OK, I nowadays only pay live on vacation, rarely, and play way over my bankroll since it's only for a few days.

I've found over the years that my decision making process completely falls apart when facing a big bet. When I see $500 in the pot, my effective IQ halves, and I do random things, like mucking while intending to call, or calling with bad hands. My heart beats quickly, I have this loud interior dialog, I freeze up.

Anyone else have this problem and how to fight it.

I don't like to play games I am rolled for, like 1 2 (or really .5/1) because it's just too boring to spend hours and hours winning $20 - I can play better, certainly tighter, at higher limits.

if you cant think clearly then your playing too big sir.. thats just obvious.. swallow your pride and move down in stakes.

sounds like your having a hard time when the actions on you and you know everyone is looking at u etc. its ok to take 30 seconds to calm yourself down and another minute thinking through the hand etc.. take a couple deep breaths and realize its poker and use your knowledge to calm u down.

also something that helped me when i first started playing (i was an 18 year old playing @ indian casinos in a $1/2 game when im used to playing NL25-50 mainly online) so the money was a lot for me at the time. when id see a $150 bet on the river in big pots id try not to think "omg thats $150 thats like 3 buy-ins online" i think instead "ok so hes betting 75 big blinds into a 150 big blind pot thats 225 big blinds in the pot i need 75 big blinds to call so im getting around 3:1 etc etc" you have to take the money value out of it.

also it comes with time conditioning yourself to forget its money. you say u "rarely" play well its okay it happens to everyone when they first start playing live. happened to me coming from online where instead of betting some "chips" online all the sudden i had the actual chips in my hand and i actually was geting $$$ when i left instead of waiting 4 weeks to get a check from FTP..

quick summary: you'll get better as time goes on and you play more but as of now it sounds like u play too big for what your comfortable with, try a smaller game ><

You're not ready to play live poker then.

This is entirely an effect of 1) lack of experience and 2) playing under-rolled (at least mentaly).

Only way to fix it is to get more experience, preferably at levels you're comfortable at.

You should move to the blackjack or craps tables. What you like, but haven't admited is the rush from gambling. That's why playing 1/2 bores you. I can assure you that if your typical play at 1/2 only earns you $20 after hours of play, you haven't mastered that level yet (in before you post, "I crushed 50nl on-line before BF").

There will be people who will post good advice in this thread, but the paradox is that if you actually implemented it, you'd have to move up to get your buzz back. That's why blackjack or craps would be better. There's less difficult decisions to make so you won't blow up, but you'll still get the buzz.

Yep, the more experience you have the more calm you will be at the tables. Next time you are at the table and are getting dealt a hand, just imagine that you look down at AA and then calmly make a raise. The more times these situations run through your brain, the more comfortable you will be with them.

Read Tommy Angelo.