Coming off the Main Event, I have been amazed and honored by how interested people have been in my run that culminated in a 270th place finish. In a previous article, I detailed how each day went, mentioning key hands, some that went my way and I played well and a few I wish I could have back. Outside of hand details, one of the most common and somewhat surprising questions has been what I did to get ready for and wind down from the tournament.

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The Main Event is 10 hours of play each day split into five separate two-hour levels with a 20-minute break between each level and a 90-minute dinner break. Usually, the Noon start is a little late and a couple of the breaks are extended for various reasons, making most of the days a solid 13 hours or more, finishing after 1:00am. Once you get through Day 1, there are no more off-days and, after finishing late at night, you have to immediately start preparing for the next day’s Noon restart.

From the very first major tournament I played, I have always made it a point to do some sort of workout before the event to get my blood flowing. Usually, a run does the trick, but for this particular trip, I was staying at the Rio and had access to the casino’s very nice facilities, so I got into a routine that I really liked. Before heading out to Vegas for the Main Event, I had gotten back into running and was getting in a three-mile run every other day. I decided to keep that up, but with the heat and being right in the middle of a bunch of busy roads, an outdoor run didn’t seem wise.

To make sure I was getting at least a little sunshine and help loosen up my back, I decided to start my morning by swimming laps at the outdoor pools at the Rio and then spend a little time reading to clear my mind while drying off in the sun before heading into the workout room. After knocking out a three-mile run on the treadmill, the spa attached to the workout area had a steam room that I would hop in for a few minutes to relax. After the swim, run, and steam room, I was ready for a shower and a bite to eat.

After picking up some light fare, I would head back to the room and eat while researching my table to get an idea of my opponents’ comfort level and background. Just as importantly, I want to get a strong grasp of the stack sizes to start the day and contemplate the different implications of each stack and how things might progress. After that, it was time to head to the tournament area and get going for another long day of poker.

Breaks were nothing special: head to a bathroom as far away as possible to avoid the crowds, stretch my legs, and maybe grab a banana if I were hungry. Since I was staying at the Rio, it was easy for me to grab a sandwich and take it back to my room to decompress on dinner break.

The end of the night was really simple: finish playing, bag up chips, walk back to the room, and get to sleep as soon as possible so I could start the routine all over again around 8:30 the next morning.

Each person should figure out what works for him, but I can’t imagine that rolling out of bed at the last minute and rushing down to the tournament area is a good start to the day. For me, getting a workout in and clearing my mind really helped me play well from the very first hand of the day and kept me feeling strong and ready to go throughout the long and mentally grueling days.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.

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