Tilt
Definition
In its broadest interpretation, tilting describes a player who is in a mental state where they are no longer capable of making rational decisions but instead act on emotions. For example, when a player takes large losses and struggles to make them up as quickly as possible by betting aggressively and playing over large pots with weak hands, then he is on tilt.
Kinds of tilts
The most obvious form of tilt is aggression. A player tries to win big pots with aggressive moves. He will bluff and bet a lot. He will become very aggressive and tend to play over large pots with marginal made hands, which leads to hopeless double or nothing situations where he bets all his money, as if he were playing roulette and betting it all on red.This kind of tilt also means that the player ignores bankroll management, making bets on limits that are too large for his bankroll.
Another, sneakier kind of tilt is the passive tilt, where a player becomes shy and fearful so that he no longer plays with enough aggression. He does not even play his good hands aggressively, always fearing the next bad beat that could be lurking around every corner.
Triggers and consequences of tilts
Tilts are normally triggered by losses. They don't have to be large, but need only impact a player such that he falls into a state of desiring to regain his losses at all cost.
The consequences are often catastrophic. If the player does not have excellent luck, he will make his relatively small losses large in no time with aggressive play, possibly even burning through his whole bankroll. In the passive form, the player continually cuts his winnings, so that he eventually makes steady, long-term losses. He plays much too passively and fearfully. A good player becomes bad, so that he no longer acts as he must. And often he knows it.