NL ring game psyche: my emotions ruining my hard work

[filimaica]

I play a live $2/$3 NL cash game at a local dog track, $100 min/max buy-in. It's a very LAG/ LPG, so making +EV decisions and capitalizing off of others' mistakes is relatively easier than going against the software-happy online pros. The downside: I have to be much more patient in waiting for these good situations. Last night, I got emotional and misplayed one hand, and I had to get up from the table instead of continuing my usual 3-hour session.

A TAG opponent was just rivering people left and right; he was always 3 or 4 seats to my left at an 8-10 man table. He quickly got up to 1K and seemed to be raising every five hands. My mistakes were:

1) I didn't move to the seat immediately behind him (which was open for 10-15 minutes). I told myself: "You need to learn to adjust against this guy. Adjust."
Emotionally, I felt myself focusing on him (he wasn't even THAT good, moreso lucky) at the expense of ignoring the rest of the table.

2) From the time I told myself to adjust, I continued limping marginal hands from poor positions. At the $2/$3 game, I was probably losing $15-$20/hr just from limp-folding (usually at these tables, more limping is generally more optimal, just this guy was raising so much). This made me more impatient.

3) The best hands I got in the 2 hours I sat down: Twice dealt 99, 88, 55, AJo, and KQo. And in probably 75% of those cases, there was a raise/RR preflop. Enough was enough.

I decide to limp in EP, then RR the chip leader's $40 CO raise (13x BB! lol). I held a measly and RR'd to $100 all-in, only to be called by QQ and lose.

I could babble on. . .I got emotional and played like a donkey. The previous 15-20 hours (since I started playing this particular game) I made great +EV decisions, started with a test-the-water $200 bankroll and I'm up to $1200. But when I make dumb, impatient moves like this one, it makes me not want to play at all, then I'm ruining all the previous hours' hard work.

How do y'all control your emotions in these situations? Or better yet, when you feel the emotions of the game, what methods do you use to continue playing optimally and to continue your session? Or do you just walk away? I appreciate any feedback, thanks.

[Piemaster]

Playing live you are probably only playing about 25-30 hands per hour. So your results over 2-3 hours are going to be awfully swingy. Some great sessions where you get good cards and they hold up and some awful sessions where you get no cards and those you do get whiffle.

I think you know everything you are doing wrong. Getting impatient and playing substandard hands, adapting badly to the other players etc. If you can identify that now, then try to capture that logic and take it with you next time you sit down at the poker table. Write the key points on a piece of paper if you have to. If you ever find yourself making bad decisions, getting impatient or otherwise tilting, then just leave the table. You are right that you can undo a lot of hard work by playing a few hands badly, especially at no-limit. You don't need to play a 3 hour session, you would be better off playing for an hour and then walking away with a small loss than playing for 3 hours and walking away with a big loss.

[theOMEGAN]

A valume? Forgive them for there play and move on. For going off on them only confirms to them that they made the right play.
You can never beat on someone whos getting the cards.

[Fast Eddy]

When you find yourself getting emotional, try to focus on the math or poker principles that are relevant. Focus on the maniac's raising range and strategy, try to figure out exactly which hands he'll raise with and then play back at him with hands like 99 if he has a huge range, etc...Make your approach to him as clinical as possible. It will create a situation of larger than normal bankroll swings but you should view it as an opportunity and challenge. It will take a while but over time it gets easier.

In short, focus that emotional energy on the solution and not the problem. I know that's sometimes easier said than done but it helps me when I find myself against that type of player and I can't seem to catch a hand.