What's going on in best of 3

I was wondering if you had any insight.

My friends and I play fairly casually and our sessions consist mostly of best of 3 games.

One of us has a strange habit where he plays well while we warm up, stumbles in the first game but is completely in the zone in the second. But by the time the third game comes around, he's shaky again.

Do you have any advice?

Hi Frank,

It sound like this is psychological.

It may have something to do with expectations.  If you are playing well in the warm up perhaps you expect to play well which doesn't always translate into a match.  After losing the first game you relax your expectations and then increase them again after winning the second game.

The mind is a powerful tool.