Does your diet affect your game?
 

Max Pescatori wrote in cardplayer that he won't eat any red meat before he plays. I just ate hella red meat, and I lost my concentration in the middle of a really good run of cards. It sucked, because I couldn't get my focus into the game, and I didn't want to give my opponents any edge over me, so I quit.

Does food have an affect on your game?

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

No, but water does. I used to not drink anything during games as I hate leaving the table, rushing to the johns and then rushing back to miss hands. But during a bout of the flu a few months ago, I was drinking 2 litre bottles of water every couple of hours and (to keep myself occupied) was playing online. And I found that my game really improved, even when I was playing without the flu - I was more aware of the other players and how they had played previous hands.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

So, if water is good for your game, does that mean coffee is bad for your game because coffee dehydrates you?

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Coffee is just bad for you period.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Your mental capacities depend on your nutrition. Your brain needs a certain amount of carbohydrates to work e.g. So a healthy diet can positively affect your concentration. Do a search for "brain food" and you'll find some material about that.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

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So, if water is good for your game, does that mean coffee is bad for your game because coffee dehydrates you?

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The following has no scientific backing:

Drinking lots of water keeps your brain and body more alert than not drinking water. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables has a similar effect. Consuming caffeinated beverages will not make you more or less alert; it will just keep you awake. If you are having trouble concentrating because you are tired, coffee will just keep you at the table longer, without actually improving your game. Eating large amounts of meat before a session is likely to make you tired, as your body's resources will be required to digest your food.

I used to avoid drinking lots of water during a session, for fear of missing hands. Remember that taking a 3-minute break every hour or so is probably more +EV than playing a couple hands in early position, especially if you are drinking enough water to keep you focussed.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I find myself losing focus when I'm playing online. There were many times when I've actually fell asleep while playing. I know it has a lot to do with being out of shape and diet.

Sometimes I eat a lot of junk food and pop while I'm playing but now I'm eating more fruit cups and just fruits in general. I find this helps a lot.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

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now I'm eating more fruit cups and just fruits in general. I find this helps a lot.

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By what percent do you estimate fruit will increase my pimpin'? Fruit rules. I'm going to ask my Botany teacher about this. She knows a lot about food, and a little bit about pimpin'.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

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now I'm eating more fruit cups and just fruits in general. I find this helps a lot.

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By what percent do you estimate fruit will increase my pimpin'? Fruit rules. I'm going to ask my Botany teacher about this. She knows a lot about food, and a little bit about pimpin'.

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I would estimate 2%

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Fish and raisins are also great brain-foods.

I wouldn't worry about it if you're for the most part eating right.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I eat horribly. I'm really thin, because I don't eat much, and when I do eat, its almost never healthy food. I also smoke cigarettes. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Thanks for the tip about raisins. As for fish, I guess I could eat some of those Sushi packs I bought at Trader Joe's.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Never really thought of this. Ill have to test it out.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

a healthy diet is how moneymaker and raymer won the wsop.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I eat lots of red meat all the time, even when I don't really want to. I believe my northern European/ Alcoholic family background points to a need for lots of red meat and the advanced fatty acids it contains.

I've had some mild-moderate mental problems in the past, and I belive this has helped to keep me more stable.

John

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

You'll get a lot more quality fatty acids from eating oily fish (like Salmon or Mackrel) than you will from eating red meat.

Vegan diet adds 1.25BB/100 !!!
 

Just kidding...

Diet does affect EVERYTHING though. I was on a 6 week road trip several years back...we had been out west climbing and backpacking...eating mostly pasta, veggies, and peanut butter and jelly burritos. We stopped at a steakhouse in the middle of the trip(I LOVE steak)...well I felt SO sluggish and horrible after that meal - it took me two days to feel better, and that was only after about three weeks of not eating meat.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I'm looking for advanced w6 fats, not w3's.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

doesn't it fight cancer?

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Of course diet affects your game, though there's no particular reason why red meat should be a culprit. I'd be a lot more worried about stuff that causes an insulin spike.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Drinking a lot of water lets me play longer without headaches and with less getting tired. Apart from that I haven't tried many things. Sugar could help for a while, too, but when you really get tired, nothing really helps.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Water is good for your brain. Or so they say...

web page

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Ok well obviously through trying it red meat doesn't do your system well for poker. Try a salad before you play, with veggies and some meat. I always feel great after I eat a good salad.

Just a thought.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I've heard that drinking lots of water raises your IQ by like 10~. If I have a big test(I'm in college) coming up I drink a ton of water before it. You can feel yourself sink "into the zone", everything becomes so clear.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

A proper diet will improve energy levels, which of course is good for poker. I think that the whole 'drinking water' thing is just variance. Sniffing a lemon has actually been shown to greatly increase short term concentration levels.

One thing I love about being an online pro is that it affords me the time to work out each and every day....if you are also a pro, I'd encourage you to take advantage of this- You have more free time than 99% of the people out there, so you have no excuse for not making it to the gym.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Being an amateur bodybuilder, I have to carefully monitor what I eat.

I find music more distracting to me while playing though. I'm more relaxed, but generally play worse under the influence of music.

As far as diet-- I play great when I drink a protein shake and it's right after a really hard workout. Like 20 rep squats or something where you feel like puking but you're so insanely alert it's not even funny.

Protein shakes, nuts, and whole grains do it for me.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

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Sniffing a lemon has actually been shown to greatly increase short term concentration levels.



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Any idea if this is only lemons? If it were all citrus, it would be a plausible explanation of Johnny Chan's "lucky orange".

Yes.
 

I tend to carbo load or eat a lot a few hours before a play. If i am middle of tourney, i will snack more. This way you don't have too much food trying to be digested while you are trying to concentrate.

As for meat, meat actually helps you a lot. I would stay away from poultry cause the high tryptophan levels will make you sleepy. But a nice steak before you play is actually a very good idea.

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

Good post, although i find being in college and playing poker does not give me as much time to work out as i would like. As for me personally, i find after 2-3 alcoholic beverages, i am relaxed and fearless at the tables, after that i tend to play sub-optiamlly unless i really focus. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Does your diet affect your game?
 

I find that eating snacks with lots of sugar (like chocolate) hurts my game by making me more prone to mild tilt, like rushed thinking or over-aggression.

OPC