Do you also feel this sometimes?

[babyrosejr]

Hey guys,
I just wanted to share something and see if anyone else feels the same. Sometimes when I’m deep in a tournament, I start thinking too much about the money instead of just playing the hands. Like, I know it’s wrong, but my brain switches from “make the best decision” to “don’t mess up and lose your stack.”

Yesterday I had a spot where I was probably supposed to 3-bet shove, but I just flat-called because I was scared to bust. Of course, the flop came terrible and I ended up folding. Later I kept thinking: “Man, I knew the right play, why didn’t I just do it?”

Do you guys ever have this mental block too, where you know the correct move but fear makes you do something else? If yes, how do you deal with it? I feel like this is a big leak in my game.

 

[Mantinhoo]

Yeah, I’ve definitely been there too. Fear of busting can really mess with decision-making. What helps me is reminding myself that long-term EV matters more than one tournament life. Easier said than done, but practicing that mindset slowly reduces the fear.

 

[sibkaz]

I only think about money at the end))) and if I think about it, I lose))) I have to constantly think about the position, the weaknesses of my opponents, and the increase in the stack)))

 

[ArmiSoo7]

I am fighting with this to. It depends on how big is buy in for a tournament. When I play tournaments with buy in over 20€, I play so scared to lose, that I just end my tournament with 2 BB and in hands , with desperate all in incoming.😁

 

[schtiuky]

I vent against my instinct a few times and i regretted it. So don't feel bad just do your best for the day.

 

[Super_Bafalo]

I'm having the same problem. When the prizes are very close, I'm afraid to risk my chips; I play very carefully. On the one hand, we want to maintain our position, but we have to attack to win. I'm going to play more aggressively in the future and not be afraid to become a Bubble boy. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[eetenor]

Hey guys,
I just wanted to share something and see if anyone else feels the same. Sometimes when I’m deep in a tournament, I start thinking too much about the money instead of just playing the hands. Like, I know it’s wrong, but my brain switches from “make the best decision” to “don’t mess up and lose your stack.”

Yesterday I had a spot where I was probably supposed to 3-bet shove, but I just flat-called because I was scared to bust. Of course, the flop came terrible and I ended up folding. Later I kept thinking: “Man, I knew the right play, why didn’t I just do it?”

Do you guys ever have this mental block too, where you know the correct move but fear makes you do something else? If yes, how do you deal with it? I feel like this is a big leak in my game.

What you are describing is based on uncertainty. 3-bet shoving is more uncertain than flatting and seeing the flop to see if you hit. Therefore, you relieve the pressure of uncertainty by just calling. It is a form of tilt based on fear of being wrong. You overcome that fear thru more study of correct actions. If you focus on what the correct action is in this 3-bet spot, you will have less fear of the outcome. That will enable you to make the best choice.

As a side note--until you have built that confidence in your game you should have only 2 choices 3-bet or fold. If you are calling it is because you have studied that spot and know that calling is a +EV play as well

 

[Leandro Moecke]

Ei pessoal,
Só queria compartilhar uma coisa e ver se mais alguém sente o mesmo. Às vezes, quando estou no meio de um torneio, começo a pensar demais sem dinheiro em vez de só jogar as mãos. Tipo, eu sei que está errado, mas meu cérebro muda de "tome a melhor decisão" para "não erre e perca sua pilha".

Ontem, tive uma situação em que provavelmente deveria ter feito uma 3-bet e shove, mas acabei dando flat call porque estava com medo de estourar. Claro, o flop foi terrível e acabei de persistir. Depois, fiquei pensando: "Cara, eu sabia o jogo certo, por que não fiz logo?"

Vocês também já tiveram esse bloqueio mental, em que sabem o movimento correto, mas o medo de fazer outra coisa? Se sim, como lidar com isso? Acho que isso é um grande problema no meu jogo.

I've been through this a lot and I still do it sometimes, but it's not wrong to hold back a bit close to the prize either, because I've already made the wrong decisions betting everything close to the prize and it falls away and I stopped winning

 

[Mig32]

Hey guys,
I just wanted to share something and see if anyone else feels the same. Sometimes when I’m deep in a tournament, I start thinking too much about the money instead of just playing the hands. Like, I know it’s wrong, but my brain switches from “make the best decision” to “don’t mess up and lose your stack.”

Yesterday I had a spot where I was probably supposed to 3-bet shove, but I just flat-called because I was scared to bust. Of course, the flop came terrible and I ended up folding. Later I kept thinking: “Man, I knew the right play, why didn’t I just do it?”

Do you guys ever have this mental block too, where you know the correct move but fear makes you do something else? If yes, how do you deal with it? I feel like this is a big leak in my game.

I completely relate to that — it happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. When I get deep in a tournament, I also start overvaluing my stack and thinking about the payout jumps instead of focusing on making the best decisions. It’s like survival mode kicks in and logic takes a back seat. What’s been helping me is reminding myself that chips are tools, not trophies — if a play is +EV, I should take it regardless of fear. I also try to detach from the money and think in terms of long-term decisions, not single results. Easier said than done, but every time I manage to do it, I play much better and feel more confident afterward.

 

[Roller]

It’s like clockwork — early in a tournament, you’re playing sharp, aggressive, making +EV plays without hesitation. Then you get deep, maybe near a pay jump or the final table, and suddenly your brain flips from “How do I win this hand?” to “Don’t screw this up.”

I’ve been there — passing up marginal but profitable spots because I didn’t want to risk my stack. Or overfolding because the idea of busting in 18th after 5 hours felt worse than making the right play and getting unlucky.