Long local tournaments can wear down even skilled players, leading to costly mistakes late in the game. These eight mental game hacks will keep you focused, stay sharp, and playing your best from start to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can pay attention to every pot at the table. I have that gear. How long can I do that? It\u2019s much harder as I get older. I find it easier to do in the Main Event, but in a $200 event I accept that I\u2019m going to miss some things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are likely in a similar boat. You have a day job, kids, a spouse, pets, and other obligations. It’s hard to show up at the poker table with zero distractions, nine hours of sleep, and an espresso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you get there, distractions will come about. People will get into stupid fights. Dealers will make mistakes. There will be a loud talker at the table. It’s hard to stay sharp throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re constantly beating yourself up for not seeing everything, you will burn out quickly. If you accept that you have to mostly see who raised and what hands were shown down, you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A game I like to play with myself is if I can write down who was the pre-flop raiser and what they showed down, I get $1 in a \u201cfun fund.\u201d If I get a post-flop read based on how they played the hand, I get another $1. I keep track of all these reads in a note file on my phone. I usually spend the money on something stupid, because that\u2019s the entire point. It\u2019s supposed to be a guilty pleasure that rewards focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can remember who the pre-flop raiser or three-better was and what hand they tabled, that will usually help you reconstruct the entire hand. You won\u2019t notice every single tell or detail, but you\u2019ll be in good shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you ever get too tired to do this, just take a break. It\u2019s okay to be on your cell phone for just a couple of minutes if you\u2019re up in your head about a hand. If that four minutes away from focusing causes a pattern interrupt which helps you dial in, it\u2019s usually worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, you\u2019re not going to see everything. It\u2019s impossible to see everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I cashed the Main Event in 2023. I watched every single hand every player played at my tables. Yet I still missed details. When I got home, I was so tired I couldn\u2019t move from my couch for a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I only was able to focus that much because I was fired up for the Main Event. Most of the time, I don\u2019t have that gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make sure you\u2019re still focusing on what\u2019s important, try to track who is the pre-flop raiser and what hands are shown down. Also, most people fold when they miss the flop, call with pairs, call with draws, and raise two pair or better. If you see anyone deviate from that basic strategy, you need to note it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people aren\u2019t even capable of bluffs. If someone gets caught bluffing, that\u2019s something you want to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When people are talking at the table, pause the music on your headphones. If they are talking about flyfishing, by all means, ignore it. However, I have no idea why people do this, but people love to talk about what tournaments they normally play, who their favorite coaches are, and so on. This can give you a good idea as to how this person is thinking in a hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know, I know. \u201cNo sh*t Sherlock. Eat right and get some sleep.\u201d Well, damn it, I\u2019m still going to say something about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look, I get it. Life is hectic now. It\u2019s hard to exercise and get enough sleep. Just make some kind of effort if you\u2019re going to play tournament poker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you drink some caffeine before bed, at least make sure you get yourself to bed at a reasonable hour and make yourself lie there until you fall sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go to the gym. If you can\u2019t get to the gym to work out, go for a walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If salads make you gag, at least pound some water before you play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I take my headphones with me to the table, because there\u2019s a ton of noise in cardrooms. If I’m going to stay sharp, sometimes I need to drown it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are obnoxious people and trash talkers. There\u2019s the sound of poker chips shuffling on countless tables. Sometimes people are cheering over a sporting event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not perfect to have headphones in, but it will save you on the days something is super distracting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re freezing or overheating at the table, you\u2019re not going to play well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I usually don\u2019t deviate much from jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. If the cardroom gets a little colder, the sleeves help. If it gets warmer, you can roll them up. Keep a hat or hoodie in your bag if you need even more warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re not going to do better than coffee or tea when it comes to sustained energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those energy drinks give you a spike and then a crash. I try to stay away from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re out in the desert especially, you\u2019re going to get dehydrated. I used to get exhausted with headaches when I was out in Vegas. Once I started making myself drink multiple electrolyte packets a day, the symptoms stopped. I was able to stay much more focused and sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the very least, try to drink more water than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s 2026. No one wants to fold anymore. Everyone is trying to put you on their highlight reel. At some point, one of your opponents is going to hit a hand. In all likelihood, multiple opponents will hit hands on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t be soft. A boxer doesn\u2019t get in the ring and cry when he gets hit. You have to take the pummeling and keep going. Stay sharp and move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying mentally strong is just as important as playing solid hands. You’ve got to stay sharp to win it all. Master these hacks, and you\u2019ll outlast the field\u2014mentally and physically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n