How do you.....

[mikkyT]

Another point to mention, this time about my own live play...

When I first started playing live, in my first game, the first big hand I had my hand shook uncontrollably. I had to have a cigarette to calm my nerves. Something else to concentrate on? A bit of a nicotine buzz? Who knows, it worked. No more hand shake (either that or it was just familiarity setting in that stopped them <g>).

If you speak to any of my family members they will say I'm a non smoker. Yet I smoke like a chimney. I only smoke when playing cards live... (Or if I'm pissed which is very rarely). I did used to smoke many years ago. I don't know what it is, when playing cards I need to have a box of cigs to hand. I'm not nervous. Comfort? Who knows.

[suzanne]

  tank, So what did he say?

[TightEnd]

tell us tank.

lovely post

[Heid]

I think I just need to be my bolshy normal self, have a couple of G&T's beforehand, sit in a nice quiet corner for a few mins and centre myself, get the old sunglasses out, and envisage a very solid force field around me that no-one can get through.

I can sit and have a laugh with everyone, but when it comes down to it .. close down and just analyse.

Of course it's all very well to sit here and say these things...

It's very different in reality..

I shall work on it.

Funny thing is .. in my work I have to be jolly and authoritative (in a nice way), and full of confidence, and twice a year we have to run a big bash for 400 people ... kinda like broadway but no gambling <boo>, and it's a day when I'm on show and have to be seen and chat and be the life and soul of the party, and I am kind of wondering if I need to transfer that persona to the table.

Perhaps that might happen at the Broadway?

Then I just need to become like that at the table at the Cheesey game .. dear god ..

[Newmanseye]

Here's an anecdote of something similar that I went through Heid.

I hadn't played much at all live when I went to my first festival a couple of months ago.

I was one of around 30 players left in a £100 re-buy pot limit event when I had what can only be described as a panic attack.

I was quite low on chips, but then doubled up twice. When I won another large pot knocking someone out I was all-in with AK aginst QQ and started shaking, one of my cards hit and the dealer pushed me the pot. I tried to stack my chips but my hands were still shaking. It took all my concentration to get them in a pile. I felt like the room was getting smaller, people were talking but I couldn't hear what they were saying, I suddenly felt very hot and the shaking wouldn't stop.

I stood up and staggered away from the table, went outside to get some air, one of the cardroom staff asked me if I was ok. I could only muster a soft mumble by way of reply. They brought me a glass of water. The air and water were good, but I needed to sit down. There was a perfectly good seat at the poker table but I felt I wasn't ready to return yet. I didn't care that I was being blinded away, as I was in no condition to be in charge of my chips till I pulled myself together.

I sat down for 10 minutes away from the table to compose myself. One of the dealers who'd just got off duty sat next to me and I talked with him. It would be more accurate to say he talked to me, as I didn't say much. I was happy for him to do so as he was dead nice. In between rambling about this and that he said something, a little soundbite, that has stayed with me.

It wasn't a particularly wise or clever bit of advice. Nor do I understand why it has helped me so much. It's so simple and obvious, that if I saw it written down in a book or an article, or even in a post on an internet forum, then I would have been likely to instantly dismiss it. Something though, perhaps the way he said it, has made it stay with me and take it to heart. I'm pleased to say I've never had any similar problems since. I think what that dealer said that day has a lot to do with this.

I never did get that dealer's name, or thank him properly for helping me so much. It was the 2nd last day of the festival. The following day, at the main event, I looked for him to say ta but he was nowhere to be seen. Sometimes I'm not altogether sure it was a real person speaking to me that night. Perhaps he was a figment of my imagination, in my confused state I could possibly have confused the two and was speaking to myself (or listning to myself) the whole time. I like to think he was a poker angel though, who came down from on high to help me in my moment of need and gave me a little nugget, one simple little sentence, that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my poker career.

Whether real, imaginary or supernatural I'd like to say to him... Thankyou very much.

So what did he say?

[AndrewT]

Dunno if tank deliberately kept us all hanging on, or whether he just forgot, but I seem to remember that the advice was something like 'All you can do is play your cards - just play your cards'.

[Colchester Kev]

What you need to do is come and find me , take me to the bar and buy me a large Jack Daniels and Ginger, with ice ... I will then proceed to talk such bollox that you wont be able to get to the poker table quick enough , Feeling that you need to stay there as long as possible , because if you get knocked out I will be waiting to talk to you again at the bar  

[yt]

It helps if you don't care about the players at the table. Honestly who gives a damm if they 'like' you or not? pressure to be liked/accepted will make it harder for you to keep calm. Hate them. Every one of 'em. Take their money Then have a laugh with them - You're a Tiger - Grrrrrrrrrr

[thetank]

Dunno if tank deliberately kept us all hanging on, or whether he just forgot, but I seem to remember that the advice was something like 'All you can do is play your cards - just play your cards'.

That was pretty much it. May not sound like much but it has genuinely helped me.

I deliberately left it out as I think it's a much nicer story if I don't mention what the guy said.

[AndrewT]

Overcoming nerves is a difficult thing to do if you're a 'nervy' kind of person, but one piece of advice I can give is to always make sure you're thinking about some specific aspect of the game.

Go over the last hand in your head, work out why the players did what. What are the players doing now? Did he do that the last time he looked at his cards? What do I think that might mean? How does my stack compare to everyone else's? How does that impinge on my immediate strategy?

Things like this help to avoid you just sitting there thinking 'everyone else is better than me', which is tournament death as you'll just clam up and become all rocky.

[mikkyT]

I never did get that dealer's name, or thank him properly for helping me so much. It was the 2nd last day of the festival. The following day, at the main event, I looked for him to say ta but he was nowhere to be seen. Sometimes I'm not altogether sure it was a real person speaking to me that night. Perhaps he was a figment of my imagination, in my confused state I could possibly have confused the two and was speaking to myself (or listning to myself) the whole time. I like to think he was a poker angel though, who came down from on high to help me in my moment of need and gave me a little nugget, one simple little sentence, that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my poker career.

Whether real, imaginary or supernatural I'd like to say to him... Thankyou very much.

With such a big build up are you not going to tell us what he said?

lovely story btw.

*EDIT ... nevermind, you posted it already *

[AndrewT]

Dunno if tank deliberately kept us all hanging on, or whether he just forgot, but I seem to remember that the advice was something like 'All you can do is play your cards - just play your cards'.

That was pretty much it. May not sound like much but it has genuinely helped me.

I deliberately left it out as I think it's a much nicer story if I don't mention what the guy said.

Nicer? Maybe.

More helpful? Probably not...

[yt]

I have a couple of dumps before a game because of the nervous excitement happens every time! I'm normally OK but must admit the Luton game last week had me in my shell. Next time I'm just gonna play cards.
I also battle with Panic attack in life since my old man died (emotional trigger I guess) but strangely have never suffered one at the table ala Tanks post. Still get 'the shakes' after winning a big hand but thats is a good thing if it's under control and subsides after a minute. Lets you know your alive. The day I stop feeling like that I will probably stop playing. The buzz is great lets face it.

[thetank]

After I wrote it with the advice left in and read it over, I felt it could be percieved to be a bit of a letdown after the build-up.

I decided to delete the 'just play your cards' part coz I heard somewhere you should sometimes leave the reader wanting more.

[AndrewT]

Have I spoiled the mystical atmosphere of your tale now, tank? If so, I apologise - I'll delete my post if you want to retain the aura of mystery.