Lol! Impressive session lengths so far though!

Gmylifetime2/4Limitwinrateiscurrentlysittingat$1.99/hr,nojokeG

I'm a 2/4 limit fish.

Life time stats:
6 sessions
2.01 hours
Profit: -$85
Profit/Hour: -$42.5/hour
BB/Hour: -10.65/hour

Wheee!

Yah I play a lot of 10-11 sessions interrupted by small breaks

Keep in mind that 2/4 Limit is basically unbeatable due to rake.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Tips and tricks?

I've been forced to play marathon sessions lately (fewer available days to play + great evening games) and I keep spewing hard into like the 8-10 hours.

It's like perfect play, up $1K in hours 1-5. Drift off autopilot bleed $100 in hours 6-7. Comical/entertaining horrispew in hours 8+

It is seriously a consistent thing I've noticed.

Practice makes perfect. I'm trying to play my once a week session on a weekend, so my session length can be 10 - 11 hours depending on when the game starts (my average session length over my 201 sessions is now sitting at ~7.5 hours). Just really have to keep in mind that it's all one session, so it doesn't matter if you are at the start or at the middle or at the end of a particular session, or if you're up/down/even; you just have to play each individual hand as best you can.

I get up and stretch my legs/back constantly (although only missing a hand when I take a pee break). I drink water the whole time, and have a meal or two at the table. I'm guessing that helps a bit.

FWIW: I think I play like on autopilot most of the time, but my game can be beaten handily on autopilot.

GautopilotG

Tricks to these old geezers playing long sessions are actually pretty simple:

1. Play nitty - simplest of all strategy

2. Don't do anything crazy - doesn't require additional brain power

3. Knowing that go home means dealing with old lady and doing things that are more mundane than here - motivation

I play 10 hours almost every session (i usually has 1 hour drive to the casino or home games i attend), getting used to it now. For me personally it works to be aware of hand selection to yourself the whole time.

If you can remind yourself about keeping focused and remember how important it is not to spew/play to many hands/force things, i find that huge for my game. As you say, its so damn easy to play good for a long time and be up a lot, and then getting tired/lose your patience and then tilt/spew off a good amount of money.

Sit back and relaxe, take a cup of cofee or tea- and just focus of maintain your concentration. Make sure you eat and dont sit there hungry, thats a disaster for your patience. I often talk to myself inside my head when sitting there folding garbage when i am carddead: "this is earning me money, this is one of my edges, being able to keep calm and fold hands other players would play- and dont spew after playing for 8 hours."

I don't really have any tips. I'm sure I am not as fresh in hour 9 as I am when I sit down but I have always had an ability to do things pretty well in long stretches. I do get up every 90 mins or so and walk a bit. i also leave to get dinner even though they would deliver to the table just to get a little walk and clear my head.

But I might just be lucky that I can play long sessions. When I was playing golf competitively and had to walk and carry 36 in a day I almost always shot lower scores in the afternoon round. I also have to work marathon sessions as I approach filing deadline (mostly April 15) and have always been able to get **** done late at night even though I am tired.

I put a list of reminders on my phone and it just takes practice

This quote triggered an immediate nap.

Where can I find you at this hour? Also, if I may suggest something im a huge proponent of for long, brain-strenuous activity are B-vitamins, Alpha Brain, Rhodiola Rosea, and Omega3/fish oil. They promote mental focus, stamina and energy. Alpha Brain is a Nootropic sold by Onnit.com read more about it there... the vitamins/oil I use every morning and then in the afternoon or early evening before a session. My daily routine for the past year has been: up at 645 (vitamins then foo), work till 4, home for 15 minute nap + b-vitas/alpha brain + food, then poker till 1-2am with rhodiola around 9pm. As of next friday, im done working and will be playing poker full time

Hope this helps.
Jake

My advice would be to NOT put in long sessions. Most people play better when they play shorter sessions and take breaks. Most players would probably play MUCH better and make a lot more money on average playing 4 hours taking an hour break and playing another 4 hour session versus 9 hours straight.

This is good advice, too, and has been proven time and again. However, if youre in a mega juicy game, it may not be in your best interest to leave just yet. First off, if youre tired and playing, youre technically practicing your B or C-game, which will help your tilt and create more opportunities if u find yourself in a juicy game at a late hour by maintaining a high level of play.

This is really good advice. I usually play twice a week...one shorter 2-4 hour session during the week at a home game, then a longer ~8hr session on the weekends at the casino. At those longer sessions I've gotten into a bad habit lately of eating my comp meal at the table, when I used to get up and go to another restaurant in the Casino to relax and actually enjoy my meal. It's only a 30 minute break, but it makes a big difference in the later hours of my play. I need to re-commit to taking that break at the 4-hour mark.

Interesting post

I have found that players tend to play longer when they're stuck. Good for you guys who can play longer sessions and play well even when way ahead.

According to bip!'s PGC thread, we should be hit-n-run'ing...

As long as there are enough tables. It has some merit but it is time consuming live. Could be convinced otherwise.

Lol :P

... $100k roll guaranteed If you sign up for my 30 week course, we teach you all the essential forms of "running":
- hit n running
- sun running
- running for stall 4 when you forget what happened the last time you ordered that...

Good start to 2014:

4 sessions: +300, +265, +735, +60 at 1/2 NL. total: 18 hours, 35 minutes.

I'm a weekend rec player with a full time job. My home casino has 1-2 tables running most nights, and it is a laughably easy game right now. I've been 3-bet preflop zero (0) times in 18 hours of play. Zero. My "rungood" has consisted of nobody making any hands against me. I think I've been to showdown less than 10 times in 18 hours. I've made 1 set and 1 flush in that time. Both went to showdown for a big pot, so I was lucky in that sense. It's been a stress free 4 sessions, where the most I've been stuck at any time is about $80.


Hope I can keep it up!

my longest session is also my worst at 18 hours. I tend not to want to get up when Im playing ****ty/running ****ty. nothing like spending 18 hours straight with your ass glued to a table only to drive home broke and cracked out on diet cokes.

People usually stay longer to chase after losses.

I am pretty certain that I only stay beyond 6 - 8 hours because I am stuck 2 BI+.

So my number for 8 - 20 hour sessions are always in the negative not because staying that long causes me to lose money, but rather that I am staying that long because I am already losing money.

Can't believe how much discussion this generated but this is a great idea.

I currently do what Gilmore suggested but having like a solid list as a reminder + pep talk to self is a great idea.

Im pretty sure for everyone else its just compounded. you stay longer because you are losing. because you are their longer you are more tired and less likely to make great decisions and therefore more likely to lose more.

I do this too and just review it on every break or every time I'm going into autopilot. I also keep my short term and long term goals at the top of the note page. And then pep talk type stuff as I scroll down. Its helped me a lot to stay focused and not spew.

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