New Player Dos and Don'ts – Emotional Play in Limit Holdem

If you are new to limit poker, it’s important that you don’t allow yourself to get upset at the table. Here are some tips for controlling your emotions when you’re playing limit Texas holdem.

Expect bad beats

When you play limit holdem, you will be up against opponents that refuse to fold. Since the limited range of bets that people can make, many limit players will play their drawing hands all the way to the river. If you’ve been dealt pocket aces, you can do your best to raise the stakes and grow the pot. Keep in mind, that your raises will likely not force folds from your opponents. If your aces don’t get any help from the board, and your raises are constantly called, you need to prepare yourself for a bad beat. Look at the board. Try to put your opponent on a hand. Is your opponent chasing a straight or a flush? Is the board loaded with connectors or suited cards? If the board favors a drawing hand, you may want to consider folding your pocket rockets. If your opponent hits their drawing hand on the river, there’s only so much you can do. By recognizing the fact that you’ll come across more bad beats in limit holdem, you can prepare yourself and limit the effects of getting emotional over one lost pot.

If you’re on tilt, find ways to release steam

If you are new to poker, and you have a volatile personality, you need to find ways to release steam. Playing emotional poker is not going to get you anywhere. If you have to get up and walk off a tough loss, do it. If you’re playing online poker, feel free to shout out loud, jump up and down and pull your hair out. You can’t do any these things in live poker games, but in a virtual setting, feel free to release your emotions at will. No one will be able to tell that you are upset. The goal here is to get the emotions out of your system so that you can get your head back in the game and play smart poker.

Don’t let your opponents know that you’re bitter

Whether you are playing online or in person, don’t ever let your opponents know that you’re upset. If you are playing live poker, find a way to internalize your emotions. If you are playing online, avoid the chat window when you get too emotional. If the entire table can tell that you’re on tilt, you will be placing a giant bulls-eye on yourself. Emotional players make reckless mistakes, revenge calls and a wide range of other errors. If the players around you know that you’re bitter, you will be putting yourself at a disadvantage. Do whatever it takes to guard your emotions, and clear your mind of bitterness as quickly as possible.

Experienced poker players don’t let bad beats ruin their day. Take a look at the daily list over the biggest losers on Full Tilt Poker.

If you’re a newbie, recognize that when you are on tilt, your game suffers tremendously. Find creative ways to release emotional steam. Make sure your opponents don’t see you that you’re upset. If you can train yourself to calm down and get you head back in the game, you will become a better player.