The expression 'full tilt' is most often heard these days in regard to the Full Tilt poker game. Of course, that isn't the origin of the term, although the source is related to another type of poker - the lance used in medieval jousting. Tilt derives from the Old English word tealt or tylte, meaning to totter unsteadily. Tilt Triggers The events that can push a poker player to go on tilt, known as tilt triggers, are as diverse as the players themselves. The most common culprit is a bad losing streak, but other well-known triggers include bad beats, trash-talking opponents, and being card-dead for a prolonged period of time. Tilt is a poker term for a state of mental or emotional confusion or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy. Do you think this can apply to the markets as well? TILT: Your personal stories? Advantage Play Against the IRS - Fully Legal; Going on tilt and losing / regaining heart (seeking a good read) Amaya Buys PokerStars and Full Tilt Gaming 4.9 Billion; Full Tilt Poker/DOJ Refunds Hitting Bank Accounts Today (Feb. 28) Casino's that have free play give aways where you pick A, B, or C really tilt me.

While the importance of stats is always emphasized by fantasy sports writers, there is more to fantasy success than stats alone. Managing your fantasy team also involves managing your own emotions. You can’t afford to go on tilt.

Going on tilt is apoker term used to describe someone who is letting their bad luck affect theway they play. For example, if someone has lost a bunch of hands in a row, orsuffered one bad beat, he or she might start playing recklessly.

Going On Tilt

Let me show you howthis applies to fantasy sports by sharing a story from my own experience. Thisis a story of how I went on tilt in my fantasy football league in September2018. Hopefully, you will learn what not to do from this story.

As the curtain wentup on the NFL season, I drew the No. 1 pick in my league. That year, the choicewas between Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley. These two were the best, but I tookBell because he had more touches than Gurley the previous year.

It’s been wellchronicled why Bell held out and why he never reported to the Steelers. When I realized my first pick wasn’t going to play in the opening week, Imade a smart move. At that time, I didn’t realize just how smart it was.

On the Wednesdaybefore week one, I made the decision to pick up James Conner, Bell’s backup. Hewas available on the waiver wire, and I added him. I only wish I could go backin time and stop there. If only I had known.

If only I had knownhow Bell’s handcuff was going to play like an elite running back until he wasinjured late in the season. But I didn’t know. Worse, yet, I didn’t think itthrough. After a restless night, I traded Conner away one day after I got him.

The trader on theother end of the deal was my own flesh and blood, my son. Nathan could see myemotions had kicked in as soon as Bell failed to report to training camp. Heknew his father, the defending league champion, was on tilt.

While anger isusually the emotion that puts the poker player on tilt, fear is often theemotion that puts the fantasy player on tilt. It was only the first week, but Ifeared my season would be ruined if Bell held out the entire season.

Nathan told me hewould trade for Bell. Like me, he knew I owned a rapidly depreciating asset,and he wasn’t going to pay top dollar. Nathan is a risk-taker by nature,and a smart trader. He would give up his RB1, but it would cost me.

Nathan would trademe Christian McCaffrey for Bell, but I had to throw in Conner and DevanteAdams. In retrospect, I can justify trading Bell and Conner for McCaffrey. Butputting Adams in the deal was a fear-driven decision.

Prevent Going On Tilt

I knew how goodAdams was when I traded him. He was my No. 2 pick, and he went on to lead theleague that year in fantasy points. But it gets worse. Later, I actually tradedMcCaffrey back to Nathan for David Johnson.

Insummary, I managed to trade the top fantasy back (McCaffrey), the top receiver(Adams) and one of the top backs (Conner) for David Johnson and some otherplayers that I later dropped. This is what a man can do on tilt.

Goingon tilt is more likely to happen in football than baseball because there arefewer games. A typical fantasy football regular season is only thirteen games,while a baseball season can involve as many as 162 games.

Butit can still happen. For example, I drafted Jose Ramirez in the first round onone of my teams last year. After an MVP-caliber year in 2018, the Indians thirdbaseman was simply awful in the first three months of 2019.

Howawful? Ramirez hit just .218 in April, May and June, with a mere seven homeruns. As the season neared the halfway point, I was seriously contemplatingtrading him for whatever I could get for him. Anything.

Ramirezput me on a tilt, and the only reason I didn’t offer him up in a trade wasbecause he had 18 first-half steals. I had hoped Ramirez would be afive-category stud, and he had turned into a one-category dud.

Butthat one category was stolen bases, and stolen bases are hard to come by infantasy. There was another reason why I didn’t trade him. I had paid top dollarfor Ramirez, and his trade value last June was low.

Ilove to buy low and sell high. After all, I’ve been a financial advisor forthirty years, and I’ve traded individual stocks. Buy low, sell high has alwaysbeen my mantra – in playing the stock market and fantasy.

Pleasedon’t misunderstand what I’m saying here about buying low and selling high.This is a principle to live by but not a principle to enslave you. On rareoccasions, there’s a time to cut your losses and sell low.

Inthe case or Ramirez, I held him – and I was glad I did. The slugger looked likehis 2018 self in July and August, batting .327, with a 1.105 OPS before hefractured a bone in his hand and missed September.

There’sa lesson to be learned in the two examples I have cited. Things are seldom asgood as they seem, and they are seldom as bad as you might fear. Regressionworks both ways, so keep things in perspective.

Ifyou are going to be successful in fantasy, you must learn how to control youremotions. This principle can be applied to fantasy, stocks and playing poker.When something goes wrong, stop and breathe. And wait.

Thisalso applies to life. It’s inevitable in your life that you will face adversityat some point. If this hasn’t happened to you yet, just wait. How you respondto that adversity will determine the trajectory of your future.

Going On Tilt Poker

Myyears of experience has taught me the importance of not going on tilt in life.If you expect some things to go wrong, you have already baked that into theequation. This is called managing your expectations.

What Does Going On Tilt Mean

Doyou remember Murphy’s Law? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Murphywas a pessimist, for sure. I prefer the late Benjamin Disraeli’s advice. “I amprepared for the worst but hope for the best.”

Tilt Up Construction Process

Thomas Seltzer runs his own blog www.doubtingthomassports.com. He’ll be covering various sports for CREATiVESPORTS. Follow Thomas on Twitter.