Losing Concentration

[Michael C.]

After playing my best game for most of the weekend, last night I felt rushed and irritated, and definitely made impatient plays I wouldn't have made under normal circumstances. I thought about it later and think that's one of the main things that separates a great player like Phil Ivy from a lot of players who for even 4-5 hours at a time can play very well. It's also an ocassional leak in my game I know I need to work on (I don't go on tilt since I've played SNG's, but I do sometimes play when I'm not really into it). I don't really know if there's an answer here other than to concentrate more, but I'm just wondering if any of you who constantly multi-table for hours on ends have any tricks to keep your mind in the game, and quickly recognize when it isn't.

[ThorGoT]

Excellent question. I don't know the answer. One question to ask, perhaps, is why are you playing -- at that moment in time? I wonder whether answers like boredom, trying to get even, feeling obligated to put in the hours, etc., are clues that your session isn't going to go well. Put differently, if you only play when you really *want* to, I would imagine your results would improve. Perhaps this is part of the reason poker is said to be a great second job, but a piss poor first one -- because the grinder, to put in the hours required, can't (easily) choose not to play.

[Irieguy]

It's all about pacing your Heineken intake. This varies greatly between individuals, but personally I've found that one to start, and one per 8-table session keeps my concentration on even keel for up to 12 hours.

More than that and a little gamboool starts to creep into my game. Less than that and Delirium Tremens prevents reliable use of the mouse.

Again, this is one of those things that I normally wouldn't discuss on this forum because it is so valuable that I am probably making a huge mistake by giving this advice away for free.

Irieguy

[The Yugoslavian]

Whenever I see your picture I think of lighting up a big spliff -- is that your secret weapon if the Heinekens aren't doing it for ya? /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anyway, neither of those vices are as valuable as knowing the drugs Frozen takes to stay on an even keel. I didn't even know one could actually function well enough to play poker on the drugs he'd take, let alone slice and dice the 215s.

Speaking of which, where'd that guy go? He could be/was a wealth of SNG advice/opinion.

Yugoslav

[lacky]

rehab and or morgue I would guess

[lacky]

I try to only play when I've remembered to take my ADHD meds. Nope, not kidding.

[The Yugoslavian]

Allegedly that was what Frozen took all his crap for. He claimed no conventional meds would take the edge off to give him the patience for the 215s.

Ah well. He had some solid ideas/posts, so I hope he's comin' back (I hope even more that he's not in the morgue).

Yugoslav

[lorinda]

Ah well. He had some solid ideas/posts, so I hope he's comin' back (I hope even more that he's not in the morgue).

Just to second those remarks.

I wasn't in this forum much back when Frozen was posting, but his contributions to the zoo were also very valuable.

Lori

[lacky]

I agree, I learned as much from his hand histories as anywhere else, guy had some seriose issues though.

[gusly]

[ QUOTE ]
I try to only play when I've remembered to take my ADHD meds. Nope, not kidding.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure nobody thinks you're kidding. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[YourFoxyGrandma]

There's really nothing more you can do than realize you're slacking and either stop playing or make a conscious effort to stay focused.

[lacky]

First hand of the tourney.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Button (t800)
SB (t800)
BB (t800)
Hero (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t800)
CO (t800)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
Hero calls t15, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to t50</font>, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, Hero calls t35.

Flop: (t125) J/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets t75</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, MP2 calls t75.

Turn: (t425) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t600 (All-In)</font>, MP2 calls t600 (All-In).

River: (t1625) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t1625

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has Ah Kh (one pair, jacks).
MP2 has 5c Ac (two pair, jacks and fives).
Outcome: MP2 wins t1625. </font>

[TheWorks]

Coffee helps, music helps and winning money helps /images/graemlins/smile.gif

What i love doing and for some reason it improves my game is watch WSOP or the poker on fox while I play, it makes me play more serious

[ddubois]

So when you don't AHDH medication, you don't get in 3/4ths of your stack as a 2:1 favorite?

[Michael C.]

That's a great idea unless you're playing Party Poker on Virtual PC on a macintosh and even two-tabling sometimes slows things down. ;-)

[lacky]

I knew someone would say that. When I take my meds I don't try to win every hand. Yeah, sometimes my play is spot on. And you get lots of first playing that way, but your ITM goes down to 34 to 35%, so you need all those firsts to make any profit. Playing a controlled game makes far more profit wise. It's weird that a pill affects my play so much, but it does.

[El Maximo]

If you have problems focusing this concentration drill will help you improve. I try and do this drill daily.

http://www.ibogleif.dk/uk/Thetest-uk.html

[lacky]

nm

[Cheeseweasel]

nm

[TheWorks]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have problems focusing this concentration drill will help you improve. I try and do this drill daily.

http://www.ibogleif.dk/uk/Thetest-uk.html

[/ QUOTE ]

hah!