I get nervous when I play poker

Yoshi63 · #1 05-12-2007, 09:42 PM

I don't know why, but for some reason I tend to get butterflies and stuff like that when I play poker. It's nothing crippling, and I can play live games without giving away any blatent tells. My bankroll is certainly big enough to support the levels I play at, but it doesn't seem to matter. I'll buy into a tournament for 1/1000th of my BR and still get butterflies and shivers.

It only happens about 50% of the time when I play. Not surprisingly, I tend to play better and have more success when I'm 'nervous' as compared to when I'm care-free.

Thought/comments?

arahant · #2 05-12-2007, 09:58 PM

I've always had the same problem, especially in tournaments. Despite good results, I finally gave up on live tournaments because I find them way too stressful. By the time I get down near the bubble, I find myself constantly on edge, physically shivering (I guess my blood is concentrating itself in my organs or something), and just generally a wreck. It doesn't seem to affect my play, amazingly, but it takes me at least a day to recover from a big tournament.

After years of play, I can play ring limit games and satelites with no anxiety, but I still get nervous playing NL, even at small limits. I'll play 100-200 limit without being nervous, but even a 200 buyin NL game gives me butterflies, so obviously it's not the money.

In my case, I think it is an aspect of a broader social anxiety that I have. Not sure if this applies to you or not.

I'll comment more if the thread gets going.

Yoshi63 · #3 05-12-2007, 10:08 PM

Are you entirely a live player?

Interesting comments, and now that I think about it, NL is usually what gets me too. I play as high as 5/10 limit, and occationally I get stressed at this too, but only at the beginning before I get involved in a hand. Yet a $10 tournament which will have little-to-no effect on me if I lose, I get goosebumps and adrenaline and just enter a slightly different state-of-mind.

HowdyC · #4 05-13-2007, 04:15 AM

Ask yourself what it is you get out of poker. Whatever it is (satisfaction of winning, money, comraderie etc.), you are probably afraid you will fail. It can be helpful to notice situations in which you are nervous/anxious and then try to figure out why (later when you're not in the situation). You'll always learn something about yourself... and the more comfortable you are with yourself, the better you will play.

Superman26gt · #5 05-13-2007, 07:26 AM

Sounds like adrenaline to me, this is a gift!

Many sports players get the same feeling.

I played a variety of sports all my life, football I played for 11 years and I cannot remember one single game where I did not get adrenaline before hand.

I remember I was in 5th grade about to play a pee-wee football game against the best team in the league, I told my dad I felt really sick to my stomach and wanted to go home.

My dad convinced me to stay as he knew what was likely going on.

As soon as I caught the starting kickoff a sense of power gathered itself within me and I returned it all the way untouched.

I walked over to the sideline, everyone cheering. My dad asked, "how do you feel?" I exclaimed, "I feel great!"

That's a story me and my father laugh about..

The key is to realizing that adrenaline is gearing you up for what is about to come, it's a very simple way of hightening your awareness and giving you "power" to attack the upcoming competitive event...Go get em!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Yoshi63 · #6 05-13-2007, 08:07 AM

Superman - I think it probably is adrenaline. But what good is adrenaline in a game where you simply have to sit and systematically observe and make well-thought decisions?

I've gotten similar feelings right before tip-off of a middle-school basketball game, or whatever. I also get the feeling when I watch my favorite sports team down the stretch of a close game. In the situation where I'm actually PLAYING, it makes sense to heighten my senses for a game which seems big to me. But when I'm simply observing a game, what's the function of getting adrenaline? My explaination for it is that my body is preparing itself for a sudden emotional swing... either excitement or disappointment.

So I think it's a similar deal with poker. My body is preparing itself for what appears to be a massive emotional swing - whether I win an all-in and double-up, or lose and bust out on the bubble (as an example).

More to come if I think of anything else...

Superman26gt · #7 05-13-2007, 08:29 AM

I found this Link I think this is a good first step in understanding adrenaline..I will search for more..

This one also

This one has to do with trading stocks, I believe this is the best article.. Adrenaline and trading

kirketerp · #8 05-13-2007, 02:20 PM

FWIW:

Whenever I had to take a test or an exam in school, I got that exact same adrenaline kick like you guys are talking about regarding sports. I knew that I had to do good on the exam, and I knew that I could do good, yet having something at stake gave me another level. I was thinking clearer, I was more focused, and I was definitely more determined to "win". So getting your adrenaline pumping can be a really good thing when doing something that demands focus and well-thought decisions, at least for me it is. Unfortunately though, I can't get that "rush" when I'm playing poker, since for whatever reason it doesn't matter enough for me.(It might be the fact that I'm playing NL$25 [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])

If the adrenaline makes you uncomfortable, be it physically or mentally, I found that convincing myself that I was able to perform when needed took the edge of the "rush" and turned it into an advantage. So if your able to do that, then it should definitely be something you should appreciate instead of considering as a problem

SmokeyRidesAgain · #9 05-14-2007, 08:36 AM

You never see that tell that so many people have, shakey legs when they have a monster? That's the release of the tension you are describing, I'd imagine.

kirketerp · #10 05-14-2007, 09:01 AM

I have never played live poker, so I wouldn't know. However, in the situations I talk about in my earlier post, I would get the shakes right before I had to perform, then when the test/exam started I would be completely focused on the task at hand and not even think about winning or losing/passing or failing.
I don't know if it's comparable to playing poker, but it seemed as if there was some similarities