How do I control saying something funny and holding back from laughing? I laugh pretty easily. I can rehearse something until I no longer crack up at it, but when I'm in the moment, I can burst into laughter imagining what I just said. How do I control this?

Note: It's not because I'm nervous and I feel I have to fill in awkward silences.

IMO there's a difference between a person laughing at their own joke and just laughing in general. I tend to laugh a bit when I'm talking, because I'm always being sarcastic and saying off the wall shit, but it doesn't stop others from laughing as well, because I'm generating an overall SPAM of fun of humor. Its when everything is just normal conversation and you tell a joke and you start laughing at it and everyone is still switching from serious to humorous thinking that it will screw things up.

Still, try to laugh at your stuff less, because even though its not as bad, it can throw your game off. Try to smile instead of laughing and maybe chuckle, but not do an overly vocal laugh. Smiling tends to be a cue for other people to allow themselves to relax and laugh, so an appropriately large grin works well.

_________________
"The 'Brick Walls' are there to allow you to prove how badly you want something!" ~ Randy Pausch

~ Rye

Any tips on how I'd practice doing that?

Yeah, like I said, work on smiling instead. Eventually you will be able to control it and then you can even tell jokes without laughing at all.

_________________
"The 'Brick Walls' are there to allow you to prove how badly you want something!" ~ Randy Pausch

~ Rye