Tilt
An emotionally compromised state where trading decisions deviate from the plan — usually triggered by a loss, a missed setup, or a target cut short.
Tilt is the trading equivalent of poker tilt: a state where your normal decision-making process is bypassed by emotional pressure. Signs include sizing up, taking marginal setups, cutting winners short, holding losers past the stop, and a feeling of needing to trade rather than wanting to.
Tilt is not a character flaw — it's a predictable response to the conditions of trading. The work is recognizing it and having pre-built procedures (walk-away rule, Order Lock, daily closeout) that remove your access to trading until you've reset.
Related terms
- Revenge trade
A trade taken to make back a previous loss, typically sized larger than plan and taken with weaker setup criteria.
- Order Lock
A one-click trading-lockout that disables order entry until the next session — designed to prevent revenge trades after a triggering event.
- Daily closeout
A time-based trigger that flattens the account and disables trading at a configured Eastern Time each day.
- Discipline Score
A numerical score that measures plan adherence on every trade — inputs, not outputs — so you can see whether you're actually getting better.