Overcoming Your Poker Anxiety and Fears

Poker is a game of strategy, skill, and psychology, but it can also be a source of anxiety and fear for many players. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, feeling anxious or nervous while playing can be overwhelming and even debilitating. But why would a poker player feel nervous or anxious while playing? Some of the reasons include:

Let’s look at each of those worries in order and try to understand each one in a better way. Problems are made smaller by comprehending them in more detail:

LOSING MONEY

Worrying about money is something that affects many poker players at different stages of their lives, but a good way of mitigating the poker anxiety is to presume that you will lose money to begin with.

Poker is a long game, and especially in tournaments, you can experience variance that really tests you mentally. Focus on improving your game and the results will come, but to prevent yourself worrying about losses, set yourself limits. How much money would you be unconcerned about losing? The limit of that amount is the limit you should ever bet. If you play tournaments, you want to have between 20-30 buy-ins at a level you feel comfortable. If you play cash, employ a ‘stop loss’ policy on yourself to prevent yourself ever losing more than a designated amount.

DECISION MAKING REGRET

Making the wrong decisions is another problem that is better flipped around and put out there as something which will certainly happen. Everyone makes mistakes in every poker game they play, including the very best. Phil Ivey once won a major poker tournament for seven figures and when interviewed afterwards, expressed his disappointment with how he played. Let your attitude be the same – focus only on how you play. You’ll make mistakes, but learning from them is the only way to improve as a poker player.

BEING OUTPLAYED

Finally, you’ll play others who are better than you most times you sit down at the poker table. But the key thing to remember is that in any poker hand, if you focus, play your best and possibly get a little luck, you can win. No-one wins a poker hand until it is played out, no matter how much better than any other player they are at the start of the hand.

STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING POKER ANXIETY

1. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

One of the best ways to improve your overall mindset in modern times is to practice mindfulness. This might involve connected practices such as meditation or yoga, but being at peace is the main thing. The overriding benefits of mindfulness are a sense of calm and a newfound ability to deal with the vagaries of life. Poker is a microcosm of life in so many ways, so adopt a mindfulness mindset and practice regularly to keep yourself in control of your emotions.

2. DEVELOP A POSITIVE MINDSET

Dealing with the varying fortunes of poker in a positive manner has a ‘knock-on’ effect with your ability to process rational thoughts. Think back to when you were unhappy or distracted the last time you were playing poker. Most likely you’ll be able to identify the exact effect it had on your game, and I’m guessing it was probably a negative one. It’s a consequence of not being fully focused, and letting your emotions get the best of you.

The saying goes that either you win or you learn. Instead of seeing a loss as a negative, see it as an opportunity to learn, and therefore a victory that you just had to pay a little for. If you can frame each decision you make at the poker table in a positive way, win or lose, then you’ll become a better player.

3. ANALYZE YOUR FEAR AND POKER ANXIETY

Where do the fears and anxieties you experience during a poker game come from? It may be an uncomfortable question to ask yourself, but being as honest as you can about what you’re afraid of can reduce it in size and make it sound irrational. Whatever the source of your anxiety, ask yourself what you can do to solve the issue, and whether you need any further support from those around you or a professional.

If any of us broke a limb, we wouldn’t hesitate to call a medical professional or ask someone we know for assistance immediately. On a lesser degree of urgency, It should be similar with your poker anxiety. Get them out in the open as soon as you can and go to someone who you can trust whose help always comes unconditionally.

OTHER TECHNIQUES FOR OVERCOMING POKER ANXIETY

There are a number of other ways you can naturally reduce your capacity for fear and anxiety, and many are simple to implement in your daily life as well as your poker journey.

1. TAKE BREAKS

Taking a step back from poker often allows not only your emotions to get in check, but your brain to reset. Poker is an extremely mentally demanding game and if that takes a toll on you, this can often manifest into fear and anxiety at the felt when you play. If you’re playing long online sessions but not feeling positive about how you approach them, take a day off and clear your schedule.

Remember – it’s all about being able to bring your A-Game. At the live felt, no matter how well or badly you’re playing, make time to step away from the poker table. This might mean missing a hand or going for breaks that aren’t scheduled. This sucks, but money saved is money earned, and if you manage to keep yourself feeling positive and in a good mindset, you’ll win more.

2. USE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

We’ve all stood in front of the mirror and told ourselves that we are a good person/look like Chris Evans/and are about to crush that meeting. Whether any of that is true or not – and sadly for you, I’m not in the running for the latest Avengers movie – it applies to poker too. You will have aspects of your poker game that are really impressive. It could be that you’re fully focused and going to play your best if you’re just starting out, but later on, maybe you’re crushing your three-bet wins pre-flop. Affirming your abilities makes you more likely to repeat them and stave off any worries you might have about being able to put them into practice.

3. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP

It’s easy to say that seeking professional help is a last resort. But the truth is that professionals can help you at any stage. All you need to do is pick the right moment for someone who is qualified to help to get in touch with them. Don’t be afraid of picking up the phone or searching up the details of a professional who can get in touch with you. Getting properly researched help with any serious condition is something that should be done as soon as possible and always the right choice.

IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Finally, a word on imposter syndrome, which may be rarer in poker, but it still something to watch out for. Success in poker often feels amazing at the time, but hidden layers of guilt at taking others money can sneak up on winning players. For this reason, they can become anxious about playing, or even enter tournaments or cash games above their bankroll level in a bid to lose winnings they don’t feel entitled to. This is less about fear and way more about poker anxiety but is still something to watch out for along the way, especially if you win a big tournament or crush at cash for several sessions more than you’re used to doing.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there are a number of ways that we can stave off fear and anxiety as poker players. Taking breaks when needed, using positive affirmations, and seeking help whenever it is needed can be extremely beneficial. It’s important that you commit the time to training yourself to be able to handle the stress and anxiety of certain situations in poker. Whether it’s mindfulness, taking a break, or combating fear and anxiety with a number of our strategies above, put concrete plans in place to do so. Your poker game, and more importantly, your mental health, will benefit because of it.