Lol!

Thanks all for the welcome and suggestions! I like the idea of focusing on something that evokes the opposite emotion. A naked Thatcher...well, that could emotionally stunt me

But i guess it really is down to experience in playing live games.

Was watching WPT on itv4 last nite and if it had been me making some of those moves, id be a wreck. But then, thats why those guys are the pros.

Hmm.. Dyu think a gimp mask would be OTT? 

Hey guys & girls,

Well, first post, so... I'm ready, fire canons! 

I'm new here and also pretty new to poker.  Well, by that I mean actually playing poker live and for money.  So, yes, I'm the  at the moment.

A couple weeks ago I had a lads holiday in Vegas and rather than spend the evenings with the others getting mullered, I instead went and played poker.  As I had never done it before (live game I mean) it was quite nerve wracking to put my name down on a $4/$8 list in the Bellagio and then sit down and play.  It was quite exhilerating and I thinking I learned more in those 5 minutes than I did playing with my mates on Saturday evenings.  But I had a serious issue, which I will illustrate shortly.

Anyhow, found a poker room/club in a nearby town and have joined as it's a members only.  And I've begun to start playing the cash games there.  I absolutely love it.  But I have a problem.

As soon as I get into a hand where I know I'm either strong odds to have the better/best hand, or have the nuts, I get this massive dose of adrenalin and guess what?  Yep, the shakes.  I can cover it up enough. Well, at least I think I can.  Otherwise, when recently i had pocket Aces and the flop gave me my 3rd Ace and the turn the 4ft Ace, the other 2 people would have folded if they saw my hands shaking.
 
The point is, as a new player in a live game, how to do get this reaction to a winning hand under control?  I'm not a shy person and certainly don't have any problem with speaking in public, etc.  But playing poker in a live game, with 7+ other people watching what you're doing, knowing you have money and your reputation on the board, it just gives me that shot of adrenalin. 

Does anyone have any good techniques, suggestions, ways of thinking to help reduce it?  Obviously I can't sit back and take a few big deep breaths, etc   Or is it just experience and time that lets you get used to that situation and it eventually 'stops' being so much of a rush?  I hope not, cos I love it!  Just wish I could hide my excitement.

Kind of like a puppy who can't stop weeing on the floor.  Thankfully the poker club owner hasn't noticed the wetspot under my chair yet