Poker Anxiety: Managing Nerves at Higher Stakes

## Managing Poker Anxiety Poker anxiety — nervousness, racing thoughts, physical tension — commonly occurs when playing higher stakes, making big decisions, or during important tournament moments. Some anxiety is natural and even beneficial, but excessive anxiety impairs decision-making. Physical techniques for managing anxiety: deep breathing (4 counts in, 4 counts hold, 4 counts out), progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding exercises (focus on physical sensations rather than anxious thoughts). Practice these techniques away from the table so they become automatic. Gradual exposure reduces anxiety over time. If you feel anxious at NL100, start playing one table of NL100 alongside your regular NL50 tables. As comfort builds, increase the proportion of higher-stakes tables. Your brain adapts to the new stakes through repeated exposure. ## Mental Game and Rakeback A strong mental game helps you play more consistently, which means more volume, more rake generated, and more rakeback earned. The psychological stability to grind through variance without tilting or quitting early directly impacts your rakeback income.