Playing poker isn’t all fun, especially if you want to consistently make money at it. It is a game of the mind and to be a successful poker player, and you need to have complete control over your mind to truly master the game.
The ability to focus for extended periods is one of the most critical skills for a poker player that will increase your win-rate and give you an edge over your opponents, even if they are poker pros. Paying your close attention to the game is even more important than figuring out your c-bets, check-raise strategy or brushed up skills. Learn how to stay concentrated during your poker session with these six tips.
Limit Smartphone Use
When it comes to focusing on specific tasks, there can be many distractions, but your phone is the number one distraction that makes you sloppy during a game. Many of us spend a great deal of time checking our phone. Whether right after waking up or before going to bed, this practice can actually become a habit, where you can’t go at least 10 minutes without reaching for your gadget.
After realising the importance of concentration during poker tournaments, many players are starting to put their phones away, which proves they understand the value of focusing on the game. Therefore, during your poker session, consider putting the phone on Airplane mode or turning it off completely to avoid the urge to check your notifications or social media feeds.
Also, try to focus on ranging other players when you are not in hand. Pay attention to showdowns or analyse the actions of players – seek any opportunity to up your game and keep yourself from getting bored.
Pay Attention To Your Physical Health
You can’t stay fully concentrated on poker if you are eating fast food instead of well-balanced and healthy meals or spending your nights partying instead of sleeping. After all, when your brain is hungover, tired or filled with saturated fat, you can hardly be a success at any activity, including poker.
Try to take care of yourself physically to stay concentrated. Your entire body really needs to work together to keep your mind working more quickly and as sharp and energetic as possible. Always make sure to get a quality night’s sleep before a day of play or a tournament. Try to sustain a balanced diet and eat and drink healthily as a regular rule, and leave the fatty foods for rare occasions only, so that you are making better decisions, your thoughts clearer and enjoying much more success at the poker table.
You should keep your mind sharp when playing poker, so you need to avoid things that can ultimately negatively affect your brain. Avoid drugs and excessive amounts of alcohol, which impair judgment and damage your memory. Additionally, since playing poker requires sitting down for hours and hours at a time, make room for physical activity. It is essential to counterbalance this unhealthy activity with regular exercise and stay active when you are not sitting down at the poker table.
Take Regular Breaks In Between Poker Sessions
When playing a poker tourney, you will have a break every two hours. Fifteen minutes of the break can totally recharge you. This point is quite obvious, but many players underestimate the importance of this aspect.
Make sure to benefit from your breaks and have some time for yourself: take a walk, stretch your legs or do activities that will let your blood to circulate. If you have the opportunity, go outside to get some air; these will help you to restore your energy levels and refresh your mind.
In case you find it challenging not checking your phone while playing, then breaks are a great time! Use this free time to go crazy on your phone, check messages, Instagram or Twitter – whatever you want to take your mind off.
Try Out CBD Oil
This natural compound is an effective solution when it comes to mental and physical health. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is thought to interfere with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for various processes, including memory, concentration, stress, pain. Therefore, a positive effect on ECS can help to bring body functions in balance and reduce pain and chronic aches, relieve stress and anxiety, boost mood, energy and concentration and even promote better quality sleep – all of which is crucial for poker players.
What’s more, CBD can be used in different product’s formats, including the following ways:
- Oral: This includes CBD as the only active ingredient;
- Topical: This includes lotions that can be applied to the skin;
- Edibles: This comes in the form of candies, gummies and beverages;
- Inhaled: This comes in the form of smoke or vapour.
To find the best CBD products from leading companies and brands, make sure to visit Alphagreen.
Use The Power Of Music
Most people whose work involves constant concentration and accuracy confirm that the right music can relax the mind and improve focus. To achieve a positive effect, poker players can use the right type of background music during their sessions. This tip will also help you bring a good mood.
When choosing the right background music, be guided by your own preferences and feelings. You can choose from various playlists on Spotify or YouTube, specially designed to stimulate your brain and boost your concentration or create your own of soothing, instrumental music that makes you feel calm, focused and keep you away from your phone. If music is your thing, make sure use it to focus.
Take Notes
This is age-old advice and a simple way to stay focused on the task in hand, which can be applied to any task in your day-to-day activities. Keeping track of your opponents’ starting hands and which position they are playing from to whether they limp often or always come in with a raise – all of this can help you in the long run.