How do you stay focused?

[jmctriton]

Hi

One of my biggest problems when playing online is my lack of concentration and focus during the game. When I play live, I usually study the players or watch the game on the tv for a moment, but pretty much stick to the game at hand. When I play online I tend to drift off and get a little bored, esp. when im playing long, 600 person tournys.

So I guess what I'm asking is this: Do you have any tips or tricks about how you stay focused on the matter at hand. Of course if your playing 20/40 thats probably not an issue, but I mean for the lower limit games.

I would like to start moving up a little in limits but need to slam the door shut on this leak in my game before doing so. Any ideas?

Thanks
Jason

[Hung]

Take a pen and paper or use the notes on the site to study the players.
What hands do they play, from what position. Is he a slowplayer, or does he play straightforward. Talk to them and see how they react. Many things you could do.
find the fish at the table and wait your turn to win his money.
Don't watch pornsites. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[ramjam]

If you play more than one table simultaneously, you will find yourself devoting a higher proportion of brain power and time to the games.

[gavrilo]

I listen to music and browse the web. Sometimes talk to friends on AIM.

[Hung]

[ QUOTE ]
I listen to music and browse the web. Sometimes talk to friends on AIM.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you do this, you'll never stay focused on the game.

[RollaJ]

This is going to sound odd, but......

When I started playing online again in December I wanted to win as I was only depositing $50. I had played online a few years back (before I really knew how to play{as if I do now}) and my biggest problem was not taking it seriously. It didnt feel like real money. So I was determined!
When I played my first 1 table tourney I made some stupid play to go out 4th (bubble), and that pissed me off. The next time I did the same type of thing to go out 5th when I could have coasted to "in the money". From that point on for the next 3 weeks or so, when down to 5 players, I held my remote control from the TV in my right hand (the hand I use for my mouse) and that made me so much more aware of every play I was making, and i reconsidered whether it was the best play or not before clicking. It worked very well for me and have since learned to play right (99% of the time) sans remote /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[thomastem]

Bring a goat and various other barnyard animals. I have them so when I get bad beat or lose my conctepation they can go kick everyone's pututie.

[crockpot]

if i sit down at a ring game table because i notice the stats are good, my first goal is to find the two or three primary donators at the table by watching 15-20 hands and seeing who's literally giving it away. then i add the guys to my buddy list (an invaluable tool) to keep track of them, and make notes if anyone is particularly loose or aggressive.

during a long tourney, listen to whatever music tends to keep you more alert than usual. also, while AIM isn't the best keep-alert tool, it's much better to talk to a couple of people while playing than to surf the web. if you have friends who are watching your tourney table, they may even scout it out for you! ('wow, this guy called all in with that? what an idiot!')

[Hung]

[ QUOTE ]
I held my remote control from the TV in my right hand (the hand I use for my mouse) and that made me so much more aware of every play I was making, and i reconsidered whether it was the best play or not before clicking. It worked very well for me and have since learned to play right (99% of the time) sans remote /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL You're crazy.
But i'm gonna try it too. But it's unlikely that I'm gonna win more while holding my remote in my right hand and my goat (yes I also have a goat now)in my left hand.

[RollaJ]

You can hold whatever youd like, maybe even your snake (if you have one of those). Just something to stop me from playing hands I didnt have to

[Cubswin]

If i hold my 'snake' my concentration level normally decreases and i make rash decision.....espcially if i do it while surfing on 'other' website.

[tiltboy]

Here is one thing I do that may or may not help you. If I feel my concentration is slipping I take my hand OFF my mouse between EVERY play. Put it in your lap, pull your pud, whatever. One benefit is that it is difficult to do much else but play if your hand is off the mouse. However, I honestly believe, but unfortunately cannot document, that the most important benefit is extra time to think before I act I get by not being able to immediately click. I think this alone has saved me thousands of dollars.

One other possible benefit, although maybe hypothetical, is that doing this seems to even out the time I take to make a play which MAY hide a tell someone might have picked up related to how fast you react in certain situations. As I said, this last one is more or less a theory I'm working on and may be just a figment of my imagination.