hand long can I last in a live game?

gamblore99 · #1 04-13-2005, 03:39 PM

For the first month and a half of summer I plan on going to rama about once a week. My friend has a cottage there, and I may try to stay at his place when he is up there, but for the most part this won't be an option. With the bus there and back from Toronto, it takes about 3 hours each way which is to long but I will still probably take it. Because of the long commute I will want to play as long a session as possible. The longest I have played live is about 9 hours. Healthy 20 year old college kid, I will use some coffee/energy drinks if I have too.

How long do you guys think I can last at the table and still be half decent? Assuming I am decent.

Pocket Trips · #2 04-13-2005, 03:49 PM

I am in the same boat as you. I am about 2.5-3 hours from AC and whenever I am down there i usually end up playing wayyyyyy to long and give back whatever winings i made in the 1st half of my session. Learn from my mistakes, play for no longer than 8-10 hours or so then go get a room and come back. The money you spend on a room will be a small loss compared to what you will give back playing too long a session.

PT

gamblore99 · #3 04-13-2005, 04:41 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I am in the same boat as you. I am about 2.5-3 hours from AC and whenever I am down there i usually end up playing wayyyyyy to long and give back whatever winings i made in the 1st half of my session. Learn from my mistakes, play for no longer than 8-10 hours or so then go get a room and come back. The money you spend on a room will be a small loss compared to what you will give back playing too long a session.

PT

[/ QUOTE ]

That seems very short. At the end of 8 hours I am still usually feeling aware, and that is without coffee. How long was waaaaaaaaaaay to long for you?

Pocket Trips · #4 04-13-2005, 04:45 PM

my longest session is about 38 hours... but my longest WINNING seession is only about 10.

It is hard to tell anyone how long is too long a session as it is extremely dependant on many varibles. I would say that once you start doing things like having to be told you are one of the blinds or not realizing there are 3 people in a hand on the turn not 2.. then it is DEFINATELY time for a break no matter how good you think the game is.

When you start making mistakes like this you are missing TONS of information you usually pick up when your mind is fresh and the worst part is you don't even realize you are missing it. No one taps you on the back to say " how come you didn't notice the person to your left was picking up enough chips to raise before you limped in with your marginal hand?" It is little things like this that start to slip by you as you get tired. These little things add up very quickly and can easily turn a game you can normally beat into one you cannot.

beta1607 · #5 04-13-2005, 04:46 PM

Hotel rooms very +EV. There was a great thread about how long players can last in the theory section a while ago I think, try searching for that.

Edge34 · #6 04-13-2005, 04:46 PM

Longest session I ever played (and I'm 20 too - 21 in June) was a 13 or 14-hour session. I didn't feel physically drained at all the whole time, and really just made sure I ate semi-decent food and drank plenty of water, since I hate plain coffee. Turned out to be a good session, booked about a $1k win at 15/30...and all the fatigue hit me as soon as I left the casino...

Physically, I don't see why you couldn't go 12, 13 hours at the table. Would I really recommend it without knowing you? Can't say I would - 9 hours is about as long as I've played since then.

willie · #7 04-13-2005, 04:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]

How long do you guys think I can last at the table and still be half decent? Assuming I am decent.

[/ QUOTE ]

i've done 20ish, but it's not recommended.

and this was with redbull, and coffee galore- and i was pretty shot by the end.

gamblore99 · #8 04-13-2005, 05:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
my longest session is about 38 hours... but my longest WINNING seession is only about 10.

It is hard to tell anyone how long is too long a session as it is extremely dependant on many varibles. I would say that once you start doing things like having to be told you are one of the blinds or not realizing there are 3 people in a hand on the turn not 2.. then it is DEFINATELY time for a break no matter how good you think the game is.

When you start making mistakes like this you are missing TONS of information you usually pick up when your mind is fresh and the worst part is you don't even realize you are missing it. No one taps you on the back to say " how come you didn't notice the person to your left was picking up enough chips to raise before you limped in with your marginal hand?" It is little things like this that start to slip by you as you get tired. These little things add up very quickly and can easily turn a game you can normally beat into one you cannot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I expect my game to go downhill after 14 hours or so, but I still expect my game to be profitable. I am actually very suprised by how conservative you guys are in your hours. Remember we are not talking about top play, I just have play semi-decently.

scrub · #9 04-13-2005, 05:08 PM

In my earliest and dumbest days of playing poker, I played a 24 hour 3/6 session at Mohegan Sun.

I don't recommend it.

These days I don't play longer than 8 hours at a stretch and it's usually shorter than that.

scrub

Pocket Trips · #10 04-13-2005, 05:22 PM

The hardest thing for people to realize (myself included) is that the game will still be there after you get some rest. As I have stated in previous posts about my recent sessions I still struggle with playing too long just because i only get to play about once every 2 or 3 weeks but i at least realize the mistake I am making by playing too long, now I just have to actually follow through on my own damn advice. I am just trying to warn you that you will find the same thing out the hard way on your own if you start to put in 20 hour sessions on a regular basis. It is definately -EV. Take my advice and get a hotel room once you start to feel tired. you will be very glad you did.

For my next AC trip I am going to try something a bit diffeent and not rush down there right after work on Friday night. I will go home and take a nap until about 11 pm then go down to AC rested and take advantage of the drunks playing all night long when i get down there about 2 am. Play till no later than noon then go get some sleep and play when i wake up early saturday evening. Hopefully this will keep me from playing too long