anxiety while playing poker

[whangarei]

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I'm ridiculously competitive and the thought of putting my all into something and not coming out on top makes me very nervous. I think another thing that gets me worked up is the randomness of poker/sports betting. I don't care how good you are, there is still a TON of luck involved in both. Knowing that I don't ultimately control my own fate also makes me anxious.

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This pretty well characterizes the sources of my anxiety at poker. Losing a few tourneys won't make a dent financially, and through study and experience I feel I have an edge on most of my opponents, so I think causes mentioned elsewhere may not apply to me so much.

Have you found a way to reduce your anxiety while playing poker or sports betting?