Session Preperation

Was wondering how all of you prepare for a session. What kind of mindset you try to get yourself in, or how you approach a session. Reason i ask is because i get very nervous at the start of a session. Not sure why, i presume its because i want to win. It completely disappears after i get into the session and start to get my focus so is not really a problem, but would be interesting to get some insight into how you all feel just before you start playing, and how you deal with it.

If you get nervous before a session maybe you should listen to some peaceful music, You dont want to be nervous because you may not think
about the hand your involved in the right way. I dont get nervous probably because i'm playing 2nl and it really isnt exciting to me.

give yourself the old low-five

Depends on how I'm feeling. If I'm tired, I grab an apple or a banana or something and go take a 15 min or so walk. If I'm wide open then I grab an apple or a banana or something and go take a 15 min or so walk except I walk really slowly. Either way, right after I sit down to play I reference a list of 2-5 things that I want to be sure that I stay focused on (right now that list includes stop creating shitty reverse implied odds situations oop, for example) then I have at it.

Pep talk in mirror.

Breathing exercises

Good grief, just play poker my man. What's there to be nervous about? If you're nervous, drop down a level. Otherwise, take a dump, grab some lemonade and have a seat.

Heh, typically when I sit down, I just think to myself, "How many buy-ins are these chumps going to give me today?" I do try to approach all my sessions with confidence and in a way to try to set myself apart from the average to good or even great players. If things don't go well, I try to turn what would be a break-even session for most players into a win. What would be a losing session for most players, I try to turn into break-even. What would be a winning session for most players, I try to turn into a sick, gross win. I just try to excel and always play my best, but also level-headed with respect that disaster could only be a card away .

I don't know if I would describe it as nerves, per se, but rather just excited energy to play ... but not too excited that I turn into any more of a degenerate poker player than I already am

Originally Posted by ryokan

Was wondering how all of you prepare for a session. What kind of mindset you try to get yourself in, or how you approach a session. Reason i ask is because i get very nervous at the start of a session. Not sure why, i presume its because i want to win. It completely disappears after i get into the session and start to get my focus so is not really a problem, but would be interesting to get some insight into how you all feel just before you start playing, and how you deal with it.

do this exercise as often as possible and as many times as possible in a short period of time:

open your poker client
sit down on one table, and play an orbit
then quit


after you do this a dozen times you won't feel weird anymore

i didnt mean some big anxiety or something, just apprehensive before a session. dont know why. dont ever have a problem when im actually playing tho, after all, i had no fear about playing too high and going busto (regerets tho lol). I dont think im timid at the table either. Was more interested in how you all approach a session, like what spoon said about focusing on a couple of things you might have picked up reviewing a previous session etc, and your mindset.

Originally Posted by Airles™

Good grief, just play poker my man. What's there to be nervous about? If you're nervous, drop down a level. Otherwise, take a dump, grab some lemonade and have a seat.

This. I don't see what the big deal is. Sounds like you're building it up too much ans psyching yourself out.

my ideal:
1) go through my list of 'don't play if any of these apply' and check that none apply
2) play
3) profit

my reality
1) who cares if i'm drunk/tired/tilted/distracted/etc I'll just play well anyway
2) play
3) swings

During the first 1-3 orbits do not play a hand.
Instead Focus on the rhythm of play and various styles.
When it feels right then start to play.

Good Luck

Spenda and spoon are the only ones in this thread talking sense

Originally Posted by Parasurama

Spenda and spoon are the only ones in this thread talking sense

different things work for different people

Originally Posted by Airles™

Good grief, just play poker my man. What's there to be nervous about? If you're nervous, drop down a level. Otherwise, take a dump, grab some lemonade and have a seat.

The source of the anxiety is facing a stressful situation. This makes poker players nervous. That means that starting a session some poker players have fears of losing money or not performing well. Some might feel they are tired and use that as an excuse not to play. Maybe you don't feel the same kind of pressure, but it's really a slap in the face to say "just play" just because you don't feel the same. It's like telling somebody "what are you nervous about, just go talk to her" when they're obviously deathly terrified.

I bring a glass of water
Sit and review last session HH, mainly big pots I lost and think how I could've played it better
I think of one or two things I will actively think about this session that I am trying to improve

What's wrong with some nerves before you play? I think one's competitive nature sometimes takes over and generates some excitement, which is a good thing. If poker isn't fun or exciting sometimes, why play?

If I'm a bit keyed up, I do some pushups/situps before I play and then crank some tunes while playing. If there's no nerves, I just sit down and play.

personally, when i sit down to play poker i do like everything but play poker before i actually open up a table. in fact i'm "sitting down to play poker" right now, but i'm reading up on FTR first, i'm in the middle of opening PT3, so i can look up some regs i don't have enough notes on.

**side note for those of you who have been posting HH's where they didn't have notes on an opponent even though they'd played like 250 hands with them, i always look up these type of players in session review. actually a lot of times it's while i'm still at the table i'm like "omg i don't have any notes on this guy" so i go through PT3 and look up some interesting things they've shown down.

it's a lot harder to get notes on regs than fish because they show down significantly less hands and the ones they show down are often like "nothing abnormal about that." so, i like to look regs up while i'm not at the table (200 hands with less than 3 solid notes is my arbitrary cut off for when i need to look someone up), and spend my time at the table going lol that dude just showed down A8o in a 4b hand.**

so yeah, i start to get myself in a focused poker mindset before i sit down at a table by doing poker-related things. sometimes i even start to feel ready enough that i start opening tables while i'm reviewing HH's and ease into game time that way.

Originally Posted by Parasurama

Spenda and spoon are the only ones in this thread talking sense

So you think the best advice in this whole thread is to walk around the neighbourhood for 15 minutes while jerking off and carrying some fruit?

Originally Posted by Lucothefish

Originally Posted by Parasurama

Spenda and spoon are the only ones in this thread talking sense

So you think the best advice in this whole thread is to walk around the neighbourhood for 15 minutes while jerking off and carrying some fruit?

LMFAO

The following help a lot for me, I can usually feel the difference when I haven't followed any of them:
1. Stay active physically, sports, walks, runs, yoga, sex, whatever
2. Be comfortable, good chair, piss/shit before session, not be hungry, or get some food if you are, something to drink, etc
3. Music, I need it while I play

Also more of a state of mind kind of list:
4. Positive thinking, making sure I'm going in feeling good about my game. If I don't, then my time is better spent studying, reading, etc.
5. Understanding that even if I play perfectly I may end up losing and if I do, I should be content with the fact that I played well - poker is still gambling

Open IRC and read the chat until someone whines or until amir makes 10 comments. Then start playing poker. It won't take long for either.

Originally Posted by RoyalProdigy

Originally Posted by Lucothefish

Originally Posted by Parasurama

Spenda and spoon are the only ones in this thread talking sense

So you think the best advice in this whole thread is to walk around the neighbourhood for 15 minutes while jerking off and carrying some fruit?

LMFAO

Now thats Fun EE
OMFG I'm LMAO
Jerk and Carry some Fruit ..........
Great advice .....