Archive for June, 2010

Contrary to popular belief, poker is not a game for card slinging, whiskey drinking red-necks only. It is a head game in which the mind is a terrible thing to waste. Unfortunately after playing hand after hand at a poker table, it is also possible to slip into semi-automatic mode, or what some experts might call semi-coma mode. When this happens to a player, they offer their opponents at the poker table a huge advantage over them, so it is absolutely vital to keep alert while playing and even more important to prepare the mind for poker.

It is for this reason that so many poker experts encourage players to make a study of Zen or other esoteric arts. The mental aspect of playing poker is the single thing which separates the men from the boys, or the great players from the merely good.

Some players call this “focus” but the meaning is exactly the same, if you aren’t prepared to play poker on a mental level, you will be intimidated by the players who are prepared to do so.

This is why poker is such a well suited game for people of all ages and physical capabilities. You can be sitting in a wheel-chair, you can be 70 years old or 20 years old. You can be of any educational level, as long as you can count and, you can play poker competitively your entire life.

In order to flex your mental muscle, like any other muscle, it has to be kept in shape. Every single poker player has their own way of preparing their mind for a game. If you are playing and you notice that you are a million miles away, it is at this juncture that you have to bring yourself back to the game and stay sharp. Drifting away in the middle of a crucial poker game or tournament is expensive. You have to keep thinking to keep on your toes to keep winning!

The best ways to stay alert when you are playing poker or any other games for that matter are just common good sense. Get plenty of rest before a big game, take regular breaks, this doesn’t happen enough during long stretches and you will be stretching your mind thin.

You have to breathe because oxygen feeds the brain, so if you feel yourself drifting away, take some deep breaths. Sitting cramped up at a poker table or behind your computer immersed in a game is the same thing. If you don’t move around and free up your breathing your blood loses oxygen – the end result of this is your concentration suffers. A few deep breaths will make you feel refreshed.

Don’t play hungry and make sure your blood sugar doesn’t drop. Lots of poker players play with a pocket full of energy candies.

Exercise your body and take a serious look at yoga, this is a brilliant poker players’ life-style pursuit. It teaches you to breathe, relax, and focus. Do crossword puzzles, or other mental exercises for concentration, and focus on every single card coming off the deck.