How to Manage Stress as a Poker Player

By TPD-Admin
for Thepokerdonk.com

Published: August 19, 2009

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stress

Everyone has stress in their poker life, whether it is good (winning a big tournament) or bad (going on a downswing). People usually recognize and feel the bad stress, but rarely do anything about it. Chronic stress is horribly damaging to the body. The body is not designed for constant threats and damages. Too much bad stress can make us sick, physically and mentally. Some people do not even realize the amount of damage that stress causes. Here, I am going to breakdown the stress in the life of a poker player and how to manage that stress. We will also look at the effects of stress on the body over time.

There are two different types of bad stress. There is imaginary stress and real stress. Imaginary stress is anything that may happen, or has not happened to a poker player yet. This is mostly associated with negative thoughts. For poker players, imaginary stress starts before or during the tournament. Examples of some negative thoughts would be, “I know I am going to lose with aces” or “I will go bust like I do every time I play”. The problem is that none of these events have happened yet and players need to realize that this hurts their game and mental state. Some causes of having imaginary stress are negative emotions, low self-esteem, and comparing yourself to better players.

To prevent imaginary stress players need to change their way of thinking. Mike Matusow mentioned on the WSOP 2009 Main Event broadcast that positive thoughts are the only thing that can keep him sane. Here is a quote from “The Mouth” on positive thinking,

“Speaking as someone who people probably considered the most negative person in poker, I believe that it is everything. I’ve read a lot and listened to tapes on the power of positive thinking and I’ve learned how to take the negativity and turn it back into a positive.”

Matusow is known for blowing up deep in tournaments and has now found a new mental approach to the game. Players need to have positive thoughts. Before tournaments, always think of winning; do not worry about losing until it actually happens. Poker players might think that this is obvious, but some players go into tournaments or cash games thinking that they can not win. The biggest factor in purging imaginary stress is having confidence.

Now that we have covered imaginary stress, we will focus on real stress. Real stress is something that has happened to players in reality. Real stress causes challenges and therefore need to make the appropriate adjustments. Causes of real stress include losing more than winning, bad beats, and going on tilt. If players are on a losing streak or a huge downswing, they need to take a look at your game. There are plenty of strategy books and many coaching sites that offer help in every game. If absolutely nothing is helping the player, then they need to ask if poker is the right game for them. If a poker player never chooses to improve, then they will be dealing with a ton of stress over time.

In conclusion, players need to have some control over their poker game. The biggest reason for going on tilt is having bad bankroll management. Players need to get over bad beats by realizing that not one hand is 100% to win pre-flop. It is self defeating to keep thinking about the bad beats.

Some examples of stress relievers are spending time with friends and family, listening to music, exercising, having sex, and getting the proper amount of sleep. Some bad stress relievers are over eating, getting into arguments, and becoming violent towards others.

Here is a look at what constant stress can do to the human body physically and mentally:

Immune system. Constant stress can make you more likely to get sick more often.
Heart. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat, blood clots, and hardening of the arteries.
Muscles. Constant tension from stress can lead to neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Stress may make rheumatoid arthritis worse.
Stomach. If you have stomach problems, stress can make your symptoms worse.
Reproductive organs. Stress is linked to low fertility, erection problems, problems during pregnancy, and painful menstrual periods.
Skin. Skin problems are made worse by stress.

You might notice signs of stress in the way you think, act, and feel. You may:

Feel cranky and unable to deal with even small problems.
Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often, and yell at others for no reason.
Feel jumpy or tired all the time.
Find it hard to focus on tasks.
Worry too much about small things.
Feel that you are missing out on things because you can’t act quickly.
Imagine that bad things are happening or about to happen.

I hope this helps poker players that are having issues with stress at the table. Many will find that having a positive approach significantly improve the way of life and game of a poker player.

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