Surviving long sessions
Related Articles
No work, no school, girlfriend or wife is out of town, just bored for a few days – reasons can be found to play poker as long as the eyes stay open. And when the game is REAL good it’s tempting to never leave. What most players don’t realize is this – playing an epic session even poorly takes a lot of skill and some assistance. To play it well takes a lot of focus and determination. Don’t fret. I’m going to give you the ancient poker secrets to playing well for days on end.
Online
Playing online, monster sessions aren’t that rough on your life-schedule. You can sit in the tub when you feel the funk, do some laundry when it piles up, or cook yourself dinner while check-raising some sucka. The key to playing a long online session is to do a few simple things. First, get away from the computer long enough to give your eyes a rest. Apparently, computer users like yourself are at a high risk for glaucoma. Squash that, you want to poker-it-up with the lights on in your room. You also want the computer screen below eye level, just a bit. Doing some chores or chatting on IM with friends won’t hurt but don’t get too distracted. You must keep your focus on the game, how your opponents are betting and responding to changing table conditions.
Back in college I once turned 50 bucks in to $1600 in one day playing limit on Party Poker. It took me 18 hours and I started out on a 2-4 limit table and kept moving up limits when I barely had enough for a buy in at the next level. So it’s late, I’m exhausted, grinding it out in the back of my fraternity house and I’m on a 30-60 limit table. My vision was blurry but I was playing well until . . . I think I make a straight flush on the turn. I cap it with this guy then cap it on the river. Um, nope. Sure enough I had a flush but it wasn’t a straight flush. There went the majority of my profit.
There’s another aspect to fatigue during online monster sessions – the misclick. It’s really difficult to avoid but realize that when you’re tired you’re more likely to make this mistake. And the probability of a misclick occurring is increased with each additional table you’re playing, every chat window, youtube.com video and stat tracking program running. To help curb this error focus on playing deliberately and taking a bit longer with your decisions when the money is deep or decision is critical.
Live
A man playing a two-day session is a pathetic site when he’s playing live. Same seat, same clothes, B.O. ever increasing, seeing a dealer work his shift, go home, come back and then work his shift again. I’ve seen guys do it and I’ve done it. I’ve honestly gone two days without seeing the sunshine because my ass was in a windowless room trying to bust the idiots.
Last year I had seven poker sessions last more than 10 hours. My longest session dragged on for 33 hours in Tunica’s Grand Casino and I made $1200. Ironically I was up that amount within my first three hours of play. Instead of going back to the room I stayed to try to bust the idiot, gave money to good players and had to spend a day and a half getting it back. At one point I was down $1500. Ugh. I once even played 24 hours straight just to break even.
There are a few tricks to staying sharp when you’re playing a long live session. Skip the Redbulls, they’ll make you more tired when the buzz wears off. Instead, take time to eat all three meals and drink plenty water. Even if you eat at the table, the carbs will give you energy that lasts and the water will keep you hydrated. Also, try to sit up straight in your chair and keep good posture. Slumping and getting too relaxed will only make it more tough to stay awake.
Your mind wondering to the TV above? Think tyrosine. I know, WTF right? Well that’s the amino acid that keeps you alert. You can find it in yogurt and lucky for you a majority of casinos have yogurt on their breakfast menus. You may also increase your alertness by listening to classical music. A trick I also picked up on is based on acupressure. Take three fingers and firmly tap the top of your skull three times. That should stimulate your inner workings to put your mind back on track.
If you’re thinking of playing a monster session, be sure to go in to it with a full night’s rest. You’ll do better mentally rolling out of bed and playing 16 hours than you would working 8 hours then playing the same amount.
As a poker professional and trusted PTP advice giver, I encourage you NOT to play long sessions. They’re just not worth the time investment or risk. When tiredness sets in you won’t know it until it’s too late. It only takes a few hands to screw up all the hard work you put in during the previous hours or days. There’s nothing worse than walking away from the table busted, hours lost, only wanting to sleep.
Yes, it’s cool to say “I played poker for two days straight.” But poker isn’t about cool, at least it shouldn’t be for a savvy PTP reader. We all know it’s about making money. And chances are you’re much more profitable playing four to six hour sessions.
Some information in this article came from years of experience and these sources. Check them out for more info or google ‘sleep deprivation’ or ‘mental alertness.’
http://www.visionworksusa.com/computereyestrain.htm
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18625011.900
http://www.thrivingnow.com/for/Health/stimulating-acupoints-helps-alertness/
