Hi

Before, I used to play nl1K heads up daily, and some nl2K for about 3 years.
After a very bad year where I was overstressed most of the time, playing a lot, not table selecting and even moving up when tilting sometimes, I totally stopped playing hu, and decided to have a new start playing 6max from nl100. I figured it would be a good way to avoid to stress myself too much while staying in the game so that I could keep living from poker.
No I'm playing nl100-nl200 6max, 12 tabling, I've been coached, and I feel like i'm easy in these games (I mean, what isn't easy is to actually play well, but when I do, then I know i'm easily winning). I can play solid, patient, and try to play a little more aggressive at times by 3betting a lot, abusing of isoraises, making some rare huge bluffs etc..
NOW, everytime I go to nl400, I'm ONLY 3betting a lot, isoraising any two against fishes, and taking every bluffing "opportunity". In short i'm totally spewing and unable to back off ! I know this has to do with attachement to money, and I can see that, when in nl200 I don't feel pressured to take advantage of the fish, in nl400 I see his 350e stack and I feel like "I want it all NOW". I guess the bigger stacks just overwhelm my brain with "attachement to money" emotions, which causes me to lose control ? And the same can be said about the pot size, where obviously my emotions get stronger in 500e pots and makes me want to win it at any cost...
This is pretty weird, when I play nl200, I sometimes feel my decision making process is better than it was when playing HU nl1K, and when i play nl400, it is worse than ever...I might be exagereting a bit, but i'm really spewing. This morning, I lost 4 stacks in 20 minutes, isoraising and 3betting the fishs 95% of the time from any position (J7o, KTo, J7s, Q6s...) and also insta shoved against his 4bet without looking at his 4bet stat and he had AA. I felt like..."OBV fk idiot of me how can you think this is ok to shove 66 against a fish 4bet" (plus I would never 3bet 66 IP against a fish, just did it cause my ubertilted mind wanted a big pot)...Well this part may be a bit useless sorry for that but at least you see what i'm talking about.

Ok so as you can see, I pretty much understand what happens that make me spew. I'm here to ask if someone knows good techniques to change this.
I don't know, praying to the sun to be desensitized to money, visualizing myself playing solid at nl400, reading specific advice before I play...Maybe something like "take your time, don't do any move that you wouldn't do everytime at nl200"...?
I guess what I need is to reduce the emotion of attachement coming with the bigger money, but I don't really know what can be effective to do that, apart from just reading reminders before playing.
Feel free to mention every weird technique, or even therapy of any kind .

Thanks.

have a good day.

Part of the problem is the way you word things.

You say this happens and "makes you" spew. Nobody is making you do anything. You have free will to make or not make the plays you do.

You also say you're "unable to back off" and this is also not true. You just don't want to.

I think this is partly due to your ego viewing folding as losing, instead of seeing the bigger picture. Losing less is just as important as winning more. I'd say that most of my opponents would be much better against me if they were able to back off when they know they should.

I read a great book a few years ago called "your money and your brain." It's not poker related at all, but it will help you get some insight on why you play the way you do.

I've also had success with talking out loud and explaining my reasoning for doing the plays I'm doing. If I am calling light, I'll explain out loud what ranges I think they could have here. If I am bluffing, I explain why I think they're likely to fold based on past behavior and how often I expect them to fold compared to pot odds.

My answer has been deleted when I submitted...I'll do it a little shorter.

Thank for your great insight.

I can see thanks to you, that I effectively see things as not being as much in my control as they really are or should be.
I think this is partly due to me accumulating a sense of helplessness about me spewing along my years of poker.
I also may have tried to get rid of guiltiness to make it easier, but didn't do it the right way and lost some sense of responsibility and realism in the process...
I understand that it's now important that I take more responsibility for what's happening, cause if it seems like "it's not my fault", then I can let my ego do whatever **** he wants to, unacceptable things become acceptable, and it's too easy to cross the line.

I've written myself some reminders about this subject :


"Take full responsibility for your play.
Take full responsibility for your state of mind.
It's your responsibility to be in control of your focus, your play, and your state of mind."
Plus others game related :
"Don't bluff because they should fold, bluff because you believe they WILL fold often enough.
Isoraise and 3Bet fish looser, but don't go out of line. Marginal hands are not EV+ when they increase the risk of you feeling obligated to bluff and tilting."

Do you think of something else I should do ?

Thanks a lot it helps !

Those reminders you made sound great. Once you take responsibility for your actions, you will feel more freedom, if that makes any sense.

When I was a fish, I would go as far as complaining to sites demanding they show me their algorithms proving it isn't rigged. A part of me knew how silly I was being, and how much power I had given the ego.

I even complained that the universe just didn't want me to be successful, like the world revolves around me. It's funny looking back now, but I'm glad to hold myself accountable for my actions nowadays.