Riverbanged: Hey Martin, I've been playing online mtts/cash for a while and I've had some great results. I'm very confident in my game, but when I've started to play live recently (even at stakes that are lower than I would play online) my heart beats out of my chest when ever I play. I obviously give off so many tells despite being comfortable with my strategy and the stakes I'm playing. Any advice on how to not give off tells and pick up on them from other players?
Also where does m.nosbocaj come from? always thought it was an odd name
thanks man
Having your pulse go up when you first start playing live is something completely normal. It takes some time to get used to but the more you play the more comfortable you will feel being in that environment. After a while your body gets used to being put in high pressure situations and it can actually turn into something quite enjoyable, like a high adrenalin rush, rather than painfully stressful. My best advice would be to embrace your anxiety rather than trying to suppress it. Try to focus on your breathing and think about the hand rather than worry about giving away something psychically. 99% of players aren't able to read into your psychical tells anyway, in fact most aren't even trying because they're so afraid of giving away something themselves!
When it comes to your own tells, try to keep everything consistent. For example, if you notice that your heart is racing or your hands are shaky when you have a big hand, try raising your pulse by holding your breath when you're bluffing also. Everything is controlled by the breath. That's why yoga and mediation can be so beneficial when done before a session. I'd recommend to give those a try if you want to gain better control over your breathing.
Best advice for tell lookouts; look for inconsistency! It's pretty simple really but requires a lot of attention (even when you're not in a hand) and there's no guarantee it will pay off. There's no better feeling though than when you make the right decision based on a physical tell you picked up on a certain player hours ago.
M.nosbocaj = M.jacobson backwards. I think I made it in 2002 or so, many years before I ever thought I would ever be playing poker for a living!