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Hi,
New member here, I just joined up with TPE yesterday. I've been playing small stakes mostly as a hobby for a long time now, but I took a few years off from playing much poker during college. Now that I have started up again, I keep running into the same problem quite frequently. I can consistently make deep runs and cash in the small stakes tournaments that I play. I feel like i'm an effective tournament player in that respect and now that I've joined the site i'm learning new things which are greatly improving my game. However, there's one big leak in my game that has a huge impact on my bottom line… I fail to play my A-game over the entire length of a long tournament. I'll get deep in one and play well to get there, but after awhile my concentration just lapses. I'll start doing other things, or miss an important detail, and make a bad play or just start playing less effectively. This results in a lot of cashes and very few final tables.
I've played enough poker to know that downswings happen and are unavoidable. I'm also not going to get tilted when I make the right plays and things don't work out. What bothers me is when I go out of a tournament and I know it was because I made the wrong play when I lost focus. What ways have you guys found to combat this issue?
October 6, 2010
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i find that listening to music and resisting the urge to load up the browser and start web surfing help a lot.
after a few hours (or even every hour), when the break is on, make sure you get up, go to the toilet, grab a glass or water, even do some situps or just get up and walk around, go outside for 3 mins, etc etc.
just something to get you away from the computer for 5 minutes and hopefully you come back refreshed
Buy and read “Peak Performance Poker” by Travis Steffan. It's all about your problem. Good Luck!
June 22, 2010
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I know how you feel. If I am only playing one table, I will open TPE and partake in the chatroom or watch videos. It keeps my mind on poker and in the game. You just need to find something that stimulates you while playing.
"Your either in Sheen's Korner or your with the trolls."
Its wierd to some but I find that having the TV on in the background might be less distracting than listening to music, at least for me. I listen to music a lot, but almost always have the TV on in the background….some movie I have ssn a million times like Old School, Happy Gilmore, etc…. It gives me a little stimulus outside the game but not enough to draw my attention. When I have Phish “A live one” on the ipod going i get sort of into the music and find myself making mistakes. Bottom line is you have to find what works for you. I have basically abandones Chat till I get down to 2-3 tables, it is the #1 distraction of many players I think.
My biggest distraction is being married with a son and managing a large business I have very specific times I can play. Usually Mon, Tues, and Sat nights regging from about 7pm till about 9:15-9:30 is my window which means I am starting on the couch while my wife watches movies or one of her millions of female oriented shows so I usually start out with music then when she goes to bed I turn on some TV in the background. Thats why Sundays do not work for me, with a family and working almost every Saturday it becomes my only day to hang out with the family.
July 3, 2010
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In before Adderall replies 🙂
Is it a problem if I tried reading the original question to give a well thought out reply but my mind wandered soemwhere during the first paragraph?
I agree that using those 5 minute breaks wisely can make a big difference. Getting up and getting water or getting your circulation going is way better than sitting there and looking at Facebook or using AIM.
umm ….Adderall ?
J/k .. I also vote for the hourly ” get up & move” style.
I seem to space out if I'm not keeping moving during breaks.. Also drink More WATER .. yeah I know ..but Water is such a huge part of what makes us “go” so being dehydrated can lead to mental break downs.
Roll it up…..light it up…smoke it up….inhale….exhale!!!
May 26, 2010
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dvbronco said:
Roll it up…..light it up…smoke it up….inhale….exhale!!!
+1
June 11, 2010
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Being able to keep yourself motivated and focused is a difficult thing to do, especially when the tourney you are playing has been going on for several hours, you have been sitting in one place for a while, you are multi-tabling and one isn't going your way, etc… I find for myself it is important to have a good meal before I start a session, drink plenty of water during the session (I avoid alcohol and caffiene). I make sure I hit the gym on days that I am going to play, to make sure I am not letting a ton of my frustration come out playing. Also take a look at the amount of multi-tabling you do and how much it affects you and your play. I know from my SnG days that a lot of players could turn a solid session into a complete disaster because of the goings on from a single table. Metal sharpness and toughness is difficult and you have to train yourself to develop it. Avoid days where you are overstressed, have a lot on your mind too as you are only going to be able to focus intensely though it for so long, remember the mind gets weary way before the body.
July 3, 2010
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It's also funny how your concentration can fade as you get closer to first place money…
Not sure what others do but I will look at the payouts to remind myself of why I have been sitting there for 3 hours or more.
Hint: It's not for $40.
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