Due to mental illness people can read my thoughts so my hand is almost always face up. I love poker though and don't want to stop playing. I was a losing player before my hands were face up mostly because of tilt but I took a break. So, do I have a chance at beating 2/4, 4/8, or even 1/2nl? One thing going for me is I feel like I have a bull's-eye on me for whatever breason. I don't think even the worst nl players would call on River knowing their beat, but maybe my hand face up could be an.advantagen at 2/4-4/8. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

No they can't. You just think they can. There's a pill for this problem. In fact there are a few different pills to choose from for this problem. I know because I take them.

Im on two antipyschotic , neither work

What do you take. A benzodiazépines souks de proly work but i cant take à narcotic

I dislike the idea of taking tranquilizers so I avoid them as they are not a long term solution. I take a high dose of abilify and a low dose of prozac. I don't know what's right for you but maybe you should talk to your doctor about it.

Also, you say that neither work, but it's all relative imo. It could be that you're in a much healthier state now than you would be if you were not taking meds. The meds are not a cure but they help me to manage my symptoms. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most unhealthy state of mind that I've ever experienced and 0 being the most healthy state of mind that I've ever experienced, I'd have to say that I've been around a solid 1 for about seven years now except for the time I had to switch meds because of bad side effects. Now, I'm side effect free and my brain works about as good as ever.

I also get verbally raped 24/7. Any thoughts on playing while experiencing what could be labeled pyschosis

Yeah, don't play if you're not confident in your mental health.

I'm not sure who is doing this to you or what they're saying to you, but I can definitely relate. Who is doing this to you?

Bob-

Your advice is spot-on. OP, don't play poker in this state. Get some additional help and/or change your meds. There are worse things that you can do than turning your hand face-up. You're doing one of them.

Mostly eveeyone. Everyone reads my thougths and mâles fun..l thouhgt broadcasting and behavior cimmentary

Definitely don't play poker and absolutely take your doctor's advice.

Can't speak to the other's good advice on mental issues with poker. I'd tend to trust what they said, as the advice seems really reasonable.

Good poker players are hard to read because they don't think about poker like beginners. Everyone's hand shakes the first time they get quads and try to bet. It is a big deal to get quads. They're really excited. When you're excited and doing something new, your hands shake when you put money in the pot. Let's use Doyle as an example. He's played for 50+ years. He's had quads a bunch of times. He has 77 on a Q7742 board, he's bored. Nobody is every going to call much. He's a little sad that he doesn't have a different situation. If you could read his feelings on his sleeve it wouldn't be "OMG!!! QUADDDSSSS!!!" it would be "oh well, maybe the other guy will go nuts. I'm sadly betting."

Getting a poker face isn't about learning to conceal your emotions. Playing a lot means you don't have as many emotions in a given poker hand. Playing well means that you don't think about your absolute hand value or care about it as much. If it is a good spot to bluff, you're happy to have the chance. Someone soul reads your bet, they know you're happy. It just isn't exciting, as it is a totally standard spot to bluff. Semi-bluff raising the same way, you're making your opponent miserable, there's nothing he can do, and you're glad that the board lays such that you get to punish him -- you feel the same as if you had the actual nuts. The spot is good for you and miserable for him, especially if he continuation bets the turn too much.

The secret to a good poker face isn't in learning to hide your emotions. It is in not having many related to poker. Getting bored with hands is the key. Play half a million hands (or a million or 5 million). It actually sucks, because poker is less fun at that point... or maybe it becomes something else. Also, few people in a small stakes game are good at reading people -- they're so busy feeling their strong feelings as beginners that they project things on you (things that let them not fold). They then tell you that they had a tell. Mostly, they wanted get to showdown and maybe win.

However, the advice to being at a place in your life where it is good to play poker is really key.

I think telling op to not play poker isn't really going to work. My advice is to become fundamentally as sound a poker player as you can become. Pick a limit I would suggest 2 4 limit and read as many books as you can on low limit strategy, play online with maybe a 200 bankroll and when you can turn a small profit consistently go back to casino with a little more confidence.

Good luck in poker and life.

I'm surprised no one has told me to play online, where my thoughts are safely at home. Also, I thought of the idea of playing blind, but I unfortunately broadcast to everyone this fact and it would defeat the purpose. I guess the only way to find out for sure would be to try and play some live and see what happens. As far as my mental health...it sucks but will improve if I stay clean and sober (6 months now) and on my meds. Thanks for the replies.

Fundamentally, gambling isn't for everyone. All the social conservatives who want to ban gambling have a point - gambling can be very self-destructive and it can ruin lives. And playing online means you're alone if something goes wrong.

Get sober, get to a point where you feel good about life and want to take on additional challenges. Don't jump into a minefield while you have self-doubt or are in a volatile state.

Play Omaha and you'll be one of the more normal people at the table

BTW Bob, people really can read my mind

I think you might be right, I knew you were going to say that.

Try getting some exercise and fresh air a few hours before you go to casino, helps the brain work better and just makes you feel better overall. Also, play only premium hands and try to guess your opponents hands in the pots you don't play. Your reading abilities will improve and you will be focused, you get alot of info in lower limits because most hands go to showdown. The fewer hands you play and more info you pick up on oppoments should even the playing field.

If you think people can literally read your mind, poker isn't the game for you now. Stay on your meds, see your doc regularly and stay sober.

If you think people can read your hand, then you'd be we'll-served to practice your table presence.

Nailed it.

Much like a foul shot routine helped Mark Price, Ray Allen, and Michael Jordan, we as poker players can benefit from a routine. Here's what I do:

I watch utg look at his cards while I'm waiting for my second card. Then I look at them when I get my second card and do my best to commit them to memory both visually and by repeating the combo a few times through my inner monologue. Then I put them in the same spot that I always do. By then, it's either on me or there has been some action. If there is action, then I do my best to catch up mentally with the action that I may have missed when I was looking at my cards. Then I consider my cards, the action, my position, the potential action behind me, and potential exploits.

Then I either fold, call, or raise in as timely a manner as possible. If I'm throwing out 6 chips or less, I'll let them fall forward. For more than 6 I typically place them for ease of counting. If I ever get into a raising war, then I will place them no matter how few chips a raise is.

If I'm in a hand but have nothing to do with my hands, I just do my best to be comfortable without fidgeting.

Have you tried meditation? It sounds like you need to clear some junk out of you head.

Try meditating before you play. It may help you to start the session with a more clear outlook.

Observe your self talk. Obviously you are telling yourself "They can read my mind". When these thoughts come up change it to ""I am in control of my thoughts and only I can see them".....It may sound hokee but it's better to entertain the positive thoughts. In time, you may be able to change what your subconscious believes.

Good luck!

This thread is honestly awesome. Good people, good posts.

If people can actually read your mind, then this is a game that you truly have zero shot at, because you'll be outplayed at every opportunity. You seem to have conflicting beliefs? You half believe they can read your mind, but you don't seem to act on that knowledge appropriately. I think counselling to at least think about what you are doing which is beyond irrational.

As it is, I'd have a go-to place for when I felt others were reading my mind too much. I'd honestly be hiding in the closet if I felt that way.

OP,

Either you are schizophrenic or something like that and really believe your thoughts can be read, or you have very high anxiety and your body language "gives away your strength".

It sounds more like the first. I want to say good job, self discovery in this way is a great step. I don't have a schizophrenic disorder but a personality disorder and have had my own issues throughout life.

My advice: stop playing right now. All poker. Take a break. Many months. Possibly years. Possibly forever. Focus more on improving your health.

I played professional limit for many years and was successful thanks to the help advice of many people on this site. When my issues in life picked up, my mental health starting going down. One day, about 3.5 years ago, I realized I can't be doing this right now with my mind was not well, so I got a job and removed poker mostly from my life. Spent the time helping myself and seeing if I still love this game. Today, I am mentally ready to get back to the grind, love is still there.

That's me. The game is such that I love it. Would not be certain of that if I didn't break up with it for a few years. That might not be you. Even if you "know" you love it, you can't really succeed at it if your mind isn't in clear shape. With serious mental illness, sometimes you won't have that ability. But you definitely will not if you continue to play while mentally messed up.

Talk to loved ones you trust. Not about poker, about your health. Tell your doctor your feelings about everything. Do something different. Destiny the video game helped me at my recent worst when it launched because I got to spend very little money to spend a lot of time "hanging out" with friends I didn't talk with as much playing poker 10 or more hours a day.

Change your life for now, rediscover yourself, then figure out again if you want to go back to check raising people or not. Good luck to you.