Patience vs. Anxiety at the Poker Table: Finding Balance

Hey everyone,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the battle between patience and anxiety in poker. It’s like waiting for the right hand while your brain is racing with a thousand thoughts. It reminds me of sitting at a stoplight—when you know the green light will come, but the longer it takes, the more anxious you get.

In poker, anxiety can push you into bad decisions if you're not careful. So how do you stay patient and calm when the pressure builds? Do you have any tips for controlling anxiety at the table?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Create your own strategy and don't be afraid. Know what you're going to do in each position at the table.
Without thinking too much about the prize, the time you have gained will count a lot in the future and will reduce these feelings when you get used to it!

Mindset in poker is one of the most important factors, if not the top one. I also have problems with emotions at table, and even outside of it, like managing your bankroll... I've just came back to the fields, and I've already lost the bankroll I've separeted to play many WCOOP tournaments, but lost it all in rebuys after tilting... And I used to work on my mindset daily. It just reinforce to me that this is a constant, we need to always be working on it...

douglasrann said:

Hey everyone,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the battle between patience and anxiety in poker. It’s like waiting for the right hand while your brain is racing with a thousand thoughts. It reminds me of sitting at a stoplight—when you know the green light will come, but the longer it takes, the more anxious you get.

In poker, anxiety can push you into bad decisions if you're not careful. So how do you stay patient and calm when the pressure builds? Do you have any tips for controlling anxiety at the table?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Click to expand...

I never feel anxious or stressed. Almost never
I always follow bankroll management and play within my own limits. That's why I'm always calm and don't worry about my results. But a few times I managed to win valuable tickets in satellites, and in these tournaments, where the buy-in was such that I could not afford it, I was a little worried and it prevented me from playing well, as I usually do.

douglasrann said:

Hey everyone,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the battle between patience and anxiety in poker. It’s like waiting for the right hand while your brain is racing with a thousand thoughts. It reminds me of sitting at a stoplight—when you know the green light will come, but the longer it takes, the more anxious you get.

In poker, anxiety can push you into bad decisions if you're not careful. So how do you stay patient and calm when the pressure builds? Do you have any tips for controlling anxiety at the table?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Click to expand...

Good thread! I am doing mistake lately, specially at FT, because of that.
I must to remember that final table is a different game into the whole game, and this should to be played different too.
I need to do my breath exercise and try to be smart there. Breath exercise are a good tips that works with me.
Good luck! 🙂

black and said:

I never feel anxious or stressed. Almost never
I always follow bankroll management and play within my own limits. That's why I'm always calm and don't worry about my results. But a few times I managed to win valuable tickets in satellites, and in these tournaments, where the buy-in was such that I could not afford it, I was a little worried and it prevented me from playing well, as I usually do.

Click to expand...

When he managed to enter a tournament with big rewards, he also tried, he didn't think much about the reward. I focused on the players and accumulating chips to see if I could get to the prizes

douglasrann said:

Hey everyone,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the battle between patience and anxiety in poker. It’s like waiting for the right hand while your brain is racing with a thousand thoughts. It reminds me of sitting at a stoplight—when you know the green light will come, but the longer it takes, the more anxious you get.

In poker, anxiety can push you into bad decisions if you're not careful. So how do you stay patient and calm when the pressure builds? Do you have any tips for controlling anxiety at the table?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Click to expand...

I find that taking slow, deep breaths at the table helps center me. When I notice my mind racing, I try to bring my attention back to my breathing. It keeps me grounded and less likely to make impulsive moves.

When the blinds are high, and your stack below average, it's like waiting for a greenlight while running late to work 😀

patience, patience, patience... the three keys to successful poker

I always try to play in cold blood and follow my strategy. I also try to not react so strongly to bad hands, but to keep believing in achieving the global goal I have set for myself.

Everyone has a different personality, but mine is almost entirely patience and barely an anxiety. I'm not one of those non-competitive players because I CARE about the game and about playing well (i.e. winning), but I can definitely come across as a laid-back person to others. Both of these can be true simultaneously.

I think one reason for my patience is because I keep my mind actively engaged on other things, so me being focused on those tasks prevents me from getting general anxiety. What "little things?" When not in a hand, I am still paying attention to the table and usually trying to predict what the opponent(s) have in case I get to see the showdown. Then I can piece together how they played the hand and how they are likely to play against me in future hands.

Another "little thing" I sometimes do is shuffle chips (even online, I keep some blue and white poker chips at my computer table for shuffling when playing cardschat events etc.)

Some people get distracted by their own things like shuffling chips, but for me, it gives me something to do to help me stay focused. Otherwise, I might be pouring a cup of coffee from a freshly brewed batch

To avoid anxiety, always try to play several tables, if I'm only playing 1 or 2 tournaments I get very anxious and end up playing the wrong way.

douglasrann said:

Hey everyone,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the battle between patience and anxiety in poker. It’s like waiting for the right hand while your brain is racing with a thousand thoughts. It reminds me of sitting at a stoplight—when you know the green light will come, but the longer it takes, the more anxious you get.

In poker, anxiety can push you into bad decisions if you're not careful. So how do you stay patient and calm when the pressure builds? Do you have any tips for controlling anxiety at the table?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Click to expand...

If you play for money you cannot afford to spend, you will always feel anxious and stressed. If the money you play for is not critical to you, then the game will be relaxing and even enjoyable. Just keep your common sense and control your spending, it will bring you peace of mind.