Surviving The Long Haul

By Tony Guerrera

Poker strategy typically refers to the actual playing of hands. And though I’m here to contribute strategy-related content to Poker Tomorrow, I’m really about covering all the angles when it comes to winning as much money as possible at the tables.

In that spirit, my first-ever article for Poker Tomorrow isn’t about how to play in certain situations; instead, it’s about how we online players need to take care of our bodies and minds, so that they don’t prevent us from playing the most effective poker that we possibly can.

Stu Ungar is famous for saying that “At the table, your worst enemy is yourself.” Most would agree that, given his life, Stu is referring to giving in to life-draining vices. I’d like to extend this phrase to refer to players who don’t take care of themselves because the game is filled with players who overtax their bodies and minds.

Pitfalls and Solutions

Some people would like to classify poker as a sport, but I’m not one of them. However, if you’re not careful, online poker can take a toll on your body and your mind. And if you’re not completely fit mentally or physically, there’s no way you can survive very long as a successful online poker player. Below are some common pitfalls that online poker players stumble into, along with ways to prevent them.

You’re very thirsty and hungry, but there’s no way you can miss a single hand because you’ve found some tables that are much more profitable than usual

Playing poker for a living means taking advantage of table conditions that are better than usual. But what good is playing in juicy games if you’re out of commission from exhaustion for the next few days? If you’re thirsty, sit out an orbit and get a drink. If you’re hungry, sit out an orbit and get some healthy food. There’s no excuse for not having a properly stocked kitchen if you’re playing online poker seriously.

But guess what’s even better than having a well-stocked kitchen? Having a well-stocked desk! Before you start playing, make sure you have plenty of drinks and food by your side to last you through the session. Juices, fruit, vegetables, and all that sort of stuff are great options. (Be sure to have napkins handy, so you can clean up any unexpected messes). And go to the bathroom before you start playing, so that you’re not stuck having to go once you start playing. In other words: be prepared.

You sprint back and forth between your computer and the kitchen between hands to grab handfuls of cookies to curb your hunger during a session

This situation is marginally better than the last one, because at least now you’re getting food. However, sustaining off of cookies for several hours isn’t the healthiest of options. There’s nothing wrong with snacking, but snack foods aren’t to be used as meal replacements during heated online poker sessions. Again, be prepared, and have lots of healthy options immediately available to you while you’re playing.

After waking up, the first thing you do is turn your computer on to see what tournaments are starting soon. To your surprise, a really good tournament is starting in less than a minute, so you register immediately, and forego brushing your teeth, showering, and breakfast until after the tournament concludes

If you’re playing for a living, this is one of the biggest traps that you can fall into. This is also a deadly trap if you’re a tourney addict who works a regular job and wants to play some online poker on your day off. Delaying your wake up routine until after a tournament is not a good way to take care of yourself.

Fine, maybe you can do some quick things during the first break…but that’s an hour away. But also, once you start playing poker, it can be hard to stop. One tournament becomes two tournaments, and you also start playing some cash games. Next thing you know, it’s 4:00PM and you haven’t had anything to eat or drink all day except for possibly a glass of water.

As someone who’s both an online poker player and an obsessive workaholic, I can ensure you that turning your computer on before doing anything else is about the worst thing you can do. I’ve had many days where I’ve woken up and turned my computer on, intending only to respond to emails. The problem is that responding to emails turns into writing articles turns into coaching, and the next thing I know, I have a headache and feel like crap because I didn’t have breakfast or lunch.

Because of this, I no longer turn my computer on when I wake up. Do yourself a huge favor and follow my example. Brush your teeth, shave if you have to, take an invigorating shower, and eat a healthy breakfast. Start your day by taking care of yourself, and you’ll find yourself better able to make it through a poker day (week, month, year, etc.)

You have a headache from staring at your computer screen for several hours without having had taken any breaks

I played a lot of video games when I was young, and I always used to scoff at the warnings about taking breaks. Breaks…those are for the weak! Wrong. Our eyes need a rest. Personally, if I play for several hours without taking a break, my eyes will burn for a long time, and I need to take 1-2 days off. There’s no good in playing 8 straight hours one day if you’re in no condition to play the next 2 days. Instead of subjecting your eyes to marathons, break your sessions up. Play a few 1-2 hour sessions per day. If you play multitable tournaments, don’t multitable to the point where you can’t get up from your computer during the 5-minute breaks that typically take place every hour.

You normally 6-table shorthanded cash games, but as a “break,” you decide to grind two fullhanded games while watching a movie

If you’re going to take a break, make it an actual break. Dissociate yourself completely from poker. The more well-balanced your life is, the better your poker experience and results will be.

As a complete dissociating break from online poker, you play video games for several hours

Playing video games might be a great break for your mind; however, how are your eyes getting a rest? If you’re going to take a break from poker, do something that doesn’t involve you staring at a screen. Recently, I’ve found myself listening to TV rather than watching it…I just turn the TV on to an entertaining channel and close my eyes. Take a walk, go to the mall, vegetate on a hammock in your backyard…do whatever it takes.

And if you need to have more of a competitive outlet, consider board games with friends.

Oh, and did I mention exercise? If you workout to the point where you’re tired but not completely exhausted, you’ll reap long-term health benefits and a short-term state of mind that’s very relaxed and focused. I’ve done some of my most efficient thinking and playing after tough workouts that weren’t overly grueling.

You get highly emotional, and you can feel your heart race with every exposed card

Every time you have a response like this at the table, you’re putting your body through unnecessary stress. I’ve never really had problems with the emotional aspect of playing poker, but being a generally high-strung 27 year-old, I’m slowly learning the importance of sitting back and taking a deep breath once in awhile. Approach your poker like a zen-master…actively participate as a disinterested observer.

And remember that exercise I talked about above? If you find that you’re generally high-strung at the tables, you should really consider working out before you play.

Summing It All Up

Simply put, you can’t survive in online poker over the long haul if you don’t prioritize your physical and mental health. With proper nutrition, exercise, and rest will come great success and an enhanced enjoyment of the game. Take care of yourself first, and you’ll give your poker a chance to follow!

Tony Guerrera is the author of Killer Poker By The Numbers and co-author of Killer Poker Shorthanded (with John Vorhaus).