Mental and physical preparation for tournament poker

Poker Strategy / Marcus Bateman / 29 September 2010 / Leave a Comment

You simply cannot fight this factor, and it is one of the most scientifically established concepts in the study of effects on mental ability, be it in driving, games of skill, or even written tests.

One of the key hidden areas of EV in tournament poker is how well you are prepared for the game(s) when you sit down. Unlike cash games, where a bad day at the office can be stopped at any point, tournament poker can lock you in until the very end, and players suffering from physical or mental fatigue are at a huge handicap against those whose endurance ability is good.

This effect is exacerbated in tournament poker not only by being locked in until you bust or win, but also by the fact that the hardest and most important decisions in tournament poker nearly all come at the tail end of the event. As a result, the player best able to maintain concentration and courage for the longest period actually has a huge edge over tired opponents, and some of the biggest mistakes you see at final tables have fatigue as one of the major factors behind such errors. You simply cannot fight this factor, and it is one of the most scientifically established concepts in the study of effects on mental ability, be it in driving, games of skill, or even written tests.

So what are the best ways to go about overcoming fatigue at the poker table? The first, and perhaps most important is an adequate sleep schedule. There is no real substitute for good rest, and big nights out or just a few hasty hours of sleep before big tournaments will usually put you at quite a severe handicap long before the game even starts.

The second, and also one of the most important factors is exercise. Physical fitness and well being has long been shown to drastically aid mental concentration, and it is no coincidence that some of the best tournament players in the world right now are extremely physically fit. You don't have to start trying to run a four minute mile, but having a decent work out routine will really help your endurance at the tables.

The final aspect which can really help is diet. We all know that certain food groups tend to fill us quickly and leave us hungry shortly after, and that hunger is often linked to irritability, stress, and a lack of ability to concentrate. When preparing for long days at the table having a good diet composed of carbohydrate and protein with little fat can provide an extra edge - the slow burn of these food groups allow you to feel full and good for as long as possible in between breaks.

You don't have to suddenly develop the routine of an Olympic athlete if preparing for a big tournament, but just small changes in these areas can actually have a huge effect on your mental well being over long days and nights of poker - something that will often make a large scale difference to your results if you can keep your brain working at a high level that little bit longer than your opponent's.

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