I mostly play freerolls, so I usually play tournaments until the end. I don't drink coffee, so I just rely on my body being naturally awake. As I get tired, it becomes easier to miss important board textures. For example, I might overlook that there are three suited cards on the board, miss that the board has paired and a full house is possible when I have trips, or fail to notice that my two pair is no longer the best hand because a straight has completed.
So how long can you grind without getting bored, tired or sleepy
It depends on how you define 'bored/tired/sleepy', I grind MTTs and I love my 5-6 mins breaks, I usually have 1-2 coffees and I consider this as a supplement to keep myself in top condition... over the years, I had some really long sessions (like 15+ hours) and I'm still relatively young with a pretty active life (I play different sports weekly * mostly football - sometimes even daily), so I can play poker and keep a high level of play, close to my A game, for 5+ hours... still, even tho I take poker seriously, I still consider myself a recreational player and poker is mostly a 'hobby', with family and work always a priority - so my poker sessions are getting shorter and I even consider switching back to mostly cash games as it will allow me to manage my sessions much better and/or stop playing when I notice a drop in decision making and/or something IRL comes up.
It depends on how you define 'bored/tired/sleepy', I grind MTTs and I love my 5-6 mins breaks, I usually have 1-2 coffees and I consider this as a supplement to keep myself in top condition... over the years, I had some really long sessions (like 15+ hours) and I'm still relatively young with a pretty active life (I play different sports weekly * mostly football - sometimes even daily), so I can play poker and keep a high level of play, close to my A game, for 5+ hours... still, even tho I take poker seriously, I still consider myself a recreational player and poker is mostly a 'hobby', with family and work always a priority - so my poker sessions are getting shorter and I even consider switching back to mostly cash games as it will allow me to manage my sessions much better and/or stop playing when I notice a drop in decision making and/or something IRL comes up.
If being honest with myself then not more than 60 minutes!Mwaki said:
Hence, the break of 5 minutes which needs to be utilised perfectly by getting up and moving away from the screen!
Washing your face helps to a lot of extent of as well! Its topmost benefit is helping you to reset all your levels be it patience, focus, concentration etc.!
If I'm playing MTTs and making deep runs, I can stay focused for several hours, but I know my concentration isn't at its peak the whole time. I find I play my best for about 2 to 3 hours before I need a real break. Once I notice myself autopiloting or missing little details like stack sizes or betting patterns, it's time to step away for a few minutes.
I actually prefer playing a little hungry. If I eat a big meal before a session, I find myself getting sluggish and my focus drops. Being just slightly hungry keeps me alert and engaged. I'll usually have a decent meal afterward as a reward once I'm done playing. For me, that's when I play my best.
Depends on how the session is going. 😄 If I'm focused and playing well, I can grind 5–6 hours with breaks. But once I notice I'm getting tired or my decisions aren't as sharp, it's time to call it a day. Quality beats quantity. ♠️
I know this may be impossible for you, but working four days a week has made a huge difference to my well-being. That one extra day off makes a huge difference, which may not sound like much to the average person, but for me, working four days a week versus five is incredible. I truly believe that in today's society, especially for neurodivergent people, a five-day workweek is not sustainable. I say "sustainable" because while it's possible (as our grandparents like to remind us), it can simply lead to misery.If you have the financial means to do so, even if only for a short time, it can really help.And so I can work for 16 hours and not sleep.
For me, 60–90 minutes is the sweet spot for maximum concentration.
After that, I can still play, but the quality of my decisions slowly starts to decline.
In long MTT sessions, I rely on scheduled breaks, hydration, and light snacks to stay sharp.
If I notice myself getting bored, distracted, or clicking buttons without thinking, that's usually a warning sign.
I'd rather play 4 hours at 100% focus than 8 hours at 70% focus. In poker, decision quality matters more than session length. ♠️
After that, I can still play, but the quality of my decisions slowly starts to decline.
In long MTT sessions, I rely on scheduled breaks, hydration, and light snacks to stay sharp.
If I notice myself getting bored, distracted, or clicking buttons without thinking, that's usually a warning sign.
I'd rather play 4 hours at 100% focus than 8 hours at 70% focus. In poker, decision quality matters more than session length. ♠️