[hornpout]

at the poker table, your thoughts and feelings are usually secret. you dont have anybody to share the pain, shame, embarrassment, or anger with. tehrefore the thoughts/feelings stay with you longer.

the fact that you can not control the cards and others' play can magnify these feelings and cause poor decision making. "he sucked out a straight, why cant i?"
"figures the straight didnt hit for me."

with non-poker conflicts, you can re-assume control of situations by changing the approach or the environment. you can make yourself feel better afterwards by talking about/repremanding those who made mistakes etc.

if you sense tilt, try changing your approach. go to sleep, play monsters and make laying down a hand become easy.

try changing your environment by changing games or going for a walk/grabbing something to eat before returning to the table.

make a list of your own coping skills and bring those skills to the table. the best way to deal with the problem is to keep talking about it and taking responsibility for your poor decision making until you see a change. take care. -mj