| How to Stop Panicking Posted: 29 Jun 2019 05:00 PM PDT Having a panic attack—or any type of panic in general—can feel terrifying and overwhelming. Fortunately, there are no short- or long-term medical risks associated with panic. To stop panic attacks, try to slow down your breathing and distract yourself by focusing on your physical environment. With time, you can learn several techniques that will help you keep panic attacks under control and make them less severe. If you experience frequent or severe panic attacks, visit a psychiatrist and discuss possible forms of therapy to help stop the attacks.[1] EditStopping a Panic Attack - Slow down your breathing to lower your heart rate. Fast paced breathing (called hyperventilation) and panic are linked. If you find yourself panicking, try to take deep, slow breaths instead of shallow, fast ones. Aim to completely fill your lungs with air each time you take a breath. Inhale for 2–3 seconds, hold the breath for 5 seconds, and slowly exhale for another 2–3 seconds. This will help you calm down and start to think more clearly.[2]
- When people hyperventilate during a panic attack, they lower the amount of carbon dioxide in their bloodstream. Studies have shown a link between low carbon dioxide and feelings of dizziness and panic.
- Count backwards from 100 by 3s to distract yourself. Counting backward by 1s or 2s would be too easy and not distract your mind enough to end the panic attack. Counting by 3s will force your mind to focus on something other than its panicked state and should bring the attack to a close by the time you've reached 1.[3]
- If you find that counting in your mind isn't enough to stave off a panic attack, try writing down the numbers or, if you're alone, saying them out loud.
- Add up the loose change in your pocket if you carry change. This is a great way to focus your mind on an objective, external situation and distract yourself from the panic attack. Reach into your pocket or purse and, without pulling them out to look, count up the coins that you're touching.[4]
- If you don't carry loose change, try imagining coins in different combinations and tallying the totals.
- Add up, for example, 3 quarters, 18 dimes, 7 nickels, and 22 pennies.
- Don't talk through your feelings or have a conversation during an attack. Many people find that conversation in general during a panic attack makes it worse. If this is true for you, let people close to you know. It may seem logical that having a frank discussion about mental health will help you think your way out of the panic attack. However, this rarely works, and discussions are best left for after the attack has gone.[5]
- Tell friends and family members something like, "If you see me having a panic attack, please don't ask how I'm doing. That only makes it worse."
- Apply ice packs to your back and hands when you panic at home. Keep 3–4 ice packs in your freezer and, when you experience a panic attack, place 1 or 2 large ice packs over a towel draped across your lower back. Then hold 1 ice pack in each hand. The ice will cool your body down and allow you to focus on a physical sensation. This should distract you from your panic attack.[6]
- You could also try rubbing an ice pack over the front of your body, from your sternum to your lower abdomen. Keep a thin t-shirt on so you won't rub the ice pack directly against your skin.
- While this approach may not work for everyone, it's worth a shot.
EditPreventing Panicking Episodes - Focus on things outside of yourself to distract your mind. If you feel panic coming on, look around and notice things about your environment. This will distract you and should put off the panic attack. Look around and note 1 thing you can taste, 2 you can smell, 3 you can touch, and 4 things you can see.[7]
- If you're in an office, for example, take a look through your environment. Tasting coffee, smelling someone's perfume, seeing a clock on the wall, and touching the floor will help distract you and reorient your attention.
- Remove yourself from stressors that cause you to panic. Preventing a panic attack can be as straightforward as getting yourself out of a situation that you know will cause you to panic. So, try to avoid locations and encounters that you know will cause you to feel anxiety and panic. Stay away from panic-inducing triggers whenever it's within your control.[8]
- For example, if you know that you panic when you're exposed to heights, avoid visiting your friend in their top-floor penthouse.
- Or, if you panic when other people crowd themselves around you, don't take the subway as part of your daily commute.
- Engage in calming or relaxing activities at least 2–3 times a week. Stress builds up over time and can lead to an increase in panic attacks. To keep yourself calm and panic-free, spend 3–4 hours weekly engaging in activities that relieve stress and promote a calm, relaxed state of mind. This will prevent panic attacks. Relaxing and meditative activities include things like:[9]
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to relieve pent-up anxiety. Much like yoga or meditation, regular exercise can decrease stress and prevent panic attacks. It can also raise your overall energy level and boost your mood. The exercise can be done all at 1 time or broken up into, for example, 3 separate 10-minute exercise sessions a day.[10] To exercise for 30 minutes a day, try things like:
- Taking a walk outdoors
- Jogging through a nearby park
- Swimming at a local rec center pool
- Jumping rope or running on a treadmill at your gym
EditTreating Panic Disorders - Try CBT to change thought patterns that are related to panic attacks. Cognitive behavioral therapy—or CBT—helps individuals with a panic disorder by letting them think through the environmental and psychological causes of panic attacks. Work with a local therapist to see if CBT helps your panic disorder. In many cases, a few therapy sessions are enough to permanently stop or decrease your panic attacks.[11]
- For example, say that you've afraid of experiencing a panic attack while driving. Your therapist will talk you through the hypothetical scenario and help you realize that, while it may sound scary, the situation wouldn't be particularly dangerous or life-threatening.
- Use exposure therapy if specific stressors trigger your panic attacks. A therapist or psychiatrist can help you use exposure therapy to overcome your panic-inducing fear of certain activities or situations. Similarly to treating someone with a phobia, exposure therapy will expose you to panic-inducing stressors in small increments. With time, the stressors will stop causing panic attacks.[12]
- For example, if you often have a panic attack when your heart is racing, the therapist may ask you to run in place for 10 minutes to raise your heart rate.
- Ask a therapist about medication if you have frequent panic attacks. While medications can stop panic attacks and combat anxiety, they don't treat the underlying issue. However, if you have frequent, severe panic attacks and your counselor or a psychiatrist thinks medication will help, they can provide you with a prescription for an anti-panic medication.[13]
- Always take the medication as directed, and never exceed the prescribed daily dosage.
- To prevent panic attacks, doctors may prescribe antidepressants (which need to be taken daily) or anti-anxiety drugs like Benzodiazepines.
- Don't let the fear of panicking control your life. Many people who suffer from panic attacks find them scary and unpredictable. As a result, people can shut themselves in their homes to avoid the perceived embarrassment of a public panic attack.[14] Avoid this outcome by reminding yourself that you can control panic attacks, and that having one isn't the end of the world. Then, go about your life as usual.
- Try telling yourself, "A panic attack isn't the end of the world. I know how to stop them, and they can't hurt me. Many people have them."
- Wear sunglasses if you find that your panic attacks are triggered—or worsened—by bright lights.[15]
- Benzodiazepines are a highly addictive type of medication. They can also cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms if abused. Talk to your doctor before taking these meds to make sure you know how to take them safely.[16]
EditReferences
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| How to Play Poker Posted: 29 Jun 2019 09:00 AM PDT Poker is a popular game that's easy to learn but difficult to master. Although it's a card game, poker is also a game of strategy, and you'll need to constantly read the other players to decide when to fold, when to bluff, and when to call someone else's bluff. There are many variations of poker, but Texas Hold'em is the most popular. While each variation has its own rules, the basics of the game are always the same. All you have to do is master the basics - then you can start developing your own winning strategy! EditPoker Help EditPlaying a Round of Texas Hold'em - Learn the 10 basic 5-card hands and their ranking. No matter what type of poker you play, the hands will always be the same. To start familiarizing yourself with the different hands, print out a "cheat sheet" and study it. Then, memorize the different hands so you can easily recognize them. Here are the winning poker hands, from highest to lowest:
 - The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush (the royal straight flush). This hand includes a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit, one kind (all clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades). It can only be tied but not beaten by the royal flush of another suit.
- A straight flush is made up of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit.
- 4 of a kind means you have 4 cards of the same rank (but different suits, of course) and a fifth card of any rank (such as 4 aces and a 9). If you have 4 aces, then no one can have any hand with an ace, so that no royal flush is available.
- A full house contains 3 matching cards of 1 rank and 2 matching cards of another rank.
- A flush contains any 5 cards of the same suit. These skip around in rank or sequence, but are from the same suit.
- A straight contains 5 cards of consecutive rank but from more than one suit.
- 3 of a kind means you have 3 cards of the same rank, plus two unmatched cards.
- 2 pair is made up of two cards of one rank, plus two cards of another rank (different from the first pair), plus one unmatched card.
- Pair means you have 2 cards of the same rank, plus 3 other unmatched cards.
- High card is the lowest-ranking (called a "nothing") hand, when no two cards have the same rank, the five cards are not consecutive, and they are not all from the same suit.
- Place the blinds (starting bets) or "ante up." In poker, bets are placed at the beginning of the game in one of 2 ways. In Texas Hold'em, the player next to the dealer typically places a small blind bet that's half of the usual minimum bet, while the player to that person's left places a big blind that's at least the minimum bet. As another option, each player can "ante up" the minimum starting bet, which means placing a minimum starting bet into the pool.[1]
- Aside from Texas Hold'em, most poker variants use an "ante up" system.
- Look at the 2 cards the dealer gives you, which is your hand. The dealer will "burn" the first card on the deck, which means placing it out of play. Then, they'll pass out 2 cards to each player. Check your cards to see what you're holding.[2]
- In poker, the dealer will burn a card every round of dealing. That way, it's harder for players to anticipate what card is coming up and the game becomes more of a gamble.
- The dealer will always pass out the cards in a clockwise direction, starting on the left.
- Bet, call, or raise after each round is dealt, if you want to. Every time the dealer puts out new cards, you'll make a bet, with the first bet being made solely based on the two cards the players have in their hands. Betting happens in a circle – when it's your turn to bet, you have a few options. At this point you can:[3]
- Place an initial bet if no one else has yet.
- Say "check" to avoid betting.
- Say "call" to match the bet someone else has made.
- Say "raise" to add more money to the betting pool. If you "raise," the other players will go around in a circle and choose to either "call" your new bet or fold.
- Say "fold" if someone else has bet and you don't want to match their bet. If you fold, turn your cards into the dealer face-down to avoid giving the other players any advantages!
- Look at the "flop" to see if you have a good hand. After the first round of betting, the dealer will "burn" the top card on the deck. Then, they'll put 3 cards face up on the table, which is called the "flop." These are the community cards that every player can use to build their hand. Compare these cards and the cards in your hand, then place a bet, call a bet, or fold.[4]
- In total, the dealer will reveal 5 cards. You will have 7 cards total to use to create your best hand of 5: your two personal cards in your hands, and the five community cards on the table. While your luck can turn later on in a game, take some time to analyze the table after the "flop" – are you well positioned to end the game with a good hand?
- Depending on the rules where you're playing, you can also draw replacement cards for the cards in your hand, if you like. This is usually done during or just after the betting round.
- Check the "turn" card after the second round of betting. The dealer will "burn" the top card, then they'll place 1 card face up next to the flop. This is called the "turn" card or the "fourth street" card. Check all of the cards on the table and the cards in your hand to see if you want to bet, call, or raise.[5]
- Your game may also allow a card exchange at this point, but this isn't typical in professional games.
- As you look at the cards, think about the possible hands other players might have. For instance, if all 4 cards on the table are spades, then any player who has a spade in their hand will have a flush, which means they have 5 cards from the same house.
- Similarly, if the cards on the table are 5,6,7, and 8, then anyone with a 4 or 9 will have a straight.
- If you have nothing good in your hand but the cards on the table make for an easy winning hand, then you may want to fold, as it's likely another player has a winning card.
- Examine the "river" card and decide on the hand you'll play. After the dealer "burns" the top card on the deck, they'll put 1 last card face up next to the "turn" card. This final card is called the "river." Check your hand and the community cards to decide on your best 5-card hand. Then, bet, call, or fold.[6]
- If the rules allow it, you may be able to exchange your hand 1 final time before or after betting. However, this isn't common in professional games.
- Reveal each player's hand clockwise in the final "showdown." After each player calls, folds, or bets in the last round, each remaining player will participate in the "showdown." Starting to the left of the dealer, each player will reveal their cards face up. Then, everyone looks at the turned over hands to see who has the highest value hand to win the entire pot.[7]
- If there is a tie, the tied players split the pot.
- If you fold your hand, then you don't have to show your cards.
- In Texas Hold'em, there are 5 cards on the table and 2 cards in your hand. You can create any 5-card combination using these 7 cards. The remaining cards aren't counted.
- If you want to play the cards on the table only, this is called "playing the board." However, it's an option that everyone has, so it may not be the best strategy.
EditAdding Betting and Strategy - Guesstimate the risks on your starting hand. Look at your cards to see what you're holding. Check for a pair, 2 consecutive numbers, cards that are from the same house, or face cards, which may be good cards. Then, decide if it's worth placing a bet to see what the community cards will be.
- You should almost always raise when your hand is a pair, face cards, or aces. An ace and a king or an ace and a queen are strong hands as well. If you have these hands, bet before the flop to raise the value of the pot.
- If the card you need doesn't turn up, you can either bluff or fold. Sometimes, with good bluffing skills and some luck, a bad hand can win the whole game.
- Start the bidding with the player to the left of the big blind or dealer. On the first round, bidding starts to the left of the big blind. In later rounds, the bidding starts to the left of the dealer. From there, the bidding goes clockwise.[8]
- If you're playing a game with an ante instead of a blind, always start betting with the player to the left of the dealer.
- Call the bet if you want to stay in but don't have great cards. This means you want to stay in the game but don't want to raise the bet. When you call, match the bet of the person before you by adding your chips or money to the pot. Your turn is now over.[9]
- If the flop comes and you're holding a hand that doesn't play, check and fold. You don't want to keep betting money at a hand that won't win.
- If the flop comes and you have a strong hand, bet at it. This will force weaker hands out and raise the value of your pot.
- Raise the bet if you have a good hand. When the bet comes to you, tell the other players you want to raise. Then, say how much you are betting and place your money or chips into the pot. This ends your turn.[10]
- Say, "I raise the bet to $30."
- You can't raise the bet above the maximum for your game.
- Fold if the current bet is too high or you have a bad hand. This means quitting the round of poker. To fold, place your cards face down on the table and say, "I fold." Then, add your cards to the discard pile.[11]
- Don't show your cards when you fold during a game, as this can spoil which cards are out of play. That may give certain players an upper hand.
- The key to being successful at poker is knowing when to fold your hand and accept a smaller loss or when to hold onto it and risk a larger loss for a chance to win the pot.
- Decide if you want to draw any cards (if the game allows it). Look at your cards and decide if you want to play this hand. If you'd like to try for better cards, discard the cards you don't want. Then, draw replacement cards from the draw pile at the center of the table. [12]
- You can discard as many cards as you'd like.
- You may not be allowed to draw new cards when playing Texas Hold'em, so check the rules for your game before you start playing.
- Play only with money you're willing to lose. When you are learning, you should never gamble more than you would consider acceptable to lose. During the game, don't add to your bankroll or dive back in after losing everything you planned to gamble. Wait until you're comfortable losing that amount again before you play another game.
- The general rule of thumb is you should be able to easily afford to lose 200 bets at the highest limit. So if the limit is $5 bets, then your bankroll should be $1000, and stop there.
- Track your wins and losses if you start getting more serious about poker. This will help you figure out whether you are winning or losing in the long run.
- Remember that you must keep records and pay taxes on your gambling income to avoid legal trouble.
- Learn to read basic tells. Playing your opponents is arguably even more important than playing your cards in poker. This is a more advanced aspect of the game, but it's always good to be aware of players' tells—especially your own. Watch for betting patterns such as betting early, very often (probably with weak hands), or late in a hand (as intimidation). Physical tells can also give you an estimation of your opponent's strength of hand and help you keep your own strategy secret by avoiding such patterns.[13]
- Some classic tells include shallow breathing, sighing, nostrils flaring, flushing red, eyes watering, blinking, swallowing excessively, or an increasing pulse seen in the neck or temple.
- A hand over the mouth is usually to conceal a smile, while shaking hands usually reveal nerves.
- If a player glances at his or her chips when the flop comes, they probably have a strong hand.
- If a mediocre player tries to impress you by staring you down, they are likely bluffing.
- Identify conservative players from aggressive players. This will help you determine players' betting patterns and read them more easily. You can tell if players are more conservative by noticing those folding early—evidently only staying in a hand when their cards are good.
- Very conservative players won't lose as much money, but they're easily spotted by more experienced players. Because they tend to avoid high betting, they can often be bluffed into folding.
- Aggressive players are risk takers that often bet high early in a hand before seeing how the other players are acting on their cards.
EditLooking Like a Pro - Practice and watch others play to develop quick instincts. The more you play and watch, the faster and better you'll get. Since every poker game is different, it's important to develop good instincts rather than try to memorize and apply tricky systems. Observe experienced players and imagine how you'd react in their position. Then, watch how the experienced players react to build your own instincts.
- While you do this, consider how successful you'd have been if you were playing and reacted as you did. Would you have won, or would you have lost? Then, decide how you can improve your strategy going forward.
- Shuffle the cards and cut the deck before they're dealt. Shuffling the cards mixes them up to make the game more fair. To do a basic shuffle, split the deck into 2 stacks. Next, hold a stack in each hand close together and facing each other. Use your thumbs to flip through the cards, combining the deck into one. After the cards are shuffled, get someone who isn't the dealer to cut the deck by separating it into 2 stacks and placing the bottom stack on top.[14]
- Do several shuffles to make sure the cards are mixed up.
- You can cut the deck more than once if you'd like.
- The dealer typically does the shuffling and bets last, which is called the "button" position. After each hand, you'll pass the dealer/button position to the next player on the left. If the dealer is always the same person, like in a casino, the button position will still pass clockwise around the table.
- Say "check" to skip placing a bet or simply tap the table twice with two fingers. You can say this if you are the first better or if all those already betting have checked. If you say "check" when it's your turn at the beginning of a new hand, that means you are choosing not to place a bet at that point. Instead, you pass the chance to open to the next player.
- In the following rounds, if you say "check," that means you're staying with the bets you already paid into the pot during this hand, and you won't pay more until someone else raises during their turn.
- If another player does raise on that hand, then you nor anyone else can say "check" or maintain your "check"—so when the play comes around to you again you have to either match or raise the latest bet or fold your hand.
- Say "I open" if a bet hasn't been placed yet and you want to open betting. For example, you could raise the ante $1 or at least the agreed minimum raise. If you choose not to open, take turns in clockwise order, until someone else has opened or every player checked. If everyone checks, then it is time to choose to discard and draw 1 to 3 cards, or "hold pat" on the cards you have. When there are fewer than 3 cards available to draw, replacements will be drawn.
- The dealer will have to shuffle the discards and add them to the bottom of the draw stack.
- Say "call" if you want to bet the same as the last person. Calling means making a bet equal to the last bet or raise. For example, if the person right of you just bet $10 and it's now your turn, you would say "call" or "I call" to match that bet. Then you would place $10 in chips or cash in the pot.
- "Raise" to increase the current betting amount. This is also known as "sweetening the pot." Raise or re-raise requires finishing this round and making another round to now allow any others to "call" or "raise" the amount of that last bet to stay in the game, or else "fold". The ones who already called can check on this turn and the hand is finished unless someone re-raises.[15]
- If someone before you bets $20 and you think you have a winning hand or you want to bluff, you can raise when it's your turn by saying "raise to $30."
- However, do not say "I see your 20, and I'll raise you 10…" Despite being popular in movies, this is actually frowned upon as sloppy table talk.[16]
- Say "I fold" when you're ready to quit a hand. Folding means forfeiting your cards and giving up that pot with any bets you've made into it. Wait to be dealt into the next hand if you have chips or have not reached your limit of losses. To fold when it's your turn, put your cards face down on the table and place them onto the discard pile.[17]
- You can fold at any point in a hand when it's your turn.
- "Cash-in" when you're ready to quit the game. This means exchanging your poker chips for money. If you still have chips but don't want to play anymore, take your chips to the bank and tell them you're ready to cash in. The bank will determine how much money your chips represent, then they'll hand you cash.[18]
- You can usually return and watch the game after you cash in.
EditLearning Popular Poker Variations - Master the basics of five-card draw. This variation has optional rules that can be agreed on before the game begins, such as whether or not to use jokers and wildcards, or which cards are high and low. The object of the game is similar to Texas Hold 'Em: to get the best 5-card hand, but within the bounds of the your own 5-card hand, without common cards.
- Determine the betting structure by deciding if you'll play fixed-limit, pot-limit, or no-limit.[19]
- Decide on the dealer by asking "Who deals first?". Depending on the group you're with and where you're playing, a dealer may be elected or each player could draw for the position. The organizer or host may also choose to deal first.
- Learn 3-card draw. In this game, the players start by making an ante bet. The dealer and each of the players then get 3 cards, and the players must decide whether to make a play bet or fold. Finally, the dealer reveals their cards for a showdown and whoever has the best hand wins.[20]
- Like with 5-card draw, you can choose to vary the rules if you're playing at home. For instance, jokers can be wild, meaning they can be used in represent any card value.
- Study some of the more obscure variations. If you really get into the game or just want to impress others with your knowledge of poker, learn the rules of the other variations. These include Straight Poker, 5-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud, Lowball, Omaha, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, Cincinnati, and Dr. Pepper.
- You can learn more about these games online.
- You can bluff, or trick the other players into believing you have a powerful hand, by placing high bets. If they fall for it, they'll fold and you'll take the pot with a weak hand.
- Select a "banker" if it is not a cash game. That person will issue and keep the supply of chips under lock and key.
- You may also want to appoint a scorekeeper to track amounts gained and lost, as well as tally the standings.
- Don't bet more than you are willing to lose—fold for that hand if some extremely high betting starts.
- Watching professional poker players in tournaments is a great way to examine the dynamics of the game. You can watch these on TV or online.
- If you do develop a gambling addiction, you can find help and resources by calling the national helpline at (1-800-522-4700) or going to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.
- Remember that poker and other gambling games can be extremely addictive. Pace yourself and limit betting to a healthy amount.
EditReferences EditQuick Summary
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