Emotion in Poker

[VMVarga]

It is only natural for the human mind to become upset and frustrated when there is perceived unfairness. If someone cuts in front of you when you are in line (like voting, don't forget to vote next week!) you are going to feel like it is unfair and the natural urge to become upset or angry about it has to be suppressed. Unless of course you are like Larry David and you are set on always calling out those who "chat and cut".

When you get a strong hand like AA or KK and you get into a big hand with a big pot and you end up losing it to someone with 45suit, you get that same feeling of having been treated unfairly. Of course fairness has nothing to do with it in this case, but we still feel like we were robbed of a sure thing. You have to remember that having a "sure thing" in poker does not happen often, and it never happens preflop.

Because it is so natural for us to get upset/angry when those things happen, we have to make efforts to condition our minds and strengthen our mental toughness. Unlike emotions such as anger and frustration, mental toughness is not something that comes naturally. It must be developed, like a skill. So try to look at each bad beat that happens to you as one more opportunity to develop that mental toughness and avoid those toxic emotions like anger. This is much easier said than done--as are most things that are worthwhile in life--but I promise you that if you work hard at it, you will develop that mental toughness that will help you stay level headed at the tables. Developing this skill will also make playing the game much more fun, even when you lose.

Developing mental toughness is something that will not just benefit your poker playing, it will also benefit most areas of your life. There are some great books on this subject, like Unbeatable Mind by former Navy SEAL Mark Divine. If you really struggle with bad beats and can't seem to avoid getting angry when they occur, I recommend the book.

 

[kdawg71]

When I get a bad beat I get a little distracted, but normally as a generality, I just put past me and move on to the next hand, trying to stay as focused as possible on the task at hand. If I deserve it than I just shrug it off and move on. I get more upset at myself when I don't make the bet enough to force an opponent and pay for it by losing the hand or when make a correct read on a bet made by an opponent and I don't think rationally and jump head first into getting myself suckered into dropping more chips than I should have. One thing that helps me a lot is I stretch my body, predominately the areas of my body that tighten up when I make a major error. It helps me take a step back from jumping down the preverbial "rabbit hole", in which I can reset my mind set and start focusing back towards my original goals. It's not a perfect system but it tends to keep me from irrationally throwing my stack away. Stretching helps me. It might help you, or maybe you can find something that keeps away from going down the rabbit hole. I hope this information is helpful to you.

 

[kdawg71]

Pardon me. make an incorrect read on bet made by an opponent

 

[kddy]

uff how hard, the truth that emotionally playing poker can lead us to lose very easily

 

[AlexDriver]

If I lose in a good tournament I may be angry very long time, and if tournaments are freeroll i quickly forget about it. It is important not to tilt after losing!

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

yesterday I had a black stripe. terrible blows every time.
I found the strength to calm down and still did not play because the emotions were boiling for a long time and this is bad for the session

 

[IlyaSavinov]

When I lose, I am not very angry, but when I win, I immediately become a kind and happy person who very rarely have to be in poker

 

[muse713]

when you often lose , are you trying to forget or are you still angry?

With tournaments I can forget easily and move on. I have to take a cool off period when playing cash.

 

[Meepomancer1122]

I start tilting when I get lots of bad beats in a row. So I try to take some small breaks to cool off and then get back to the grind

 

[Vlad Tapu]

I learned how to control my emotions. But yea, it s better to step in with your poker face, even if u play online. And think about your game: if you did it well and still lose, is not your problem and that will not happen often. If was your bad, learn how to improve.

 

[collesut]

when you often lose , are you trying to forget or are you still angry?

If I played it correctly it doesnt bother me, but if I had a mistake, a little one it upsets me.
Also I am trying to get rid off any emotion in poker especially during live poker tournaments

 

[Heathencore]

It/s very true that playing angry can affect your game as a poker player in negative ways, I try to turn it around and use that anger to focus on playing better and try to improve my play while I'm angry, trying to focus more on the hands and myself control, but the emotional roller coaster of winning and losing during aa session is what ultimately keeps us bellying up to the felt for another round. Not sure who said it but we love to hate the game!

 

[frnandoh]

when I lose I am angry but I've lose a lot of times, so it's ok, . I learned to react better on my bad runs. few moments ago I was really depressed, because I regard myself the smarter man in the world and I can't admit to lose, nowadays I think in lose as a part of process, I am sometimes more sad, sometimes cold, so I am very happy knowing how I have to feel.

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

the fact is that online is sometimes difficult to control emotions.
maybe it's for the best.
but in a live game you have to be like steel[emoji54][emoji54][emoji54]

 

[Stevan]

I only tilt when i enter with premium hand and the guy has absolute trash and he out flops me, but it's just for a couple seconds.

 

[mtmigmike]

When I often lose I try to forget, but it does not work, sometimes even take a break from the game for a week to relax.

 

[Viktor Krysko]

I've been losing a lot of anger and impatience, it's better to play calmly

 

[fernando21]

Notice emotion as it comes. Do not fight it or deny it, this only lends it energy.

Simply notice it and let it drift away like a summer cloud.

This becomes easier the more it is practiced.

 

[cris1964]

I think that this is a very individual matter and if you can not control it, stop the game

 

[MishkaZL]

I believe that emotions in poker hinder making the right decisions. Sometimes, because of the fear of losing, I make false decisions. I believe that a stable emotional state while playing poker is the key to success.