Controlling my emotions

[Raiseren1]

I have been playing poker online for 4-5 months. Still I think that im a decent player. Because I have played the game very intense, read a lot of books and studied the pros playing. I always thinks about how I can improve my game, and not do the same mistake once again.

Since I am only 17 it's not possible for me to deposit money into a poker site, and therefor I just play small stakes poker. (that i won in freeroll og just received as a sign up bonus). Some day I hope it will be possible for me playing higher stakes poker.

My problem is that I HATE losing. I can't controle my self. Just screaming, some times even crying when losing a big pot. Luckily I am not the player who tilts. My play probably gets a little worse, but not a lot. My real problem is that I don't know know why I get so angry about losing a 30$ pot. Because it ain't that much (at least compared to some of you. It's not my own money I am losing, but still I am screaming and stuff like that. And I know that I need to controle my emotions before I am able to be a good poker player.

Is there any of you, who have some advice for me?

[_TKO_]

In operational environments, a strong process results in the desired outcome. The goal is not to achieve the outcome but to follow the process to the best of your ability. The results take care of themselves. <u>The results take care of themselves.</u> This applies to situations where the number of factors affecting the results dwarfs each individual cause, such that the minor causes are disjointed from major results.

Read it again.

Now:
1. You are playing on a limited bankroll. You cannot afford to lose $30 because there is no way for you to deposit more money into the site. This is why it upsets you.
2. You feel you deserve to win. You've put all this hard work in to learning proper strategy and improving your own game, and it doesn't make sense that you could lose. This is why you hate to lose.
3. Download a program like PokerTracker and statiscally prove to yourself that you are a winning player. The results take care of themselves.

If you're playing scared or overconfidently, you are not playing winner poker.

[ledfoot]

When you scream, etc, you are tilting. Tilt also includes is anything you do or think that is not your A-Game and anything than your very best game and mindset.Is one of the books you've read Feeney's Inside the Poker Mind? If not, get it. There's good chapters (essays) about emotion, tilt, judgement, etc. Even if you make correct decisions 100% of the time, you will experience the inevitable fluctations from the chance element of poker. Ed Miller's Small Stakes Holdem is a great book to help you become consistent at making correct decisions. Read it again and again. Don't let the heat get to you and you'll become the solid high stakes player to want to become. Good luck.

[Raiseren1]

"You are playing on a limited bankroll. You cannot afford to lose $30 because there is no way for you to deposit more money into the site. This is why it upsets you."

You are so right XtKox. I know if I lose my bankroll it will be hard for me to play for real money again. And that is one of the reason, that I am afraid of losing.


"2. You feel you deserve to win. You've put all this hard work in to learning proper strategy and improving your own game, and it doesn't make sense that you could lose. This is why you hate to lose."

You are right again. I feel like I deserves to win. I just had a very good week, playing like 40 SNGS, with an incredible high ROI (70% or so). At that time I felt like I was invincible. I couldn't lose. And I have now realized that it was my attitude that began the losing streak: In a few days I played 20 SNGS and only got ITM in 2 of theme. Now my self-confidence is very low. Even though my ROI is still positive (I have only kept account for 60 SNGS or so), I feel like the first 40 SNGs was just beginner luck. And if I keep playing theme I lose the rest of my BR (which is just 95$ now. It was 150 just a weak ago).

My attitude is really bad atm, and I want to change it. Of experience I know that negative throughts affects your play negative. But I just don't know how to change it.

Ledfoot: Your probably right, that I am tiliting sometimes. I am just not the type who begins playing very LAG if I loose a few big pots. I regard my self as a very disciplined player (not playing when drunk, analyzing my mistakes, reading books, not playing too long sessions etc.)

I haven't heard about "Inside the Poker mind" before. But it certainly looks interesting. I haven't either read Small Stakes Holdem, because I assummed it was just another beginner book, that explains the basic theories, that I already know.

[bruin]

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't either read Small Stakes Holdem, because I assummed it was just another beginner book, that explains the basic theories, that I already know.

[/ QUOTE ]

You couldn't be more wrong. Check this book out when you get a chance.

As for your original question, I think it will come with experience. Bad beats used to hurt me; my face would flush, my heart would pound, all of that stuff. Now I realize that it's part of the game, and I really dont care about results any more. I think this will come with experience and time.

[donkeyradish]

You have to learn what variance is all about.

Nobody wins all the time not even the best and luckiest pros.

Some days its your turn to lose and bluntly, if you can't accept that then you shouldn't play.