[QuickLearner]

I compare poker to golf in this way: the better you get the more frustrated you get. Of course, in golf you're normally frustrated in yourself and in poker you're frustrated in bad beats. But the tilt is still there. I wish you could leave the golf course for a while when somebody drops a 30-footer to take the hole. Instead you say, "nice putt" and pick up your two-footer.

I think that tilt prevention and recovery are skills that I'll have to keep working on forever because I can never be good enough at them. I don't think you'll find many posters who can say that they've conquered it completely and forever. For what its worth I just tighten up for one orbit. I mean REALLY tight. During that time I relax because I won't be in a hand without a monster and reason it out much like some of the previous posters have advised.

If I take another bad beat with my monster I'm done for the day. Period. I'm running for the Paxil and the black russians, and digging something out of the old movie collection. Kidding about the Paxil.

One thread a little while ago was started by someone who has adopted a strategy of playing with a much larger bankroll than the 300-BB rule (even though I don't think money was an issue) and he's found that helpful. If someone is playing at or above their means that could help.

Lee Trevino was once interviewed during a big tournament and asked whether he was affected by the intense pressure of leading going into the final day. He said, "Pressure? This isn't pressure. Pressure is playing a $5 Nassau when you only have $5 in your pocket."

I love that guy.