How to maintain concentration for 3h+ in mtt

[Marshmalo1994]

How to maintain concentration for more than 3 hours in mtt? for some reason 3 o'clock is my limit. I play normally for the first 3 hours, and then not so well...

I read somewhere that the new generations need to do several things at the same time, because they tend to get bored at the lack of constant interaction. Maybe you could try to watch some videos or listen music when you feel that way, if that doesn't bothers your game.

 

[okeedokalee]

I find poker these days triggers my boredom threshold at a lower level, I just lose interest.

 

[Gallarado777]

it seems that you concentrate too much on the game for the first 3 hours, so you get very tired and after that you have little energy left to play. So try not to spend too much energy in the first 3 hours and then you will have the strength to continue playing poker with interest, or you lose interest in poker after 3 hours of playing, then you need to take your mind off the game and do something in parallel

 

[fundiver199]

I checked your sharkscope profile, and on pokerstars your average buyin is only $0,13 over 1.125 games with the last 8 games being freerolls. I cant see any more, since you did not opt in. Given this playing history my main advice is to forget about MTTs, that last more than 3 hours, until you have build up some sort of bankroll. Focus instead on either cash games and SnGs, where you have much more flexibility to come and go, as you want to. And also a much better chance to reach the top prices (in SnGs), since you dont need to outlast 2.000 other players to get to a final table.

My other advice, which might not apply to you, is, that any kind of serious poker has to be played from at least a laptop or tablet, not from your phone. A phone is for playing a Spin n Go or something similarly fast, while you are riding the train to work or sitting in the airport and waiting for your plane. Or maybe a hyperturbo freeroll, like the ones you have been playing lately on Stars. But for serious games you want to have a larger screen, so your eyes get less tired, and so that its much easier to multitable. This also helps to keep boredom away, as tables will constantly pop up and require your attention.

 

[dreamer13]

The amount of concentration is limited.Over time, your concentration will inevitably decrease, even if you are in optimal conditions. Repetitive activities that require a lot of mental effort will take a toll on your stress levels, and that's completely normal.When thinking about concentration, take into account that all the distractions, noises, etc. are animals that you feed with a limited resource along with the poker game. If you pay attention to other things, there is less time available for playing poker.

 

[Luvepoker]

Losing concentration while playing poker can be easy to do if you get bored but The thing is if you're really playing poker and really doing everything you can to win or improve you should never really get bored. Every hand I try to watch and I admit it's not easy or possible to perfectly watch every hand but if you're paying more attention to players and what they're doing and how they're playing you will pick up on things that can immensely help you. In my first world series of poker I watched a player who was supposedly a very low level professional and I watched him play every hand that he played. I picked up on something that I wasn't 100% sure of at one point but it was a tell I had read about from a book. Then came the hand where I was playing with him and I had opened rays and he had called me I think it was the small blind. I had ace queen the flop was queen 9-2 something like that and I see that it after he checked and he called instantly. At this point I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue betting unless the board changed the turn came up it was an something like a 4. I watched him check and then do that tell I kept picking up on and every time he did that he folded I almost instantly after seeing him do that little trick picked up chips I didn't even throw him in yet when he flashed his cars a pair of sixes and mocked as I threw my chips into the pot. If I hadn't been really paying attention I wouldn't have picked up on this little tell. I would suggest to you paying more attention to all the action in a hand because you can pick up things that will help you later on you may not see how every hand ends up but if you're really determined you could have a much better idea about where you stand and where they are just by paying more attention. One thing I admit that helps me though I listen to meditation music as I play for some reason it keeps me mellow relaxed and doesn't distract me from playing maybe this can help you too..

 

[IADaveMark]

I'm reading this thread and recalling that at my wsop Seniors event last summer I played 13 hours on day 1, 12 hours on day 2, and busted out 8.5 hours into day 3. And we are discussing 3 hours? Wow.

 

[xOneCoolHandx]

How to maintain concentration for more than 3 hours in mtt? for some reason 3 o'clock is my limit. I play normally for the first 3 hours, and then not so well...

Poker is usually a marathon and not a sprint. 3 hours is not a long time, esp in an MTT. What I like to do is get up and stretch every 20 - 30 minutes during play when I am not in a hand but still close enough to see the action (live) and just near my desk when I am playing online. On breaks I will do some pushups or burpees or something physical to get the blood flowing (and of course run to the bathroom). During play, I keep myself entertained by trying to figure out what hands my opponents have and trying to dial in my reads on them. You are going to need to build up that endurance, especially if you every want to play the big, multi-day tournaments.

 

[Matt_Burns88]

How to maintain concentration for more than 3 hours in mtt? for some reason 3 o'clock is my limit. I play normally for the first 3 hours, and then not so well...

I have a bunch of suggestions.

1. Sleep properly. Sleep is such an under rated factor in staying focused.
2. Take short breaks. All MTT's have a 5 min break - use it well! Use the toilet, pop outside to get some fresh air (or just stick your head out of the window!), do some exercise. But also take opportunities to just close your eyes for 10 seconds between hands.
3. Stay hydrated. Regularly sipping water will make a huge difference to your focus.
4. Avoid caffeine! This might sound counter-intuitive, but stay with me. Caffeine will improve your focus initially, but as it starts to wear off, you will start to crash way below your initial base line, meaning your focus ends up dropping off much quicker than if you didn't have that coffee or energy drink in the first place
5. Avoid distractions. Getting distracted and then having to re-focus on your game, saps your mind power each time you do it. Turn off your TV, put your phone in the other room, shut down Facebook and Discord, etc and save all of that energy to put into your game.

Let us know how you get on!

 

[makisaa]

You must have some rest before the games, so that to play refreshed, but most important to play with good appetite and good psychology. Then if you don't like to play more than about three hours, you can choose the turbo tournaments, with duration about three hours.

 

[TheKAAHK]

Play rested, stretch often and keep hydrated.

 

[mariale_1990]

I may sound a little crazy but in my case I like to do other things while playing long tournaments, for example, watching a series, a movie, playing a game that has nothing to do with poker, none of that makes me lose concentration and many will say It doesn't make sense but it works for me.

 

[1luckysob]

If you are constantly analyzing the table and the hands the way you play them while you play, it becomes much easier to stay focused for the tournament. I try not to focus on much outside of the table while I am playing to avoid distractions and keep my concentration on the table and what the players around me are doing. Studying the charts while playing is a nice way to stay engaged for me.

 

[1luckysob]

also coffee

 

[jcxmendes]

Normally, when I go to play a tournament, I'm a bit exhausted, I can't concentrate, especially when I work a lot!

 

[Gdefender]

I also mock the game after several hours, especially if there is no action, because the dealer only deals junk cards......That's why I usually play Hiper sit & go or 3 tables next to an MTT table, and that way it's not boring anymore !

 

[andron205]

As time goes by, playing a 12-hour session gets easier and easier.

 

[dzsire]

Music is a good idea, but there are other methods, coffee, tea, other activities in the meantime, additional tournaments in addition to the main event.
The point is not to get distracted too much, because then it's easier to take it easy and the focus may decrease from the goal.

 

[pavel1111111]

I usually beforw i start a long sesion of poker, i eat very good and that îs it, not even a snack between and I keep liquids around me to stay hidrated and I am going 6 + hours😜

 

[Rijckenborg]

Sadly , a MTT alone cannot keep my concentration.I have to do something else at same time, like watching tv shows.

 

[pancho_1954]

It has always been difficult for me to play very long tournaments and it is difficult for me to maintain concentration. When I play them and I manage to advance to the final table or close to the final table, I think I am very, very exhausted. I always use the most common one, which is listening music, I can't concentrate on my game if I'm doing something else like watching social media, or checking my phone, watching movies, those things distract me, I know because I try and in my case that affects me negatively

 

[10gerka]

I think that to stay focused for more than 3 hours in a poker tournament you have to rest very well the day before, eat well and leave everything around you.

 

[Station_Master]

Late registering can help, so you are focussed for the later, more important stages.

Also why not play cash games, so much more flexible, sit in for as long as you like and then leave when you have had enough.

 

[dompoker]

Don't watch the weather, you can have a beer, smoke and watch TV, and when you're close to the final table you can concentrate on the tournament without distraction.