How do you turn off the poker part of your brain to sleep!

Bigsmak · Jul 18, 2008

I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night after playing poker. I tend to go over the hands in my head, especially the ones where I lost bigtime. It causes me to have a sleepless night... The results of this are me beiong tired the next day and not on my game (which might cause me to lose more and have even more sleepless nights... help....

)

I need some advice to help me out.

Does anyone else have the same problem

Any tips to help me not think about poker after playing

This is because at the casino last night in a tournament I had AK, and the flop was A55 and I was raised into and I pushed all in against the big chip stack (I was in 2nd by less than 1000) and he called with AJ and hit his J.... God I couldn't sleep!

beardyian · Jul 18, 2008

Watch Porn

Seriously after a while unless you get a really bad beat in the last hand of the night you should be just able to think of it in the same way as 'what shall i do tomorrow' etc.

It is good sometimes to replay the odd hand in your head, could you play it differently etc but not enough to keep you awake.

If it is purely a loss on the river ie. a race, you should learn that in poker sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose.
Its a tough lesson to learn but as the cards will often turn against you on the river, it is one which we need to understand.

GL in poker and sleeping

zachvac · Jul 18, 2008

Well the poker part of my brain doesn't turn off when I sleep. I'll frequently dream about poker.

plainluck · Jul 18, 2008

Sounds like you're ruining your health over this and it's not worth it. Perhaps you should give up poker before it goes too far. I do know how a bad beat feels (I'm sure we all do), but we've also been on the winning side of one. Maybe tomorrow it will be you. Good luck.

beardyian · Jul 18, 2008

zachvac said:
Well the poker part of my brain doesn't turn off when I sleep. I'll frequently dream about poker.

Dreaming is ok as at least you're asleep then

BelgoSuisse · Jul 18, 2008

Bigsmak said:
Any tips to help me not think about poker after playing

Sex and/or alcohol should do the trick.

If neither is an available option, go out and run.

WVHillbilly · Jul 18, 2008

Simple. Just stop thinking about it.

After it happens a bad beat only exists in your mind, so if you stop thinking about it, it not longer exists.

Now go to sleep.

creatorofYUM · Jul 18, 2008

I think they have a word for this....ummmm...hmm...oh yeah, "Addiction." lol

mparker876 · Jul 18, 2008

zachvac said:
Well the poker part of my brain doesn't turn off when I sleep. I'll frequently dream about poker.

Yeah I get that too. I always seem to have various quads & get paid off in my dreams.

Makwa · Jul 18, 2008

Whatever you do, don't eat a bunch of pot cookies. Yikes! I always misread the flop in my dreams, too many colours...

Makwa · Jul 18, 2008

mparker876 said:
Yeah I get that too. I always seem to have various quads & get paid off in my dreams.

So YOU'RE that SOB from last night!!

Gesshoo · Jul 18, 2008

I stopped playing late at night. I found that even if I had done well - or sometimes especially if I had done well - my brain was so active from all the concentration that I couldn't switch off for an hour or more. OK at the weekends - but I can't do it and be fresh for work.

mparker876 · Jul 18, 2008

Makwa said:
So YOU'RE that SOB from last night!!

^^^LOL

SankTheTank · Jul 18, 2008

human nature... you cant stop thinking about something important that you failed at if you're just laying there staring at the ceiling. watch tv maybe?

nightmoves44 · Jul 18, 2008

play

The more ya play the easier it gets,I watch tv myself and dont pay any attention anymore.Only I might ponder awhile If i was playing bigg money,in the 200 and above payouts,specially if i buyin and get close...other than that,i dont think at all about it.I might think about when the next game is and keep in the back of my mind a few seconds.Ive been there tho..lol

Double-A · Jul 19, 2008

SLEEP...

Not to get all Zen Master but... Difficulty falling asleep can be attributable to a lack of balance between mental and physical excertion.

If you worked the brain for an extended period of time you made need some excercise to help you get to sleep. If you've been working out all day (jogging, hiking, swimming, whatever...) try reading before bed.

I don't know your schedule but maybe try working out before playing.

tinheads · Jul 19, 2008

Never had that problem, once i finish a tourny then its out of my head, i can recall most hands i've played for weeks but i never worry about them, once they're done then why bother.
If I had the best of it and got a bad beat then i know i played it right, if I had the worst of it and lost then learn from it, if I had the worst of it and won then thank my stars for a slice of luck and be more careful next time not to end up in that situation

PDMike425 · Jul 20, 2008

the key is to time your tournaments to last if you do well maybe 1 hr past ya bedtime. if you're doing well, it's ok to stay up, but anything causing you to finish more than an hour after you want to, just don't sign up.

martygokona · Jul 20, 2008

I think that many players recap the hands of the day. You might want to try a 5th of Grey Goose and a porno... I heard that works ok.

Aloha

wayschaff · Jul 20, 2008

chiquita said:
Unfortunately,the only thing I can say is "you'll get used to it."

i agree 100%. took me awhile to get half way used to it. still cant sleep sometimes but im getting closer.

bustermoves · Jul 20, 2008

theres a poker part to your brain?

earache · Jul 20, 2008

I have a hard time sleeping after poker too. The hands do run through your head. The bad beat and then the kick ass ones too. I try not to play at night to keep the head from wondering in that direction.

danlang78 · Jul 20, 2008

Yea, when the adenaline is pumping and i want to go to bed i will usually get really high then put a movie on. I will usually fall asleep within 15 mins. Unless I accidentally put in a good movie then i get no sleep.

Bigsmak · Jul 24, 2008

thanks for the advice!

Porno! Magic!

Wolfpack43ACC · Jul 24, 2008

I think this happens to everyone. Even poker pros. I've read numerous accounts where pros have lost some sleep based on previous play from that day. I don't think it is that serious and like some have said it gets better over time. It's part of the game, but if it doesn't improve somewhat over time maybe you should stay away from the felt.

How do you turn off the poker part of your brain to sleep!

Bigsmak

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beardyian

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zachvac

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plainluck

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beardyian

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BelgoSuisse

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WVHillbilly

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creatorofYUM

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mparker876

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Makwa

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Makwa

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Gesshoo

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mparker876

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SankTheTank

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nightmoves44

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Double-A

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tinheads

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PDMike425

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martygokona

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wayschaff

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bustermoves

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earache

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danlang78

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Bigsmak

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