The title is a little bit polarized, however here are the things we are going to discuss in this thread:

How to increase:
-Stress
-Awareness
-Focus
-Concentration
-Hunger (same as surviving skills in the jungle, motivation to reach our goal)
-Adrenaline/mind rush

Most of the terms mentioned above are similiar to each other, so we are basically planning to get "in the zone".

It's not possible to just trigger it instantly (snapping ur fingers, or saying a word out loud). So we are looking for warm-up methods.

Upon discussion with my mental coach, I have learned that we do not want to exceed a certain stress level. We are looking to rise our stress level to the preferrred amount. If we exceed that amount it'll have a negative impact on our thinking, same go's for too little stress (where you are just "dreaming/staring at ur monitor").

We are not neccessarily doing this to improve our intelligence in the longrun, it's just a way to get our minds warmed up prior to a session.
Perhaps doing some equations on paper, or online mini games that challenge our minds would be a good idea.

_________

Only serious posts please, even if you are not familiar to this concept, feel free to discuss.

Hope this thread doesn't die instantly. Please no senseless derailling. Let's do this!

Hmm... I don't know if I have any suggestions yet except for I can definitely say that player at higher stakes than normal will increase adrenaline rushes.

Personally I don't like my fight-or-flight response triggered while I'm playing poker, it just doesn't seem appropriate for the situation. (Which is why I experiment several levels higher than the next level I want to move up to while moving up, I get used to the amounts of money more quickly.)

Are you suggesting this is something that benefits us?

This? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

Yes, exactly that.

I had noticed that feedback (being rewarded) has indeed something to do with it (atleast for me, since I use ritalin/dopamine which influences punish/reward). That's the main reason why I want to find a way to warm-up without starting with poker.

No, that won't do it for me since I've played all the stakes available. However I do think by "taking a shot" at something, giving ur best, will often put you in that "flow state". But it's not something I prefer or advice. I am looking to do it outside poker, since I only need to "warm-up" if I'm a total mess/opposite of being in the zone. And that's why it's not wise to take a shot at a high stake just for the purpose to get there, ya know?

I have enough stress. Don't need any more thanks.

Congrats on pwning 1k/2k no limit op! pics please?

When you are quoting "warm up" you are quoting yourself.
I never said anything about "warming up" at all and I certainly didn't say it before "by taking a shot at higher stakes."
(WTF @ your reading comprehension.)

Let me try to state my point again...
I meant that I hate the adrenaline rush when I play to the point that I get used to larger amounts of money by experimenting at higher stakes to rid myself of the rush entirely... for a permanent effect, I'd just rather be a cold-blooded player.

I also don't need to get warmed up to play poker. I just sit down and play well if I'm in the mood (not tired, or distracted.) If I'm not in the mood, I just don't play.

Back to my original question, are you suggesting that adrenaline rushes help us while playing?

lol.. srsly dont know what to tell you. All I did was tell you that we are NOT looking to reduce the "fear of moving up", which was what you posted right?

I responded that we are looking for a warm-up method to gain an "active/focussed" mind... when did I claim that you were talking about "warming-up"? If anything, I claimed the opposite!

Anyway back to your "original question". For some people yes, for some people no. Depending on how well they function under stress.

Recently I wrote an article about talking to a gorgeous woman for five minutes increases the stress many many times (I am really not joking!)

-Yes..
I thought you were suggesting that playing higher stakes for a warm-up would be bad (I thought you were contrasting my point.)
-This is interesting and I did not know this... I seem to run good whenever I try the higher limits but maybe there is something more to it.

The whole point is to warm-up without risking to lose money, hence do it outside poker. Obv we only need to warm up when we are not in a good state, so it wouldn't be responsible to play high stakes at all so let's just skip this part.

But some last words, having "a rush" is definetly good for your game, but only if it's not overly much. I know players who have said that they can't play more than 30-60 minutes at a time when they are playing high stakes vs tough opponents because it takes a big toll mentally and I can tell you that it's true what they're saying since I've experienced it. I think I even made a thread about it several months ago saying that I would get dizzy after playing 2-3 matches.

It's not neccesarily the stake, it's the toughness of the opponents. The stake just makes it more important to devout all your energy/mental capability to fully exploit the game.

Like, if I play a fish at $2200, I don't get tired. Same for playing 100 matches at $110/$220.

So we warm up outside of poker how?

I guess I am familiar with playing very well, but I'm not sure how I get warmed up into that state. It just seems to align sometimes.
I play my A game usually, but I have to play often so I play my B game as well.

This is stressful for people? lol

Play with 15buy-ins, and try to make a living out of it.

That is a good way to increase stress!!

Oh great!!!!! Our goal is to get more stress!!!! We are stress addicts! We just love stress!!!

That's what it was all about right?

No lmao. I smoke weed stress is for donks. I play robot style, I'ma cold blooded player

OH... thank you for posting in this thread when you have the opposite goal! Thanks for derailing. Hmm.. cold blooded player? Yet you are afraid to move up? Obv, some stakes you can play ABC. Mmm.. yours?

Really I think it's too hard for some of you guys to realize that we are looking for a way to warm-up outside poker. Do I need to say it 10 times?

Seriously nice job for thinking we are looking to stress ourselves out, props to you guys. Maybe I should write in baby language for now?

Hey little kid.... the whole key is to warm up our minds, outside poker.
Sorry... maybe I am too joyful, how can I ever expect you to understand that? Let me make it more clear.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.
We are looking to warm-up our mind outside poker.

What? I didn't derail this thread imo

I don't play ABC poker or fear moving up

Ok, then why are you posting in this thread? Do you think everything is about you? This thread is OBV not for you then, it's for those people who need to warm-up and get in the zone to play well.

Even I, don't need to warm-up to play poker every day, sometimes I am in the right mood. But there are days where we just aren't in the right mindstate... ever had those yourself? Ok, you probably just decided not to play poker that day correct? Well, for people who want to do it for a living, it's important to find a way to play well even on those days. I personally believe a good warm up can do that.

Not all the time, but most of the time when aren't in the right mindstate, such as low-confidence, or rusty-mind state, or whatever the reason... feedback plays a big roll in getting you back there. Poker does not always reward right play, infact when you are in this touchy zone, the last thing you want is getting punished for doing something right, it'll tilt you faster. Which is just 1 of the reasons.
The 2nd reason is that we are only doing a warm up when we are playing significantly bad right? So why would you want to play for huge stacks of money just to get in the zone if you can do it otherwise?

Who said they would warm up by playing with huge stacks?

I'm also skeptical towards the idea that adrenaline can help us play well. I somehow doubt that. :\

Well, standard level buy in are huge stacks themselves. And also to point something out there:
We don't want to warm up by playing lowstakes first.
We don't want to warm up by playing lowstakes first.
We don't want to warm up by playing lowstakes first.
We don't want to warm up by playing lowstakes first.

It works, obviously, but it's so easy and simple and yea we got it out there now, so we don't need 10 pages with every1 just typing that.

Cool thread I guess (jk bro, but cool story bro [jk])

First of all, if you are playing lowstakes against people who you just need to have patience and wait for your time, adrenaline is not neccessary. In high stakes, where you need to think much deeper, a lil adrenaline can do the job.

I actually lol'd, cool level bro

After reviewing the official increase stress thread topic it receives a three diamond level.
Which is actually a pretty low rating.