On Saturday I finished a 3 day binge in my local BnM and since late Sunday night have been hit by a serious case of the flu (flu or similiar type of Virus, all the usual problems)

I can only put it down to my BM binge as I really hadnt done anything else to make me sick and I really dont get sick anyway, I have never gotten sick after a session but you hear all time of the end of the WSOP how everybody gets sick

So, for my next long sessions over a few days, what can be suggested as general housekeeping/cleanliness tips to minimise chances of getting sick

Maybe its the stress on the body.

Here are a few tips that might help..

Always wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose, mouth, etc.. Sometimes bringing a little bottle of Purell will do the trick. If you eat at the table, for god's sakes do not eat with the same hand that you are touching the cards/chips with. That is just a recipe for getting sick. Really, a lot of people call me a "germophobe" when it comes to playing at the table because I am constantly sanitizing like every hour.. lol But I very rarely get sick while at the casino...

Also, make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating good on the day that you play. If not, you can weaken your immune system.

Just bring some hand sanitizer with you and use it frequently. Keep your hands away from your face. Request a seat/table change if you're next to someone that's coughing all over the place.

I'm much more a fan of visiting the restroom from time to time to simply wash my face and hands with warm soapy water every 4-6 hours.

I'm part of the hand-sanitizer-is-killing-us-all conspiracy nuts.

LOL at hand sanitizer. You may keep your hands clean for a brief second before you touch that first chip, rub your hand on the rails, pull your chair closer to the table and your back to square one. There are millions of germs everywhere, Some people have good imune systems and others do not.

for me a long session is 8-10 hours but im religious about going to the bathroom every 30 minutes - 60 mins and washing my hands with warm/hot water. The Borgata is the cleanest and best of all casinos ive been too and even there im careful. However, the higher you play (typically 20-40 or 40-80 limit 10-20 NL) the need to wash up is less and less.

Hence the "use it frequently" and "keep your hands away from your face"

Of couse they tell you to use it frequently, more money for them. I never use it and can not tell you the last time I was sick, and I do not even live that much of a healthy of a life style.

Yes cause rich people are cleaner LOL

I can't believe no one has mentioned the advantages of washing up at the Mandalay Bay spa yet.

Ignore the Purell BS - soap and water does basically the same thing. What you do need to worry about is sleep and proper diet. Sleep 6-8 hrs for every 24 hrs, take it easy on the booze and eat healthy meals. Even that may not work if you are sitting next to someone with the actual "flu".

You can also catch up on some sleep there. Juice and snacks, too.

Best tip for marathon sessions imo is once every 6-8 hours or so do the following:

- Stand up
- Take a quick walk around
- Stretch
- Have a bit to eat, take your time with it, relax
- go back to your hotel room, sleep for 6-8 hours
- return to finish your marathon

But for the rest of us who aren't Wolverine, it's a good idea.

Every 30-60 min. are you Insane?

I dont use Purell or wash my hands in the middle of a session(I dont play long sessions usually) I do wash after the session and never touch my nose, mouth, etc. before washing.

But if someone was as paranoid as one poster above, going to bathroom and washing every 30 min. then by all mean get a bottle of purell and never leave the table. lol

I never use condoms with any call girl in the $800+ range.

But yeah, hand washing is good.

yeah poor people are way dirtier

I used to get sick every now and then after very long sessions. I now take airborne before every session and I haven't been sick since.

Washing your hands is one part but the biggest part is keeping your immune system healthy. Do not play when your way too tired, your immune system is the weakest. Also, eating properly and all the other obvious things.

Hand washing and not eating with ytour chip handling hand can definitely help against germs, but as has already been mentioned a few times, your most likely problem is sleep/exercise deprivation.

People, especially younger "invincible" ones tend to seriously underestimate their own bodies need for rest. Sit on your couch with a laptop and play a three day session, and you'll likely feel just as bad as you would after the same session live. The body is just not made to go without the healing/rejuvinating factors of a good sleep.

If you do this, you don't need to worry as much about being a germaphobe, because another thing that a lot of these clean freaks also underestimate is the bodies natural ability to fend off germs, assuming you are getting the rest and exercise mentioned above.

I try to stay focused the entire session, and become mentally fatigued quite quickly. I much rather play 4-5 focused hours always trying to identify leaks/tells then play 9++ hours on auto pilot.

Chances are if your often best or second best player at the table when your playing at your best, you may be just an above average player on abc autopilot... 10-12bb/h vs 4-8bb/hr.

Stay focused, play 4-6 hours at a time. Take a ~hour break to walk around, get fresh air, and get food. Take your time eating.