Nerves
Dave,
I was wondering if you have any advice or if you experience your nerves getting to you early on in a tournament. Almost every live game that I play (tourny or regular game) I am extremely nervous (for me) for the first few hands. Do you have any advice on how to overcome that, is this something that goes away after years of playing? After the first few hands I am cool as a cucumber but first couple I feel like i'm sweating bullets. This tends to bother me because, for the most part, I am never nervous in any other situation (interviews, sporting events, presentations etc). Your input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
stp
I was wondering if you have any advice or if you experience your nerves getting to you early on in a tournament. Almost every live game that I play (tourny or regular game) I am extremely nervous (for me) for the first few hands. Do you have any advice on how to overcome that, is this something that goes away after years of playing? After the first few hands I am cool as a cucumber but first couple I feel like i'm sweating bullets. This tends to bother me because, for the most part, I am never nervous in any other situation (interviews, sporting events, presentations etc). Your input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
stp
Comments
I know the feeling, that used to be that way I was when entering live games and tournaments also. I have been playing in the Regina Classics for the last year, and in live games whenever I can get to a city with a casino game.
I don't catch myself getting nervous at all anymore as I gained more and more confidence in my game. What helped get over it was having an initial gameplan when first sitting down. When I now take a seat I sit with the plan of not playing any hands except premiums. My goal for the first little while is to simply watch and see what the table dynamics are and the individual people at the table.
Knowing that I won't be playing many hands goes a long way. If you are confident in your game and sit at the table with a definitive plan for let's say the first circuit of the button eliminates those nerves.
Mike
What follows is a longer article the sort of relates.
___________________________
What My Grade Two Teacher Taught Me About Poker
By Dave Scharf
Mike “the mad genius†Caro often points out in his poker books and lectures that: “It is OK to play your best game all the time.†In fact, it is not just OK, it is essential to play at the top of your game all the time if you hope to be a profitable poker player. Discipline and concentration are critical to winning poker whether you are playing $1-$2 or $100-$200. The problem is that it is much easier to say than to do.
As you drive to the casino you tell yourself: “Play tight.†You check your coat, get your chips, and take your seat and you again remind yourself: “Play tight.†Then half an hour later you find yourself saying: “I know I am beat. I know Larry has an ace. Larry never bluffs. I should fold. Ahh… I better call anyway just in case he is bluffing this time.†Of course, Larry has an ace and you lose the hand. Now all those personal admonitions go out the window. Suddenly, you are no longer playing your best game. You may not be on tilt, per se, but you are getting caught up in your whims and fancies and you are gambling. You are not maintaining the discipline necessary to not only know the right play but to also make the right play.
Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are off your game. I refer to my “A†game and my “B†game. When I have my “A†game I am playing well. I am paying attention to the nuances and rhythm of the table. I am taking the time to make quality decisions and I have the discipline to follow my instincts. When I have my “A†game I do not call Larry “just in case.†I either know that I am beat and fold or I know that I have Larry beat and I raise. In short, I am “in the zone.†When I slip down to my “B†game I tend to rush things. I make poor decisions mostly because I do not take all of the important factors into account. The problem, for me, is that I sometimes slip down to my “B†game without knowing that I have.
Is It Physiology?
I have been struggling with this “A†game – “B†game dichotomy for some time. Recently, I started wondering about a physiological cause. We know that alcohol impairs judgment. So does fatigue. Obviously, don’t play poker drunk or tired. Is it possible that some physiological event overwhelms us at the poker table and causes us to move off of our best game?
Let me state up front that I am not a doctor nor am I scientist. I am, however, a poker player and I have noticed a tendency to experience an increased heart and respiratory rate at times during a poker session. What I am experiencing is the effect of adrenaline.
Adrenalin is secreted from the adrenal glands which cover the kidneys. It increases heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. The Emergency theory or the “Fright, Fight, or Flight†theory was advanced by Dr. Cannon of Harvard University to explain the function of the adrenal glands.
According to this theory the adrenal glands secrete very little adrenaline during ordinary activities. However, under the influence of pain (getting your aces cracked), fear (hoping your aces don’t get cracked), or rage (getting your aces cracked by 7-2 that went runner-runner deuce high flush) it secretes a larger amount of adrenaline. Any shock or surprise can initiate an adrenaline rush.
Thus, my pet theory is that off and on during a poker session I experience and adrenaline rush. During these periods I will have a tendency to rush my decisions. I am experiencing the “Fight or Flight†effect and rushing to conclusions.
What to Do About It?
The first step is to be aware of it. If you know that you are going to experience a physiological tendency to rush your decisions you can make yourself slow down. You can build into your game certain mechanisms that will tend to make you slow down. For instance, do no look at your cards until it is your turn to act. Then before you take that fateful peek decide what range of hands you will need to continue. If you peek before you decide you will have a tendency to talk yourself into a bad decision. Decide first, peek second.
Slow down in general. This is a good habit to get into anyway. Always take your time. This will have two effects – you will not give away your hand as weak when you actually need the time to think, and you will tend to consider more things and make better decisions. When the adrenalin hits you, force yourself to take the same amount of time making decisions.
Take a time out. I have learned to take time outs, particularly when I am playing a tournament. As soon as a hand goes by that causes an adrenaline rush I “put myself on the clock.†I decide, for instance, that I will not make any difficult decisions or fancy plays for five minutes. During my time out I work on calming down and getting my physiology back into the normal zone. Breathe deeply and work on relaxing.
What My Grade Two Teacher Taught Me
Even simpler than a self-imposed time out is a technique that my grade two teacher taught me. Little did I know that she was teaching me about controlling my emotions at the World Series of Poker. She taught me “1 + 3 + 10 = calming down.†We used to chant it in class. One: Tell yourself to calm down. Plus three: Take three deep breaths. Plus ten: Count slowly to ten. Equals: You will be calmed down. It worked in the boot room when I was seven and it works at the poker table now that I am slightly older than thirty-seven.
In short, anything you can do to counteract the powerful effect of an adrenaline rush will tend to improve your game. An adrenaline rush is coming – guaranteed – find a way to calm yourself down, put yourself back in the zone, and make good decisions.
stp