t just invest chips—you invest confidence, clarity, and calm.

♠️ OJ Sim Trainer ♣️

Your Hand

J♠

10♠

The Situation

You're in the final table of a tournament with 6 players left. You have JT suited in the small blind.

Blinds: 6,000/12,000, Ante: 1,500

Your stack: 180,000 (15 big blinds)

The Action

Everyone folds to you in the small blind.

The big blind has 240,000 chips and is playing tight.

You're in the money, but there's a significant pay jump at each position.

The Decision

With JT suited in the small blind, you have a medium strength hand.

ICM pressure is significant at this final table.

What's your play?

Pro Tip

When facing ICM pressure, your decisions should be more conservative than in a regular chip EV situation. Consider how each action affects your tournament equity.

Your Hand

A♦

A♣

The Situation

You're playing $5/$10 No-Limit Hold'em cash game. You have pocket aces in middle position.

Your stack: $1,000

Table dynamics: Aggressive players to your left who 3-bet frequently.

The Action

First player folds, second player raises to $30.

It's your turn to act with your premium hand.

Players behind you are known for their aggressive play.

The Decision

With pocket aces, you have the nuts preflop.

How should you play to maximize value?

What's your optimal play here?

Pro Tip

When playing premium hands like pocket aces, balance protection against maximizing value. Your position and table dynamics should influence your sizing strategy.

Your Hand on the Button

9♦

8♦

UTG

BTN

The Situation

You're playing $1/$2 No-Limit Hold'em cash game with $200 effective stacks (100 big blinds).

You have 9♦8♦ on the button - a suited connector with position advantage.

The table is playing relatively tight with a mix of recreational players.

The Action

UTG limps for $2, MP folds, CO folds.

It's your action on the button with 9♦8♦.

Small blind and big blind players tend to defend their blinds often.

The Decision

The button is the most profitable position at the table.

Your suited connector has playability and draws potential.

How should you play this hand with position advantage?

Pro Tip

The button is poker's most profitable position. When playing suited connectors from the button, consider how your position advantage allows you to play more hands profitably and control the pot size on later streets.