Avoid Poker Meltdown
Try as you may, eventually you are going to get really frustrated, angry or upset while playing poker. Everybody does it, even the top players in the world. It can’t be helped, poker can be a very emotional game, not to mention that nobody likes to lose money, which adds a whole other level of stress to the situation. And when people start to lose money, they start to lose focus, which can then have a number of detrimental effects on how well you play at the table.
The common solution that a lot of experienced players like to suggest when a player gets overly irritated while playing poker is to just get up and leave the game for awhile. This, as we all know, is way easier said than done. When you get beat in a hand or make a bad call, lots of players want to try and make up for that loss right away and will end up playing more hands and sacrificing proper hand selection in the process.
The top pros say that the easiest way to overcome many of these frustrations is to try and eliminate them from the start. You can’t be thinking straight about what plays to make if you’re worried about the amount of money you’re losing. If losing too much money at one session of poker will put a financial strain on your life, you are playing at way too high a level. If you want to have the same relaxed mind at a $5-$10 no-limit table that you do at a $.25 - $.50 table, you need to make sure you can afford to be at those levels.
When you remove the stress of having to worry about your bankroll, you’ll be able to take bad beats and bad plays in stride a lot easier. If you find yourself constantly counting your stack while in a game, it’s time to look for a cheaper game where you can put the focus on strategy and not have your mind on the money the whole time.
By: Chris Iaquinta
