Tips and tricks to stop blowups

[Gingerbeer86]

Hi all,

I play live MTT and have a pretty low ITM% but have won some large local tournaments ($20k and $50k), and reached 138/3198 in a large major event in the last year.

For all other tournaments entered and not reaching the money, I tend to have the odd blow up.

Some examples:
- All in with a silly hand, for no reason other than it felt the thing to do.
- calling down a jam to my raise too quickly, knowing I have lost the hand, but thinking I didn’t deserve it.
- building healthy stacks, then feeling the pressure to play looser due to wanting to race and average stack size, or not be blinded out.


Just wondering if anyone knows of strategies or methods / resources that helps control blowups or losing that mental edge during tournaments?

I know tilt influences these things, but for me personally these things happen when I’m not tilted.

Appreciate any insights you may have.

Thanks

 

[EiXT]

I'm not sure I can give you any helpful tips, but I'll share what I like to do before I make impulsive decisions.

Sometimes in a MTT there's more time to think while others have less, for me, using that time to rethink my decisions and rethink my situation (what position am I in, who am I against, are there people behind who could have a better range?) really helps.

It forces me out of a hand if I think too long, it means I'm unsure I want to play the hand and that it's probably a desperate time when I really need to double my stack but the situation I'm in I could be against much stronger cards. This has saved me a few times.

Try forcing yourself out of a hand if you feel even slightly worked up while holding a silly hand, folding more is actually not a bad thing, especially with a big stack, your greatest ally is definitely the positions you're in.

On the button you can play looser depending how the players behind you act, but if you play too loose that's how you'll mostly blind away.

Gaining control over emotions and not letting impulsive thoughts and decisions win is hard, so working on acceptance and considering previous hands as a learning experience will keep you in a better mood for future games!

-As someone in the forum once said - playing with a good mood is the best, perhaps focus on that? Anything in particular that would help you stay focused and relaxed?

-Maybe listening to your favourite songs while playing? I have seen many pro players with headsets on. But of course its not for everyone, some find it distracting.

Good luck to you, take it easy!

 

[CDNMAN 42]

Hi all,

I play live MTT and have a pretty low ITM% but have won some large local tournaments ($20k and $50k), and reached 138/3198 in a large major event in the last year.

For all other tournaments entered and not reaching the money, I tend to have the odd blow up.

Some examples:
- All in with a silly hand, for no reason other than it felt the thing to do.
- calling down a jam to my raise too quickly, knowing I have lost the hand, but thinking I didn’t deserve it.
- building healthy stacks, then feeling the pressure to play looser due to wanting to race and average stack size, or not be blinded out.


Just wondering if anyone knows of strategies or methods / resources that helps control blowups or losing that mental edge during tournaments?

I know tilt influences these things, but for me personally these things happen when I’m not tilted.

Appreciate any insights you may have.

Thanks

I am not sure if I can provide much insight into curing these faults, however I do recognize them as I suffer similar trends...Very often I will build a large stack early in a tournament then because of a lack of self control or a willingness to believe the bets of others I will blow my stack and usually just before the ITM. Many times I have been jammed after a 3xBB open and have called for no other reason than a pride issue only to be badly defeated. The only thing I have found that actually helps is I have put a stick- it note on the bottom of my computer screen which says in very bold print "What can he have?" and Think Think Think...seems to slow my impulsive actions somewhat...have a good one...

 

[kaynbergo]

I can't give advice on playing live, but the number of tournaments I've played has helped me online; with every 100th tournament played, it's easier to look at such cases

 

[sibkaz]

The main thing is to come to your senses later, develop the right tactics and play more carefully and not be greedy)

 

[Goggelheimer]

Perhaps there is one book that is a good reading for you.

Jared Tendler's: The Mental Game of Poker.
Various methods to detect reasons and work on them for situations you described.

 

[Suns of Beaches]

I am not sure if I can provide much insight into curing these faults, however I do recognize them as I suffer similar trends...Very often I will build a large stack early in a tournament then because of a lack of self control or a willingness to believe the bets of others I will blow my stack and usually just before the ITM. Many times I have been jammed after a 3xBB open and have called for no other reason than a pride issue only to be badly defeated. The only thing I have found that actually helps is I have put a stick- it note on the bottom of my computer screen which says in very bold print "What can he have?" and Think Think Think...seems to slow my impulsive actions somewhat...have a good one...

So what can he have? Think think think...and in the end ur going to call anyway 😆

 

[neverbluff0799]

I am not sure if I can provide much insight into curing these faults, however I do recognize them as I suffer similar trends...Very often I will build a large stack early in a tournament then because of a lack of self control or a willingness to believe the bets of others I will blow my stack and usually just before the ITM. Many times I have been jammed after a 3xBB open and have called for no other reason than a pride issue only to be badly defeated. The only thing I have found that actually helps is I have put a stick- it note on the bottom of my computer screen which says in very bold print "What can he have?" and Think Think Think...seems to slow my impulsive actions somewhat...have a good one...

Your pc probably look like that then with how you play