Hey Guys

Been trying to put in a few days a week at my local casino per week lately and the more and more I play I figure out who are the regulars who are there everyday and I start to notice some things. A lot of them seem to do the same thing. They might play for a 10 hour period but they really only seem to play for 5 hours of that 10 hour period. They get up a lot and walk around, at times skip a whole dealers 30 minute dealing session. They play a few hands get up come back play a few hands, and the cycle continues,

So my question is this. Is this some sort of strategy. Do people play better and stay sharper if they get up every so often and clear there head? When playing should I be taking breaks more often then I am? When i play if I put in 10 hours in a day only may take 30 minute break to eat. Is that a bad strategy to stay sharp. Should I set a goal if I am up a certain amount in a day to stop playing for the day?

Any advice for you casino players would be great

Does the casino have comps or promotions like freerolls? When a poker room offers a freeroll for xx number of hours played, I seem to notice more regulars sitting down at poker, walking around, playing in the pits, then coming back just to post blinds before their chips get picked up.

For me, 5 hrs straight is too long. Once every 1.5-2 hrs I get up for a 10-15 min break (leave just before BB and time it so I come back in time for the BB). Restroom, maybe walk around the building, grab a snack, make myself a coffee.

Borgata comps 1.50 per hour at 1/2 and 2.00 at 2/5

Not many freerolls. They have them at times but not very often.

I am really starting to think I need to take breaks while playing. You can get up and keep your spot for two dealer changes so about an hour.

The reasoning depends on where you play. In a location where there isn't a Bravo system (dealer swipes your player card and can see your name on a screen), players can be trying maximize their comps with the minimum of play. They are generally losing players that use comps to minimize their losses.

There are players even with the Bravo system that do this. They either prefer the socialization with other players to winning money or are obsessed with trying to find the absolute softest table. In either case, they aren't the players you need to be worried about or need to emulate. A good player's winrate is such that the difference between playing at an average table vs. sacrificing 50% of your playing time to find the best table doesn't justify the loss in playing time. Almost always playing a solid 5 hours and quitting is better than hanging around the poker room 10 hours and only playing 5.

IMO, being at a casino for 10 hours but only getting in 5 hours of play would be a tremendous waste of time. I don't know why, but when I am playing, time seems to go by really fast (even though the game itself at times seems really slow) and it's nothing for me to see I've played 3 or 4 hours without getting out of my seat.

So now I try and make myself at least stand up and walk around for a couple of minutes every other dealer change, or once an hour, just to keep the blood flowing to my legs. I don't really notice a difference in my play say from early to late in a session. But I wouldn't think taking breaks when you don't really feel you need them will help much. If on the other hand, you find yourself thinking about a sore back, or something like that from long play, rather than the hand going on, that's a good sign to take a break.

So I guess it just depends on how your body/mind reacts. I'd rather play when I'm playing, so to speak, then take a bunch of breaks all night long.

If you are good, no time is going to be better spent than in your seat.

A lot of the players that sit dealers out are just superstitious.

For me, I like to get in, play my hours, and get out. I hate even being on a wait list. Every minute I'm in the casino and not at the table is time wasted for me. People's motivations are different though. Some people's whole social life is in the poker room. They like being there. If they didn't eat there they would starve.


Frequent breaks in general are not in your best interest long term. It is usually a short term fix to a bigger problem (tilt, superstitions, lack of focus)

These people at the borgata that usually do this are the regulars and are doing it just to collect comps. It is not a poker strategy as its a comp strategy. The people who do this are basically bad and do not follow anything they do unless u wanna build up comps while sitting on a couch.
These people r the most annoying to deal with since ur table is never full and ontop of them not being there they r generally the nittiest players to begin with.

Yeah, during the day some Poker Rooms become the retiree hangout. These guys have more time than anything else and are there to socialize with others of their kind rather than play poker. They also are usually extremely nitty (you generally won't get miuch more than their blinds out of them), so its a waste of time and space to have them at the table.

Yeah they also seem to be the tightest players in the world. Waiting for that one hung hand

On another note for the conversation. Do you have a goal in mind when playing saying that for example (If I get up $500 I am getting up) or do you continue to play and once you feel you are not playing your best that it is?

I wouldn't worry about other people getting up and sitting out. It's their loss. If there's a long list and the guy's doing it a lot just make sure to inform a floorman. Some rooms have a rule that when the player comes back he needs to sit for an orbit before leaving, otherwise they pick up his chips anyway.

When it comes to long sessions, do whatever works for you. If you need to get up and go get something to eat for 20 mins to stay sharp, then go do it. I try to get up and walk to the bathroom every couple of hours. Mostly just to get up and move around more than anything else. 4 hours to start a session is easy, but after that I need to move around a little more often to stay fresh and alert.

I gave up on stop win limits. Usually if I'm up a lot I cover the table, so I don't need to change my game since the effective stacks are the same as they always are (100-150bb). This is an adjustment (or lack of adjustment) that many players fail to make, they start getting spewy when they're got a big stack but they're not really deep against anyone.

I have a stop loss of 2-3 buy-ins depending on how late it is. I don't really get too tilted from losing hands, especially when my money went in ahead. But sometimes you miss the fact that the table conditions are really bad, stop loss gets me away from those spots when I'm otherwise missing it. It also helps when I'm off my game (tired, hungry, whatever) but I don't notice just how off I am (being tired does that).


So instead of a stop-win limit, I pick a set time that I want to play until. It's usually based on "I need to go to work tomorrow so I need to be in bed by 4am", or "If I don't leave by 3am nothing will be open for late night food when I get home", or the always fun "the room closes at 2am" (which makes for some fun hands when guys try desperately to get un-stuck for the night).

I really like the time idea. Maybe I want start going with that. Maybe set a 4 hour limit before taking a two hour break and then playing for another 4 or something. I will give it some thought but I do like it

I agree with this statement. For me, time away from the table, during a session, is time spent not making money.

Call me Superman, but I have no problem playing ten to twelve hours with minimal breaks. Physically, I have no problem sitting for ten to twelve hours, while playing cards. Mentally, I have no problem sitting for ten to twelve hours, while solving problems or competing for money,

Yes, but can you fly?

I have no problem putting in lots of hours w/minimal breaks either but I do have to do a lot of exercise prior to the session in order for me to keep going. Not sure why that is really but if I don't workout, I feel rather sluggish for that day. Maybe it gives me the jump start that I need both physically and mentally.

When playing long hours you don't really know how well you are playing. After being awake more than 12 hours I think its tough to perform well.

If/when I'm playing $1/$2 no limit for twelve plus hours, and my stack shows a $1000+ profit, and it's still growing, I am usually pretty sure that I am playing well.

After that much time you aren't performing at a top speed even if still winning. If the game is easy you will likely still win but at progressively slower rates as time goes on. To each his own.

You are exactly right.

To each his own.

I'm shocked when I see a reg take more than a few minutes to survey the room to find a good table. If you spent 1/2 of your poker time surveying tables, you need to double your win rate for the time investment to make sense.

I search for tables while I'm on the waiting list (if room is no call in) and between hands. It takes just a glance to figure it out usually. Also, the loud tables are noticeable all the time from my current table so I just put in the table change request and risk it. Worst case, I move away from my new table after a few orbits if it turns out to be dead.

I wouldn't recommend playing more than 6 hours a session. Few people can stay focused for that long even if you're convincing yourself otherwise. Getting up to take a walk every 2 hours is also very good.

If im fidgity or the game is lulling then I like to side bet stupid things on the tv, just small money wadgers with other players close to my seat. Gives me something to help pass the time while waiting for the action to kick back up or an action player to come in ect... I have seen more than five 3-4k table shares of a bbj lost to such "walks" but that its self isnt an often enough occurance to stay seated if it helps your play to wander...what ever you think is best for you...thats the best part of grinding imo of course

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In any case when you feel your game is about to suffer for any reason its time to go home or take a long break.

In my last job, I worked eleven hour shifts, with a one hour lunch/dinner break, and a couple of fifteen minute breaks. From the beginning of my shift through the end of my shift, I was constantly using my brain to solve problems and to assist others with their questions.

Often, I assisted others while on my breaks. Once in a while, I heard others make excuses for having made mistakes because it had been a long day. I always said, "I got here about eleven hours ago. How long ago did your shift start?"

I am better than average at most of the things that I do. I am very good at judging my performance after having worked for long periods of time. When people say, "When playing long hours you don't really know how well you are playing," They should say, "When playing long hours I don't really know how well I am playing" Because it sounds like they are judging other people's competencies based on their own experience.

I have played poker for twelve or more hours with minimal breaks, and I played great. And, if the need were to arise in the future to to the same, I look forward to doing so.