How Professionals Stay Disciplined at the Poker Table
If you’ve ever played poker in a casino, you know how difficult it can be to remain focused for the duration of a tournament—especially during those tournaments that span multiple days.
Professionals use several different tactics to remain disciplined while playing, from eliminating distractions to well-practiced routines. Read on to learn all about how poker professionals remain disciplined while gambling.
1. Start Small
Gaining discipline is a process, and many poker players get discouraged when they rush to make a bunch of changes in a short period of time. Even though we recommend trying every tip on this list, take the time to only implement one tip at a time.
Pick the discipline tip that is easiest for you to master first, and focus on it for several poker sessions. Once you have mastered it, then add a second tip. This will keep you from becoming overwhelmed and ensure you get the most out of each one of these.
2. Discover How to Stay Present
Studies have shown that most poker players, at some point, lose their focus. It is when this happens, that they make mistakes—whether it is folding when they should have played, or playing when they should have folded.
Pros recommend talking if the others at the table want to talk. If you find yourself at a silent table, then consider listening to music or a podcast to keep you mentally alert and aware of what is going on at the table. This is the best way to spot poker tells. Also, make sure you wear comfortable clothing that won’t be a distraction.
3. Take Breaks
Though it may sound counterintuitive, many professional poker players recommend taking frequent breaks. They note that when they are losing several hands in a row, that playing on can lead them to make stupid mistakes. Instead, they excuse themselves for a bathroom or smoke break, and some just take a loop around the casino to stretch their legs—whatever they are allowed to do.
4. Invest in a Supplement Regime
No, we don’t recommend going to a vitamin store and buying one of everything. That being said, there are certain vitamins or beverages that poker players swear ups their discipline.
One we came across over and over was green tea—which makes sense as it contains both caffeine and antioxidants—ingredients which can promote a clear mind. Caffeine isn’t ideal for everyone, though, and other players focus instead on avoiding caffeine and taking a vitamin B pill.
Vitamin B has been shown to increase mental clarity and reduce stress, two things that will help with poker. But again, every body is different, and you should try a few different supplements to find what works best for you. Just ensure you try each one for at least 3 weeks to gain the full benefits.
There are also some individuals who swear that marijuana and THC products help them focus. While we don’t doubt this is the case, this is definitely not a product that works for everyone, as it can also make you sleepy. Definitely try the products at home first before heading to the table to see which is the case for you.
5. Live a Healthy Lifestyle Outside of Poker
It can be difficult to remain calm and focused at the table if your life outside of poker is a mess. In fact, most professionals emphasize that they invest a lot of time and energy into living healthily.
What does this mean?
Again, it is different for everyone, but most take the time to consume a balanced and healthy diet, and to ensure they sleep 8 hours a night. Others abstain from alcohol, video games, social media, and even porn—anything to keep their mind from racing. All of these activities cause your body to release dopamine, something which you should be getting from the poker table, but if your mind is releasing too much ahead of or after the game, this can lead you to becoming bored quickly.
6. Practice Daily
No, we aren’t suggesting that you play poker at the casino every day, but, if you want this to become a career, you need to treat it like one. That means that every day when you aren’t playing at the casino, you practice at home.
Note that practicing doesn’t have to be playing poker with friends or a computer, it can be as simple as watching some livestreams or visiting poker forums to study your craft. If you get your brain used to consuming poker content daily, then it won’t be such a shock when you need to block out the outside world for several hours of gameplay when you’re at the table.
7. Hire a Coach
You’ll notice that this is item 7 on our list, meaning it should not be the first thing you try. However, if you have tried everything else on this list, and still can’t seem to focus at the table, then it might be time to hire outside help.
A poker coach can do what an online article can’t—watch you play and critique how and what you are doing. Ensure you take the time to hire a good coach, though—preferably one who is recommended by friends or players that you admire. Just don’t be shocked when a poker coach also demands you to change your eating habits and sleep schedule, though—which is why we put that item first on the list!
8. Speak to a Doctor
If you have done everything on this list and still can’t seem to stay disciplined at the table, then there is likely something else at play. It could be ADHD, or autism spectrum disorder, either way, it’s time to talk to a doctor.
If you hired a poker coach of any repute in step 7, then they have likely already suggested this, as they too would have noticed the signs. Regardless, take the time to set up an appointment with a healthcare provider.
It’s important to note that this step is not quick and that it might take months to get a proper diagnosis. Again, if you have made it this far, then you don’t have many other options, so it might be time to throw in the towel(at least temporarily)—if you know what we mean.
