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I get this question constantly when I’m training. “How can I stay mentally strong at the table? I tilted my pile the other day. I don’t even know why I did it. How can I prevent it from happening again?”
Every player has experience with tilt, including me. These are tips that have always worked for me. I hope some of them can work for you too.
Tell yourself to expect a bad win
On average, you should experience bad pacing every day you play. It’s rare to play an extended session and not get hit by a bad hit at some point.
If you tell yourself on your way to the card room that a bad shot is likely to happen today, you’ll be less upset when it happens.
If you expect to be clean every time you play, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
This is especially true for tournaments. As you get deeper into the tournament, decks get shorter, players get more aggressive, and you get money with fewer edges. It is very likely at this point that someone will damage your collection. If you are prepared for that bad moment to happen, you can recover quickly.
Tell yourself to expect something that will get on your nerves
It’s common for something to get on our nerves at the table. There could be a poker player talking while we’re trying to think. There may be a slot machine operating nearby. The featured card can be flipped when dealt to us.
If we anticipate it before we show up, we will be prepared for it. We can put our headphones on. We can focus.
Exercise before you get to the table, and avoid caffeine
Drain your nervous energy before you even get to the table.
You can walk. You can lift weights. You can run. You can use resistance bands in your hotel room. it’s your choice.
If you finish eating before you get to the table, it will be difficult to concentrate as the day goes on.
It’s easier to tilt when you pull your butt later. Hydrate as much as you can. Sip your coffee slowly. Do not download and take yourself out of the game.
Take your time with river calls
Rushing river calls send people into tilt mode all the time.
It’s easy to make an impulsive river call after we’ve played for long hours and feel exhausted. It’s especially easy to make a bad river call when we’re going poorly. We just don’t want to accept that our hands are cracked again.
If we take our time on the rivers, we will make better decisions. We have to ask ourselves whether our opponent is worth betting on a worse hand. We have to ask ourselves whether our opponent will shoot for a missed draw. We have to ask ourselves how many draws have been lost so far? We have to ask ourselves if our opponent can really shoot a pair that turned into a bluff or a high card.
We have to think about the way this player played all day. Didn’t they do anything noteworthy? They are unlikely to suddenly commit a major bluff. You would have seen at least some pre-aggression if they were the type to try to run over the table.
You’re not being scammed as much as you think you are. Don’t be afraid to leave more hands.
Take your time with the tricks
If you are about to get scammed, think about it carefully.
Is this actually a good situation to bluff? Does our opponent have a range and don’t want to see us bet too big? Or are we just angry because our lottery was lost? Are we trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?
We have to accept that we will not be able to win every bowl we play. There are eight players at the table and only one of us. They outnumbered us. They should win almost every time. Our job is to be patient and wait for the few times the deck hits us. When that happens, we need to implement.
It is difficult to pull off tricks versus casual players who like to hold back. Someone probably made a hand and didn’t want to fold it. If we give up more against them, it’s not a bad game. If the trick is not successful, we should not often entertain the idea.
We want to be careful about reckless scams. Getting one bad trick is an easy way to get tilted. If we stay vigilant and don’t give our opponents big bets, we will feel better.
Give yourself a reality check
The latter is a bit geeky, but it works for me. When I feel angry, I try to check in with myself.
“You’re in an air-conditioned room playing cards. You’re not out in the sun digging ditches. Don’t be too nice.”
I’ve given myself a pep talk like this more than once. help.
If I’m in a tournament, I ask myself what someone at the rail would pay for my stack right now. Thinking about the total cash money a pile like mine would bring in always brings me back to reality. I stop focusing on who has a bigger stack of chips than me or who has a stack of my chips as a result of a bad win. Instead, I see my collection still having great value.
I remind myself that I would really regret it if I entered this tournament. I tell myself if I want to avoid regret tomorrow, I need to focus now.
Conclusion
The mental game is a lifelong process that no one truly masters. Just try to get a little better every day. I hope these tips start you on your way. good luck to you.
Learn how to play AK when it fails the flop!
Alexander Fitzgerald is a professional poker player Best-selling author Who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. that it WPT And EPT The final table menu, and its WCOOP And scoop Wins online. His last win was the guaranteed $250,000 Acker Poker. He currently enjoys blasting bums on Ignition courses while listening to death metal. Free training packages Offered to new newsletter subscribers who sign up at PokerHeadRush.com
