One of the most important poker skills - in all seriousness - is knowing when to play and when not! That is even more important in live games - as well as (and because of being) more difficult, as you took some effort to get there, sit down etc. But it is absolutely vital. Nobody always plays his / her A-game.

At least you cut your losses after two buy-ins. Many (myself included) did not show this discipline too often.

BigFiszh

It sounds like you’re relatively new, so I think being nervous at the table is normal. I definitely struggled with it for a long time/still struggle with it, to a lesser degree. I’d say it’s pretty important to write down the details of the hands you play that you were unsure of and share it with trusted friends you think are good/have good results or on forums like this. Sometimes you may not have played as bad as you think and may have hit some variance. Being able to talk open and honestly about your short comings and areas you are unsure about is vital to improvement. You’re also just gonna fuck up sometimes. I’ve done it. Still do it. But as long as you’re beating the game, or at least breaking even, don’t worry about it too much. Just use each session as a learning experience. Track your results in an app so you have them to look back on and make future decisions.

Also, journaling before might help. Just getting yourself into the right mindset. Like maybe writing down something you’re going to focus on that you can refer back to when you start to meltdown. “I’m going to take my time, breathe from my diaphragm, and come to a conclusion and trust that conclusion; if things don’t work out or I think I made a mistake, I’ll write it down and get help understanding it. Then I’ll let it go”

I think box breathing can help as well, or known as ujai breath in yoga. Having a steady deep breath that keeps you mindful can help reduce stress and increase focus. Breath in for about a count of 4, and then exhale controlled for about a count of 4. You don’t have to count it once you get the hang of it. It’s morw
About the controlled aspect.

Overall, take your time, make your decisions, have a stop loss, get help(there’s no shame in it), be honest, practice posture and breathing, and then let it all go. Good luck!

also, disciplined breaks are powerful for reinforcing discipline. Getting fresh air every couple hours and moving around can help w fatigue. Also, exercise before your sssion can help wake up the brain and bring you more into the moment

hi

I fully understand you as I experienced that many times at the beginning.
I am mainly a live player.
When you start, you just look at your agenda and can't wait for your next live session despite of your mindset and your ability to play.
If you are not a pro, after a full week of hard work, playing on friday night and being able to play your A game is just a dream.
I was not able to wait for playing, and many times I play higher stakes because my usual limit was full. I get broke twice because of it.

So my advice would be : before going to the poker room : step back :
- are you tired ? do you really want to play or you prefer to have a beer with friend? This might be an easy answer but it is not, sometimes you just don't allow yourself to be tired. Think about it!
- what is your plan today (ryanspicer talked about it) : but i will insist on the mental : such as : "If I face to a bad beat : what is my plan ?" I leave, I will stand up for a walk, I will go to the bar to have a drink, etc...). You know your dark side, take an action upfront.

InGame :
- be ready to leave if you think the level of the table is too high, don't fight against better player. Poker is not a question of balls.
- if you are tired just leave.

Jared Tendler wrote some great books about mental. I highly recommend all of them!

Hope it helps!

Wow, that makes a lot of sense. I am trying to gain experience and probably playing for too long and when I’m too tired at times. Thanks for the book recommendations and the advice!