Flipping out
 

I get very very stressed out almost every poker session. I 8-table SNG's as my only source of income (while I make the transition to getting my teaching certification) and play in 4-hour blocks. Over the last 4 months I've broken a desk, a lounge chair, a lamp, a mouse (in the middle of a session, I was freaking out), and I've banged my hand on my new desk so often that it's bruised. What usually gets me is not a single losing session but a stretch of 3-4 sessions where I essentially break even. It doesn't help that at least once in almost every session these days PStars goes dead and the tables don't respond even though I'm connected.

Do any of you "flip out" while playing? If not, how about swearing at your opponents (which I also do on an almost daily basis)? How about crying? I've cryed in a few poker sessions too.

Re: Flipping out
 

I know you're doing this as your only source of income, but you really need to straighten yourself out. What level are you playing at? Is it the money that gets to you, or just the agony of being defeated?

EDIT: You also might try posting this in the psychology forum.

Re: Flipping out
 

It's entirely possible to make a living at poker yet not be a professional.

Re: Flipping out
 

It's probably the fear of not earning as much as I think I should be, as well as needing it to pay the bills. That's why 3-4 sessions of breaking even is more stressful than a losing session.

Playing poker is only temporary. I've been doing it for a long long time in one form or another and it's never worked out for me as a career because of the stress issues. I'm only doing this now because I've graduated college and am biding time till I go back for my certification.

Re: Flipping out
 

You might want to try a less stressful way of making a living, like working for the bomb squad.

Re: Flipping out
 

I tilted off $1,200 last night while drunk 8 tabling the 100 6-max game because the SNGs weren't available do to DST. I vowed poker was a waste of time and decided to quit!

Welp, the sit n gos are back and so am I!

Unbearable will to win is kind of good--all the best have it.. Bobby Fischer, etc.

What concerns me is your coupling of poker with being able to pay the bills--I think that takes the "cool customer".

Re: Flipping out
 

You're going to make an interesting teacher [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Flipping out
 

[ QUOTE ]
It's probably the fear of not earning as much as I think I should be, as well as needing it to pay the bills. That's why 3-4 sessions of breaking even is more stressful than a losing session.

Playing poker is only temporary. I've been doing it for a long long time in one form or another and it's never worked out for me as a career because of the stress issues. I'm only doing this now because I've graduated college and am biding time till I go back for my certification.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've cried after a MTT. SNG sessions just make me bitter and depressed. I don't play poker for a living, and I know I never could based on my attitude.

Re: Flipping out
 

Now that I've played enough SNG's to know how much money I'd make on each one, wins and loses don't affect me nearly as much. I try to think of it as each time I play I make $5.50.

Of course I don't play higher limits so my swings are somewhat limited.

Re: Flipping out
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's probably the fear of not earning as much as I think I should be, as well as needing it to pay the bills. That's why 3-4 sessions of breaking even is more stressful than a losing session.

Playing poker is only temporary. I've been doing it for a long long time in one form or another and it's never worked out for me as a career because of the stress issues. I'm only doing this now because I've graduated college and am biding time till I go back for my certification.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've cried after a MTT. SNG sessions just make me bitter and depressed. I don't play poker for a living, and I know I never could based on my attitude.

[/ QUOTE ]haha. after busting deep in a tourney with a bonehead play and I know I could have gone deeper, i've had the hand haunt my dreams.