Anger Management
 

Does anyone else really flip out when they lose?

I'm normally ok but when I'm really getting clobbered I start throwing stuff around and thumping the desk!

Is this a normal healthy release or something that should really be kept in check?

Any advice on how to keep your cool? Other than winning!

Re: Anger Management
 

I still grit my teeth occassionally when I'm running bad on rivers, but it's been a long while since I bloodied my knuckles on my desk or smashed my keyboard.

If I lose because I called down with a worse hand the whole way, I just scold myself for playing badly and try to learn from the hand. If I got unlucky, I just shrug. Hands that are favorites to win are just that, favorites. They are not guarantees. If I'm 85% to win, then 15% of the time, I WILL lose.

The biggest shift you can make in thinking about your game is to think about playing correctly, and not winning. Being proud of that rivered straight you hit is the same as fretting about your Aces geting cracked. If I've played a hand correctly, or as well as I can, I might sigh when the cards fall the other way, but I don't get upset anymore.

Truth be told, I might pump my fist when I hit my third K with KK v. AA all-in preflop, but I'll worry more about that hand than when I have the aces and I lose.

Worry less about winning and losing, and more about playing correctly. If you do, the money will take care of itself.

Re: Anger Management
 

No offense but this is a sign of immaturity that leads me to believe you might want to wait a while before beginning to play poker seriously. I'm at a point now where I honestly just start laughing when someone else hits a two-outer on me etc., and like the first reply said if I simply play badly I can be honest with myself and take that into account and try to make an adjustment. But allowing yourself to get angry, or emotional in any way really, just breeds tilt so you should really work on keeping your emotions in check if you want to play poker.

Good luck,
Matt

Re: Anger Management
 

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No offense but this is a sign of immaturity...

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Post deleted by Mat Sklansky
 

Re: Anger Management
 

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Guess that makes me immature. Still doesnt stop me from winning though [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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Actually, if losing makes you angry and puts you on tilt, that's EXACTLY what it does.

Re: Anger Management
 

The longer you play the better you can handle it. I never get bothered by a night or two worth of losing. However, I had a 10,000 hand break even streak where the first 7500 hands were a big negative streak. I would curse a lot, but nothing major. One day I did have a major blowup. I was playing stud and losing my ass and after a few weeks it really started to get to me. I had been losing steadily for maybe 15,000 hands. I lost yet another hand with Aces, and slammed my mouse down. Well, my mouse broke and I couldn't control anything so I had to restart my comp to use the wireless one. I put in a new mouse and when it restarted I wanted to check party to see what was in my account and record my result for the day because I did not have a stud tracking program. I had no intention of further play.

Well it auotmatically whisked me back to my table and somehow it anted me in automatically, or I clicked it subconsciously, and I got dealt a hand. I get dealt rolled up, JJJ and proceed to lose the biggest pot I've ever seen, people were in there with straights and flushes, and some guy who started with 2 K 2 made 2's full, I never improved. Anyway the wireless mouse went through the wall and then I slammed my chair down and it broke the wall and the frame inside the chair broke. My girlfriend came to see what happened and I felt pretty embarassed. Anyway, that was a couple years ago, I learned my lesson and I haven't really had any problems since.

Re: Anger Management
 

i punched a 2001fp off my desk a couple weeks ago and broke it. it has crazy effects now even when it doesn't have an input source. i would hang it on a wall, but i'm scared it might catch on fire sometime.

Re: Anger Management
 

I flip out when I make a perfect play / read and the clueless fool I just outplayed catches his miracle card.

If someone catches a legitimate draw obviously I'm annoyed but I understand, he flopped an OESD and had the right odds to call it down, the cards just fell his way that time.

But here's a great example of a good "wig out" moment. I'm clearing a bonus at Doyle's room (finally done thank god, that site sux) but anyway I have 8/9 in the BB and pretty much the whole table limps (6 max 1/2).

Flop is 8 T 2, it checks around, turn is a 3. This time the SB bets. He's a complete donk and I think he's just betting cuz he smells weakness, I also identify a good time to force out all the high cards by reraising, so I gutted it up and raised with my 8/9. Folds around to the SB who calls. River is a 3. Checks to me and I bet, he raises.... I call and he flips over a 6/3.

I swear to God my face contorted in such a manner.... my read and play was perfect and I lost a pretty big pot (I just moved up to 1/2 so the pots are still impressive to me).

Re: Anger Management
 

[ QUOTE ]
I flip out when I make a perfect play / read and the clueless fool I just outplayed catches his miracle card.

If someone catches a legitimate draw obviously I'm annoyed but I understand, he flopped an OESD and had the right odds to call it down, the cards just fell his way that time.

But here's a great example of a good "wig out" moment. I'm clearing a bonus at Doyle's room (finally done thank god, that site sux) but anyway I have 8/9 in the BB and pretty much the whole table limps (6 max 1/2).

Flop is 8 T 2, it checks around, turn is a 3. This time the SB bets. He's a complete donk and I think he's just betting cuz he smells weakness, I also identify a good time to force out all the high cards by reraising, so I gutted it up and raised with my 8/9. Folds around to the SB who calls. River is a 3. Checks to me and I bet, he raises.... I call and he flips over a 6/3.

I swear to God my face contorted in such a manner.... my read and play was perfect and I lost a pretty big pot (I just moved up to 1/2 so the pots are still impressive to me).

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Why the hell wasn't your read, "He had a pair of threes on the turn, or mebbe a weak ten or a better eight, i better just check this river behind him and hope MHIG instead of risking two BBs on a questionable value bet."?