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?

[MatusowIsBald]

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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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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?

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Unfortunately, I don't really have any good tips when it comes to reducing the anxiety. I don't play all that much poker. Usually when I play I'll play for between 1-2 hours, and that's $2/4 or $3/6 limit. And here's something I forgot to mention... the anxiety is there whether I'm winning or losing. It's not like it goes away if I start playing well. I've had rushes where I've quickly won a few hundred bucks in about 30-45 minutes, yet I'm still as anxious as when I first sat down.

With sports betting I just won't watch games I bet on. It's not the least bit enjoyable to watch a game if I have money on it. I know that's the opposite of how most people feel when they bet on sports, but I'm so competitive that I hang on every pitch/play and it just stresses me out more than anything. I do fairly well at both so it's not like I lack confidence when I play. I just get very wrapped up in it and it kind of takes the fun out of it.

I suppose the only advice I could give would be to play poker in moderation if you find it makes you anxious. Don't play all the time or else you'll wind up being miserable. I have the same problem as you, and the only reason I play poker is because I can make some money at it. It really has nothing to do with enjoyment. I think it can have an adverse effect on some people, both mentally and physically, if they play too much. It's been posted a thousand times on these boards, but I think it's important to concentrate on the important things in life like friends, family, girlfriends, etc. Have fun. Do the things that make you happy. If you're happy in the other aspects of your life I don't think the poker anxiety will wear on you too much. Good luck...