How to Stay Alert at the Table When You're not Getting Hands (Live Poker) - Psychology in Poker and Gambling

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How to Stay Alert at the Table When You're not Getting Hands (Live Poker)

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01-26-2019 , 11:00 PM

Aulm

centurion

Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 161

So I'm playing a bit of live poker recently, and I am wondering how to stay focused at the table when not getting any hands for ages. I find myself day dreaming, and thinking about past hands a lot.

Any tips that you guys use?

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01-27-2019 , 03:27 AM

+EVillain

grinder

Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 569

IME having conversations gives you something to fixate on, and also understand ur opponents a little better

at a silent table IME its best to watch the table dynamic, try to understand the opponents, then kick back and relax otherwise you get burnt out trying to watch the game for 5+hrs

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01-27-2019 , 11:46 PM

0NoobiePoker0

veteran

Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 2,313

There's a ton of things to constantly do at a live table, whether you're getting hands or not. Watch the action, figure out the size of the pot, watch betting patterns, amounts, tendencies, watch the hands at showdown to put the betting stories together, learn who's a nit, a rock, a LAG, a fish, listen to what people are saying, watch people's faces, hand gestures, the way the handle their chips, etc. etc. etc. etc. It's a war of information and people at small stakes live tables are leaking information like crazy. Learn that information and use it against them to take their money.

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01-28-2019 , 09:08 AM

Chiggs

old hand

Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,698

The above two posts are very good suggestions.

The only thing I can add is to consider practicing formal meditation to gain a experiential understanding of the importance of being alert to the present moment. It can help to form habits that are supremely beneficial for playing poker.

Open Awareness Meditation is a great choice for live poker players.

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01-28-2019 , 11:10 PM

Hal N.

self-banned

Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 174

Try to treat poker as a recreational activity. If you’re not having fun with the people you’re playing with, leave.

1) Travel to play elsewhere.
2) Find something poker related that you could make money from (eg coaching, writing).
3) Work on finding that first love you had for the game.

Make sure you’re working hard at something in life as well. I mean, think about the hardest, most productive years you’ve ever had...put yourself there right now. After a long, exhausting series of efforts wouldn’t it be nice just to sit down and play a simple game of poker?

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03-22-2019 , 07:27 PM

salom16

enthusiast

Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 55

you g4et a hand every time u are dealt =}

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03-23-2019 , 10:28 AM

iamallin

journeyman

Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 363

Ask yourself which hands you would have played as you fold your hand.

Continue that exercise for postflop as well.

As you see someone bet,put yourself in the action and ask what you would bet with and how you would respond if someone bet into into you.

Be part of the game without being in the hand.

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04-16-2019 , 11:24 PM

Open Limp

centurion

Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 151

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiggs

It's hard to explain how beneficial meditation is to my poker game. I was skeptical at first but luckily I gave it a try. I committed to one week at first.... So far meditation and yoga has been a game changer. Focusing at the table has become easier and now I am also more chatty and friendly at the table.

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