A question of endurance

Hey all, first time poster here, but i've been reading from the shadows for a couple months, a few avid months where i've done quite a bit of learning and playing of the game, as much as possible for someone not old enough to leagally bet or anything else... I love the game for the game, and luckily have also managed to do alright at it, i haven't been down in money since my 3rd week playing. I had some guys over to play tonight, and took second much to my disapproval. After much thought i figured out why though. I simply lost focus, and wore down. I run cross country on the 2nd ranked team in the state, so endurance is something i'm good at, but why couldn't i keep up at the table? whats the best way to improve this, any help suggestions or ideas very much appreciated, i don't have the schedule to simply play for hours online at end untill winter at least, would that be the best way to help endurance? again any help much appreciated.

Mental endurance is just as critical in poker as physical endurance. Just as I'm sure you have a prerace ritual to prepare to run. So should you have one for poker.

1. Get enough sleep the night before. (Remeber John Murphy at this years WSOP? Overslept.)

2. Make sure you eat. And make sure it's not foods that are heavy. You know the kinds, where after you eat you want to sleep.

3. Maintain the right state of mind. Poker has a lot of peaks and valleys. And if you're in the valley long enough, it'll start making you mentally fatigued. Keep your focus so that when it's time to take down a huge pot you're alert and oriented.

Other than that. I'm sure as an athlete you can think of other ways to get yourself psyched up for a session of poker.

Endurance is important in poker as it is running a marathon. But it is important in a different way. Poker can get boring and you will find yourself playing hands because you want to rather than because they are worthy of playing. It is thrilling at times. But you have to wait for the situation to come to you. Wait for the opportunity to bluff. Wait for the cards to come. You will be unsuccessful at poker if you say, "I will bluff this next hand"

Here is a better regime to get ready for poker:

1. Get a really boring job where you sit and stare at a computer all day or just waste time.

2. Stay there for 1 yr +

3. Learn how to be bored for hours on end.

Now you are ready to take on a full night of poker. I am lucky. My job is so boring that today I took the prongs off a plastic fork and taped them to my fingers to create "claws" I had fun and since my co-worker has REALLY long fingernails, I was able to kinda see what it is like to type and such with these freak-nails. (They are also really good for scratching you back)

Gee today was a boring day.

If you play tournaments make use of the breaks.... get up and move around, try to clear your head by focusing on something other than the computer screen. If you play online ring games and start to fade...sit out a hand or 3 and shake it off. If you play live games (and from your post I assume this is true) set up breaks after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, get up, jump around go look at scantily clad women, anything to shake off the haze and get the blood flowing again.


Lug

You might not be any more tired than any other times you played, sometimes the best person doesn't win. Do you seriously expect to win every time? This game isn't just skill, there is still an element of luck involved so you are going to finish worse than second, believe me.

and luckily have also managed to do alright at it

If it's lucky how can you expect to win every time?

thanks all, its helped already. Never really thought of preparing for a game the same as a race, though that makes sense. No i guess i wasn't terribly upset i took 2nd, and i could shrug it off to cards ect. The only thing is the trend i've noticed. In a 45 minute free bell at school we play and i win (most chips) almost too consistently, i can read, i know the odds, and generally as far as i know play pretty solid poker, but had noticed trends of what i described in games that last longer than 2 hours. It took me a while to recognise the problem but thats what i came up with, sorta more an idea than anything i noticed terribly wrong with my playing that caused the 2nd. Thanks again

Originally Posted by Humphrind

Here is a better regime to get ready for poker:

1. Get a really boring job where you sit and stare at a computer all day or just waste time.

2. Stay there for 1 yr +

3. Learn how to be bored for hours on end.

Now you are ready to take on a full night of poker. I am lucky. My job is so boring that today I took the prongs off a plastic fork and taped them to my fingers to create "claws" I had fun and since my co-worker has REALLY long fingernails, I was able to kinda see what it is like to type and such with these freak-nails. (They are also really good for scratching you back)

Gee today was a boring day.

lmao

Originally Posted by Humphrind

Endurance is important in poker as it is running a marathon. But it is important in a different way. Poker can get boring and you will find yourself playing hands because you want to rather than because they are worthy of playing. It is thrilling at times. But you have to wait for the situation to come to you. Wait for the opportunity to bluff. Wait for the cards to come. You will be unsuccessful at poker if you say, "I will bluff this next hand"

Here is a better regime to get ready for poker:

1. Get a really boring job where you sit and stare at a computer all day or just waste time.

2. Stay there for 1 yr +

3. Learn how to be bored for hours on end.

Now you are ready to take on a full night of poker. I am lucky. My job is so boring that today I took the prongs off a plastic fork and taped them to my fingers to create "claws" I had fun and since my co-worker has REALLY long fingernails, I was able to kinda see what it is like to type and such with these freak-nails. (They are also really good for scratching you back)

Gee today was a boring day.

Humphrind was probably running around the office pretending he was Wolverine or something.

BESERKER BARRAGE!!!!!!!

My job is so boring that today I took the prongs off a plastic fork and taped them to my fingers to create "claws" I had fun and since my co-worker has REALLY long fingernails, I was able to kinda see what it is like to type and such with these freak-nails. (They are also really good for scratching you back)

funniest thing I've read in a long long time. Thanks for the laugh.