First of all. Emotionless is NOT the goal, imho. You want to FEEL the emotions, they are powerful, as long as you're in harmony with them. Seal Team Six dude feels fear, the UFC fighter feels fear, Michael Jordan felt fear; they are not emotionless. They just cope with it better <---- that should be the goal. Emotions are a good thing, they are not the enemy.

How to improve?

Breathing.

Learn how to consciously control it by training it. And learn how to breathe correctly; i.e. full diaphragmatic breathes. Two simple tactics you can start with:

1. Do some form of interval training where your heart rate gets jacked up, and then in the interval between sets you consciously practice slowing your heart rate down. It's common for people to lose concentration in the space between intervals, and the space between is where so much gold is at.

2. Take cold showers and ice baths. Practice going into the cold and learning to breathe through the cold.

Each opportunity you can practice controlling your breathe away from the table, you will improve your ability to control it at the table.

What stakes are you playing live? Also very important to realize just because you can feel it; and you know you have nuts...that doesn't mean your opponents know that and/or are even paying attention to that. People are inherently lazy and distracted constantly (from my experience, big edge comes as you master this stuff).

Meditation also helps. Tai Chi can help. Yoga. --- you get the point. Just do something.

It's amazing what you can do as you go more and more deeply into the power of good breathing. It's certainly a creative way to get an edge.

Cliffs: practice breathing away from table. Begin to gain control and awareness of breathe. And realize you're not giving away as much as you think. Don't let the paranoia lead to more anxiety.

Thank you very much for your time and answer Kevin! I will think about all of this with my friend ! Which will probably even help me too if i do decide to jump in live games!
Good luck at tables! And maybe see you someday at one! Paul

Take a few shots at the limit just above yours, so that you get a few hours of experience in these tougher games. Then drop back down to your limit, which will now seem not as tough or scary.

One of the things that I find helpful is to remind myself that my goal is to make as many correct decisions as possible, not to win as much money as possible. Then if I'm focused on collecting as much information as I can from other players (so I can make good decisions) I'm less inwardly focused on my own feelings and I'm able to be a little more detached.

Hey man, just played my first live tourney this weekend. This actually happens to me. I don't really know why, it's weird. I tried some headphones as with some music in 1 ear and that helped.....a little. I figure i just have to keep putting myself in those situations and eventually it will become easier. Shit I actually was getting to the point where I couldn't think, total flight/fight response. I was able to push through most of it finished 28 out of 176 which I was very happy with.

Try Elliot Roe pre session warm up; in session have some soothing music that helps concentration, preferably with binaural beats. The have loads of it on Spotify.