I really hope this is the correct forum for this, If not, sorry ahead of time.

How do you guys feel about smoking/Drinking while playing? For me personally I dont enjoy drinking all the much in general let alone when I need to use critical thinking like in poker.

Smoking tends to be hit or miss for me - I guess depending on the bud it can be very effective for me and helps me concentrate but other times it can cause my mind to run farther than forest Gump.

How about you guys? Whats your experience?

My lifelong losing streak is punctuated by the occasional winning streak. Those winning streaks don't come when I'm playing stoned. Poker requires my full concentration and I usually don't win when I am intoxicated.

Just love seeing other people drink at the table. Free money. (Noone plays better when tipsy).
Even considering whether it might be OK to drink while playing for money seems...weird.

As for smoking (weed). There's already a thread in the psychology section on that.

i almost always smoke before a big cashgame session...it really puts me in the zone right from the beginning.

I've heard smoking crack helps with long sessions.

I always like to start any session like any reasonable adult off with
"Two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.
Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.” ― Hunter S. Thompson

Some people on here all they like is Yayo Yayo all they know is Yayo, I say stop being perfect let the chips fall where they may . . . . . .

As a veteran Swiss weed smoker, i do roll and smoke a spliff every hour when i m grinding an mtt session. It helps me staying calm and quiet and prevent me from frustration tilt. I dont drink alcohol at all. Alcohol make you do stupid things. The effect is quite the opposite of mariejuana. Weed improves your security approach whereas alcohol acts like a desinibitor. However, i wouldnt recommend smoking weed neither. It is much better to focus through meditation or alternative knowledge rather than through something that destroys your lungs and brain cells. Eventhough I ve been smoking weed daily (actually only smoking night time, once every daily social responsability is dealts with) for more than 20 years and that didnt prevent me from being an accountant and right now getting a degree in economy and finance while working full time.

If you are playing for fun a few drinks makes it all the more fun, on the other hand if you play every night need to drink to be able to play then poker is definitely not a good idea.

Just my opinion.

Yep, that is called alcoholism. Not really +EV

Smoke ,caffeine and 2-3 painkillers pill is the most +EV way to grind

I used to smoke before every session - not something i should've got used to
Then i added some painkillers to put up 8h sessions.. And at some point, they didnt work that good so i just thought **** this and started playing only sober which is GTO!!!

The years have taught me playing drunk will lose you more than you'll ever win back.

Doubt smoking would have nearly as adverse an effect.

what happened?

hell, some people just don't do it. hell, that's them. I don't give a ****, I like weed. I smoke it, smoke it damn near every day

Smoking weed before playing is pretty dumb, save it for after you're done playing when you need to get some sleep but you're still wired from a long session.

I'll usually smoke a couple cigarettes during the session, especially on tournament breaks. Tobacco has a neutral or slightly short-term positive impact on your play IMO since nicotine has been proven to enhance memory recollection in the short-term.

I'm a fan of the tactical drink of alcohol under certain conditions. Namely, you have to be able to get the table to drink with you, or at least one player who you know will spew if they start drinking, and you have to be very good at handling your alcohol. I'm a tall 200lbs+ male so one drink doesn't really effect me much and I can pace in more drinks over the course of a session and stay at the same level. If that will get a few other players at the table to get hammered then it's a +EV move. You can also place the order with the cocktail waitress yourself for the table, especially if its a room with comped alcohol, and tell her to make your cocktail a virgin in a low voice or switch to virgins after you've had a couple hard ones when everyone else is still going hard.

My worst losing session in BBs was whilst I was absolutely loaded.

Don't drink & gamble

I play better

I encourage any body I am playing to drink as much as they can/want. IDK about smoke , maybe it varies a lot from person to person as to whether it helps or hinders your game. Likely advocates both pro and con have valid points.

The Hunter S Thompson quote isn't that far off from his actual daily routine....

http://mentalfloss.com/article/33487...-daily-routine

I recall reading about one world class player back in the day who would become an absolute beast after a couple drinks, and then spew everything away after a few more.

A couple drinks can take the edge off.

In college, and post college, we all drank a ton when we played. Of course, we we're playing limit (1980s), and a lot of really stupid games for small money.

One benefit is no one ever tanked for more than 10 seconds while making a decision!

Tactical drinking has its place, but its easy to get carried away.

bud before a session depends on the person. It makes it easier for me to focus and put in a long session, but my memory is way worse

I think OP should ask this from Sahamies.

Drinking beer slowly is pretty safe if all one needs is a B-game to beat the (slow live) game. I never drink myself too drunk anywhere. I can drink a beer (or other), or two and sometimes more. I drink so slowly (constantly or/and after a break) that my level of drunkenness stays reasonably low.

I can't manage to play under Melatonin (for sleeping), as a comparison, even when it doesn't affect my mind when I am not playing, but I make a note of it when I am playing, being pretty much the opposite of what is needed in poker.

The reasonably sedated state sets in all by itself in minutes when playing, no need to take anything for it, IMO.

I smoke weed before I do everything, mainly to calm anxiety and get more introspective. In poker it greatly helps my decision making go smoother and calmer. It also helps with my focus as I'm able to block out inane table chatter easier, and I don't notice the sounds of chip-riffling as much. I've smoked before every single session the past 3-4 years. It makes the general public and the annoying things poker players do, more tolerable.