Terrible night at my Local / How to keep Emotions in check at the casino

puntr · May 1, 2023

So my local runs a 25p/25p($1.25/$1.25) game that I attend regualarly with min buy of 1000p($50) and capped at 5000p($250).
im going to go over the two hands I played which led me to a very bad decision..

I defend the big blind with 5♥️6♥️ from MP2 open of 100

Flop 3♦️4♠️7♣️

with 2400 in my stack and he bets 100p into 250p.

I raise to 350 and he just jams (He covered my 2400p) and I snap call. I ask him if he wants to run twice and he says no...

Turn 3♦️4♠️7♣️T♦️

River 3♦️4♠️7♣️T♦️2♦️

Villain J♦️5♦️

and everyone just starts needling me. Usually this doesn't effect me much but I have been running so bad these last two weeks so naturally I just wanted to leave but I held my seat.

An orbit or two later later I pick up A♦️A♠️(2500p) on the button and squeeze after two limps(25p) to 200p and get 4 callers ........

Flop J♦️J♥️9♠️

It checks to me and I Cbet 400p and get two callers.

turn J♦️J♥️9♠️2♣️

It checks t me again and I Elect to check back.

River J♦️J♥️9♠️2♣️9♦️

BB checks and cut off goes all in for my whole stack overeating the pot.

After a long tank I just sigh fold knowing this old man never bluffs and the BB folds and of course he rolls over 8♥️9♣️.

so I take my stack and like an donkey I go to the roulette table and put it all on black of course I lose. For whatever reason I take my third buy in(2500p) and put it all on black again and what would you know it comes green !!!!

What are your tips for surviving tilt and not being such a degenerate. It just seems everything has been going wrong for these past few weeks its like I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I used to have a really bad gambling problem and it feels like im starting to relapse to my old ways. How do you stop yourself from impulsive bets while you are emotional. although it seems like not a lot 7500p(375$) is a big portion of my monthly salary (35%) and about 20% of my bankroll which I have been building for the last two years. I am not a professional player by any means but it feels like I'm making all the right decisions and still getting destroyed. Sorry for the long thread just feel really bad right now and don't have anyone to vent to...

Thanks,

Puntr

JappsPK · May 2, 2023

I'm sorry to hear about the tough run you've been having, Puntr.

Tilt can be a challenging thing to manage in poker, and it's easy to get caught up in the moment and make decisions that we later regret. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help prevent yourself from making impulsive bets while you're emotional.

1) Take a break when you start feeling tilt. Sometimes, it's best to step away from the table for a little while to clear your head and regain your focus. Maybe go for a walk, grab a drink or a snack, or just take a few deep breaths

2) Try to focus on the process rather than the results. It sounds like you feel like you're making all the right decisions but still getting destroyed, which can be frustrating. But remember that in poker, there will always be an element of luck involved, and sometimes even the best decisions will result in a loss. Instead of dwelling on the results, try to focus on making the best decisions you can based on the information you have at the time.

3) Consider setting some limits for yourself. It's great that you have been building your bankroll over the past two years, but it's important to be mindful of how much you're risking. Maybe set a limit for how much you're willing to lose in a session or in a week, and stick to it. You might also consider setting a time limit for your sessions so that you're not playing for too long and risking burnout.

Remember, poker is a game that requires both skill and luck, and sometimes things just won't go your way. The important thing is to stay level-headed and make the best decisions you can, while also taking care of yourself both financially and emotionally.

Good luck at the tables!

Pokerpoet2 · May 2, 2023

Sorry for your defeat but you have to except that the game does have downswings, they happen all to frequently. First I would look at the amount of money you lost and ask yourself Can I afford to lose this kind of money week after week? If the answer is No! Then I would suggest looking for a smaller buy-in game, If however the answer is Yes! Then you don't have a problem.
But for gods sake stay away from the Roulette Tables, these are designed to rob the punters of their hard earned cash. I have been to a few casinos and have only once placed a bet on them to placate a friend I was with, He was a Manchester United Fan and wanted to place a bet on red, he asked me to go with him and place £5 each on red, and I said Why Red? his reasoning was "It's his teams colours".
I told him you might want to go single number on your own birthday as the odds pay out more, and I had to explain this to him as he had never played Roulette before, as it was too complicated for him to understand I eventually gave him the Fiver and said knock your socks off, enjoy, he bet everything on Red and 15 Black came up.
I said told you so and when he asked me what I meant, I said my Birthday is the 15th of October we would have been paid out £180 from a £5 stake, he nearly cried and asked how much would we have won with £10 on Red if it hit? I said £20 is it really worth it?
Roulette is too easy to lose money fast and make the Casino Bosses Rich! blackjack is another Cash Cow for them as the odds are always in their favour!
Stick with Poker and try not to fall in love with any hand, there are always opponents that will hit lucky, because there are too many fish out there, also you have to remember that what may seem a lot of money to you, might be Peanuts! for someone else.
Good Luck in the Future and Stay away from the side games.

dannystanks · May 3, 2023

It sounds like you need to get a handle on the gambling problem issues that may be creeping back into your life. How were you able to fix that in your past? I think if you can get a good handle on that issue, get it under control, get your emotions right, you can translate that to the poker table.

Tilting is a really bad thing. It will occupy your mind in the upcoming hands and will cloud your decision-making process.

Work on becoming completely emotionless during and after the hand. If you win or loss, same emotion. Not too high when you win, not too low when you loose. Even if you loose to a one outer. realize that even if you are supposed to win 80% of the time, 20% of the time this hand has to loose. It's math, it's a long run of poker thing. It is poker and this is the game you are playing. You are not entitled to win, even though you are better than another player. Even if you have an edge. So I think when we feel entitled for whatever reason, and we loose, we tilt. And then tilt will get in the way.

How to become emotionless. Stop worrying about winning the pot and winning money. If you are making that your goal and you don't make money, you get tilted. Change your goal to play the best way you can during the hand. Just concentrate on this hand. You got delt the cards, you decided to play after considering all things to consider. Now, how is the best way to play this hand. If you change your goal to play your best in every hand you are in, then it won't matter if you make money. Money will come when you start playing better and making better decisions. I played a tournament once and was out in 5 hands that I played. I was out early in the tournament, like by round 3 or 4. In this tournament I lost all those hands I was in. I could have been really tilted by that, maybe taken it personally, got mad, have it ruin the rest of my day, but I wasn't mad. I wasn't mad because I played those hands as correctly as I thought was possible and that's all that matters. I got up from the table and wished everyone good luck. There will always be another tournament/cash game.

Good luck!