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Listening to Music When Playing Live

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08-31-2018 , 05:19 PM

0NoobiePoker0

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Do you listen to music when playing live poker? If so, do you use earbuds or headphones? What type of music do you find helps you stay concentrated and focused on the game??

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09-02-2018 , 02:29 PM

pocketshades

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Earbuds, EDM.

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09-03-2018 , 09:47 AM

DalTXColtsFan

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Are there really people who truly play BETTER if they listen to music while they play? Not trying to be a smartass, just genuinely curious.

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09-03-2018 , 11:25 AM

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by DalTXColtsFan

Are there really people who truly play BETTER if they listen to music while they play? Not trying to be a smartass, just genuinely curious.

Certainly part of the point of this post. Does music help keep people calmer and more focused while playing, and if so what kinds? Some of your favorite music may actually distract because it's pulling your attention to the music and away from the action, or listening to music too loudly could allow you to miss things being said.

If you can find music that helps you stay more focused, relaxed and under control than your opponents throughout your sessions, as Tommy Angelo would say, that's reciprocal gold.

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09-05-2018 , 02:59 PM

antialias

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Some of your favorite music may actually distract because it's pulling your attention to the music

Maybe that can be utilized if you feel like you're on tilt? To get you off the negative thoughts (which would be even more of a distraction, I guess. So you're just choosing the lesser evil)

But from a brain perspective: Any kind of stimulus that is not poker-decision-related will not make you better at making poker decisions.

There's a reason why pro athletes concentrate on what they're trying to do before competition starts rather than pop in headphones or smoke weed.

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09-05-2018 , 05:03 PM

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by antialias

But from a brain perspective: Any kind of stimulus that is not poker-decision-related will not make you better at making poker decisions.

So music can't help you stay more focused, more aware, more calm, and therefore help you play your A game?

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09-05-2018 , 05:06 PM

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by antialias

There's a reason why pro athletes concentrate on what they're trying to do before competition starts rather than pop in headphones or smoke weed.

Yeah it's pretty rare to see athletes warming up with headphones or ear buds in listening to music.

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09-05-2018 , 06:28 PM

antialias

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So music can't help you stay more focused, more aware, more calm, and therefore help you play your A game?

Maybe more calm if one has issues with that by detracting from the negative feelings.
If you have a problem with your calm you're far away from playing an A game in any case.

But that's the point: it's a distraction. So I doubt it helps in terms of focus and awareness. I can't really see how one could argue this from a physiological point of view.
At least wrt driving there are any number of studies that show listening to music while driving impairs concentration. So why should this help concentration while playing poker?

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09-05-2018 , 07:18 PM

0NoobiePoker0

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Cool, I'd love to read those studies if you could pull them up.

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09-05-2018 , 08:19 PM

#10

0NoobiePoker0

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Interesting article on the subject: https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...ou-concentrate

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09-05-2018 , 09:36 PM

#11

WorldzMine

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Quote:

Originally Posted by antialias

But from a brain perspective: Any kind of stimulus that is not poker-decision-related will not make you better at making poker decisions.

This isn't true. It becomes almost like background noise for me to block every else out in the world except what I'm concentrating on which is the poker tables. This is from an online perspective; I've never listened to music the few times I played live but I think I will in the future with earbuds. Only in one ear though so that I could also track the table talk for live tells.

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09-05-2018 , 09:43 PM

#12

WorldzMine

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Originally Posted by 0NoobiePoker0

Interesting article on the subject: https://www.theguardian.com/educatio...ou-concentrate

Great article, thanks! It explicitly laid out what I intuitively knew to be true. re:my above post, which was before I saw and read that.

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09-05-2018 , 10:34 PM

#13

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by WorldzMine

Great article, thanks! It explicitly laid out what I intuitively knew to be true. re:my above post, which was before I saw and read that.

Yep, you're welcome, the power of music in our lives is pretty amazing!! Then you also have music out there specifically designed to help concentration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh-dcCeR-r4

Interesting stuff!!

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09-06-2018 , 09:51 AM

#14

antialias

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It becomes almost like background noise for me to block every else out in the world except what I'm concentrating on which is the poker tables.

Read what you just wrote

You are distracted so you use another distraction that cancels the greater distraction.
So it might help - but it's still a distraction. (It's a bit like getting off heroin by doing cocaine instead). So it doens't really enhance your abilities but simply lessens your problems.

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I think I will in the future with earbuds. Only in one ear though so that I could also track the table talk for live tells.

I use earplugs for one purpose only. If someone starts speech-play at the table in a hand I'm in I put the earbuds in and demonstratively lay the unplugged other end on the table.

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09-08-2018 , 09:08 AM

#15

0NoobiePoker0

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Getting off heroin by doing cocaine?? This is a thread about listening to music while playing poker. haha If it doesn't help you then that's fine, but no need to come down on others that do find help in listening, and no need to compare it to such a serious issue as substance abuse.

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09-11-2018 , 04:18 PM

#16

FreshmanCasual

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Brain.FM

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09-11-2018 , 05:32 PM

#17

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by FreshmanCasual

Brain.FM

Cool station. Have you streamed their music while you've played? If so, what are your thoughts and experiences??

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09-17-2018 , 03:30 PM

#18

FreshmanCasual

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Originally Posted by 0NoobiePoker0

Cool station. Have you streamed their music while you've played? If so, what are your thoughts and experiences??

I have...when I sit down at a higher-stakes game, I'll listen to focus--I find it keeps me locked-in while playing. If I take a bad beat, and feel at risk of tilting, I'll listen to relax. Would definitely recommend.

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09-17-2018 , 05:36 PM

#19

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by FreshmanCasual

Very cool, thanks for the recommendation and feedback, much appreciated!!

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09-17-2018 , 08:04 PM

#20

TrueBlue420

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for people with ADHD, I recommend the genre "psytrance" for focus.

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09-23-2018 , 07:37 AM

#21

tmo1120

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Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 1,027

I made the shift to listening to music when I play a few years ago and I love it, I listen to parvo stelar, beats antique, Russian circles, caravan palace, emancipator,

basically **** with no lyrics lol just peaceful tunes that help put you in a serene state of mind. sometimes ill lower my music to talk to people but its nice having the option to tune them out when I want to

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09-23-2018 , 10:23 PM

#22

0NoobiePoker0

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Originally Posted by tmo1120

Cool will look into those bands/groups, glad music helps you while playing, thanks for sharing!!

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