What helps you prepare to play your A-game?

[Mag_P1e]

As stupid as it may sound, what helps me prepare is that I prepare. I’ll make myself dinner (since I’m playing in the evening), so that during a break I’ll just have to “throw” it in the microwave, do some exercises, go to the shower, drink coffee, make tea in a thermos and take some chocolates in case the session will drag on - when I don’t have to worry about anything anymore, I can calmly give my all to poker)

 

[Artemloshara]

I only play poker when I know I have time to play deep. I never start a session if I know I have something to do for the next 4 hours

 

[KrazyKoo]

No eating anything high in fat before game, keep non fatty snacks with me to make sure my tummy won't gurgle... also if I got 2 days to prep it helps if you spend the previous day in nature, like hiking, birding, fishing or such.

 

[Emily Trott]

My main preparation consists mainly being confident in my skill and style of play. Trusting in that will get me through. Other that that really not much except for trying to arrive and be entered before the tourney begins.

 

[Mart1194]

Music certainly brings me into a better time to play, whether online or live.

And when hunger strikes, there's nothing to do, wait for a break and go in search of food lol

 

[Rachidao]

Being well feed and with time to play.

 

[wlad20082009]

Oh yeah. It is difficult to prepare for the game. This is especially true for tournaments. In sit-and-go, however, such training is not required. And there's always something distracting. It seems that everything is done, only the game remains. But almost always some problem pops up. And the older you get, the more they get!

 

[BelFish]

I never do anything special before a game ))
And during the game I often listen to my favorite music!

 

[vitas_top]

I meditate a bit before a poker session starts and I love listening to music while playing.

 

[Mortis]

How do you prepare for a poker session ? This could be physical or mental preparation, or organizing snacks or music. Does it differ for you when it's a cash game vs and tournament? Or an online game vs. live?

What helps you prepare to play your A-game?

Try to get a good night's sleep and eat right. That helps keep the mind clear.

 

[bullishwwd]

I seem to play my best when I am rested, stay focused on playing, have little to no distractions and can have the discipline to stay focused.

I do think that a major part of being successful at playing poker is the act of controlling one's Ego and Emotions. Thus, generally speaking, this means no drugs, alcohol and even food before and during ... each of these can effect emotions and thus patience.

 

[seiya1989]

What helps me before starting the day in poker is to be well rested, to drink coffee and good music

 

[Zorba]

How do you prepare for a poker session ? This could be physical or mental preparation, or organizing snacks or music. Does it differ for you when it's a cash game vs and tournament? Or an online game vs. live?

What helps you prepare to play your A-game?

I play most of my poker in my mornings, so coffee is my main prep tool.

 

[valeski 28]

It helps a lot to sleep well and be well hydrated

 

[Magallaneroy]

Improve my lifestyle

 

[Marcwantstowin]

Improve my lifestyle

Can you explain this a bit more. Do you improve your lifestyle for the prep and if you do, how do you do that?

 

[MARIANARDES2022]

Tome algumas cervejas.

 

[Magallaneroy]

increase my income to live better. That's poker for me.

 

[PRRP2010]

I still need to improve a lot in this regard. I have trouble concentrating in very long games. I only play online tournaments. If I'm doing well in the tournament with a big pot I can concentrate more. If I take a hit and my pot decreases a lot, and if I have a sequence of bad cards, I end up getting distracted and the game takes a backseat. In these situations, I always leave tournaments early. And I don't do any preparation to play,

 

[Luvart]

>My number one point is to have a good rest the previous night. I want to have a good sleep and not be tired at all before I start a session.

>>Before the session I don't want to eat refined sugar stuff or drink alcohol.

>>>Listening to some positive uplifting music before the session is something that I apply a lot of times.

 

[tihomir_kula]

I carefully calculate to have min. 6 hours free time and organize being alone, nobody around, when I play money tournament . In cash games I participate having 1-2 hours.

 

[RhinoRyan89]

I find being well rested (Sleep) and eating healthy balanced diet can contribute to your A game.

Also having a quick refresher of study material prior to hitting the tables can help get you in the correct state of mind.

 

[makisaa]

I try to be refreshed as possible as I can, and take care of leaving the routine aside, so that to play freely and enjoy the game.

 

[VictorOd]

Ok, perfect preparation starts with a regular physical activity. Work on a fresh air, weight lifting, cardio trainings (swimming, running). Then learn theory (coaching, streams, books, audiobooks, videos). Then a good 7-8 hours of a deep quality sleep during previous night. Then you need to prepare food, something you can heat up or cook in 5 mins during a break. Then you need to force yourself to forget about any problems, ignore anything. You can afford to distract only if your family or friends need urgent help. So that's pretty much it, a versatile universal recipe.

 

[Colbefc]

I find having no distractions brings on my A Game. Listening to music, eating, drinking all put me off. I am not a
great poker player so i need to concentrated 100%