Poker Articles

One of the early tips I received from a top online pro was to go on to PocketFives.com and spend some time studying the top 200 or 300 players.  It's important to get to know the names of the best players on all the sites; do your due diligence. If someone at your table is a profitable player, this is information you 1000% need to know!  After taking this advice and seeing the obvious benefits, I began to formulate my own list of to-dos to enhance both myself and my students' profitability and life.  Specifically, I recommend keeping a pen and paper close by while playing.  Although it may sound cliché, it is extremely important to remain "in the moment" and be focused.

The brain, like a computer, is set up to simultaneously perform many different tasks.  This is achieved through a prioritization of tasks while being fully aware of your objectives and goals. ¿Is it possible to play your best poker when you have to remember to call your mom or pay your rent?  Make a to-do-list to clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts.  This will help you avoid mixing your poker game and personal affairs.

Our thoughts and patterns can easily be altered by both our surroundings and subconscious feelings.  Let me give you some examples: imagine you wake up every morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself, "Yes, of course I can win this tournament.  The other players have no chance against me.  I've worked my entire life to get to this point and have a clear advantage over the other players!"  Positive communication with yourself in this manner increases motivation, self esteem, and confidence.

Take the flip-side of that coin and imagine you find yourself thinking and feeling negative emotions throughout your session.  Someone check-raises you on the flop and you beat yourself up thinking, "I shouldn't have bet there, I knew he was going to do that."  Or imagine you get heads up in a tournament, but you begin telling yourself, "Uggh, I'm so bad at HU play, this is going to be impossible."  These statements will inevitably illicit negative feelings, lower your confidence, and inhibit your ability to play your best.  Long story short, you don't want to have negative, unnecessary thoughts in your head when you're committed to staying positive and playing poker most effectively.

Humans are creatures of habit…make sure you have the correct attitude and habits that will enable you to live life to your full potential.  Make a point to seek out healthy people and activities.  Take the proper steps towards improving your life and your poker game.  First things first; I recommend visiting a qualified nutritionist so you can plan what you are going to eat and drink and when you are going to do it throughout the day.  Aside from helping with recommendations regarding what to eat, most nutritionists can supply you with food supplements to increase your mental focus and overall health.  For those of you who don't eat a ton of green vegetables daily, don’t worry, there are an abundance of food supplements with asparagus, broccoli, and all types of other vegetables in them.    It’s important to do everything possible from the nutritional end to ensure optimal energy levels, endurance, and ultimately, profits.

Remember to keep everything in moderation; an imbalanced diet can affect your mood and cognitive functions.  Take vitamin B1 (thiamine) as an example: Your body uses thiamin to keep your brain and nervous system properly regulated.  Your brain runs on glucose; thiamine aids the brain and nervous system in absorbing the proper amount of glucose.  Your brain and nervous system will get about half the glucose it needs without thiamine.  The wrong amounts of thiamine can lead to depression, forgetfulness, fatigue, and apathy.   Current science suggests that other substances such as neurotoxins/excitotoxins (like artificial flavors and colors, MSG, etc) lead to impulsivity.  Uncontrollably reaching for that bag of potato chips?...or calling off your stack of chips?  Please don't take my word for it, do your own research.

For any serious poker player, it's easy to see that failing to avoid these dietary shortcomings can be detrimental in many ways. As a poker player you must be keen on staying positive, energized, focused, and prudently patient at all times.  Impulsive and emotional decisions are rarely ever positive EV.  Everyone has heard the example of drinking colas or energy drinks; after the quick elevated mood and energy surge,  a downward plummet is sure to follow.  Don't let your nutrition take control of your emotions and well-being; take control of your nutrition, take control of your life.  Understand that there is a mind-body connection that ultimately carries over to your poker game.  The sooner you start taking care of your body, the sooner improvements to your mental abilities can be expected.  Make a concerted effort to better your mind and body, keep the proper attitude, and make damn sure to live up to your full potential.

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The Maven owns and operates a training center alongside former #1 ranked online poker pro Ari Engel in Las Vegas.  Contact The Maven for details regarding intensive multi-table tournament training.  He is also looking for one or two apprentices.  You can contact The Maven by emailing trainwiththemaven@yahoo.com for more information.

Also Read: The Maven's PocketFives Blog

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