A guide on preparing for your poker session

They say that every penny saved is a penny earned, that every extra dime you save or you earn in your upswing will carry you through your downswings.

Argh, downswings are a bitch.

Anyway, you probably know that being focus, well rested and in the zone is what allows you to earn and save those extra pennies.

Plus, playing in the zone is simply marvelous, you feel ready to make the hard choices and proud of yourself for making the best decisions on every turn.

However, while most of us have experienced the wonders of the flow state at one time or the other, many of us can’t figure out how to do this consistently.

If you are one of those many, fear not, we are here to help you. We will talk about the most important points and give you a few tips to help you consistently play your best poker and keep the Force with you.

Preparing for your poker session: Step 1 – Routine

While many of us keep a schedule with our studies and grinding hours somewhat organized, very few of us follow a routine.

No, no, not a daily work routine, not that. Bear with me here. I mean a warming up and cooling down routine, something you do before and after every one of your poker sessions.

This routine is simply fundamental for your mindset and you probably didn’t know that, but observe, have you watched traditional sports before?

Every single sportsman in the world has a warming up routine right before their matches, this is no coincidence (obviously).

You may that the only reason for this is to prepare their muscles for the physical activity, and while this is one of the reasons, it is not the only one.

"My pre-game rituals sharpen my senses before I go into battle" said Rafael Nadal in an interview.

Warming up sets up your mindset to the gaming mode. It tells your brain that it is time to focus and to remember everything you know about this. It is time to battle.

Ok, this was a little intense, but you get my point. Your brain will be ready to poker.

If done regularly and consistently before every session, your routine will set you up to face the challenges so common to you at the tables. You won’t have to face rough starts before you can get your mojo on.

Ok, but how do we set this up?

Well, it’s your routine and no one better than you to decide, observe yourself and see what works best for you… but since this can be hard for a first timer, we prepared a few suggestions.

MEDIDATE

Meditation has so many benefits that would require another article just to name them. If you are curious you can read this.

We’ll stick to the most important ones here and say that it helps you clear you mind, focus and concentrate.

Just a few minutes is more than enough. Try doing this regularly and you’ll reap the benefits in no time.

If you struggle to do it yourself, or if you simply don’t know how to do this, it may help you to watch this video or try this app.

REVIEW SOME HANDS

This works wonders for me. After reviewing a few of my past hands, I’m ready to go to war.

It tends to bring up your poker knowledge, your poker memory and your analytical mind. 3 crucial features to a successful grind.

As a pro tip, I’d suggest reviewing non-standard spots, so you can really dig deep into the analysis. But don’t waste too much time here, it’s only a warm up, not a real hardcore review. 5 to 10 min tops on this.

GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS

No facebook, no Instagram, no cellphone, no clustered/messy room. Keep your environment clean and your mind on poker.

Distractions can be a killer to your focus, no matter how centered you are. Nothing worse than being on a tough spot and receiving a call midway through your thinking process.

Your mouse, keyboard, screen and a bottle of water are all you need. Everything else is a distraction.

ENVISION

Before your session, see yourself winning, don’t start your session thinking about past bad beats nor with a broken mentality (“I hope I don’t lose today”).

Visualize yourself making the hard folds and the difficult calls. Your results are not what matters here, but what your actions were.

READ YOUR NOTES

We all keep notes on what we have to work on, if you don’t, you should. Read yours before every session, remind yourself what you are going to work on this session and see yourself doing that.

Knowing what you are aiming is going to give you clearer goals and help you stay positive.

You can also remind yourself why you are playing in the first place, why is it important for you to best your opponents, your life and career goals. It’s a good time to remind yourself of the trip to Hawaii you’re taking after a successful poker year, or of that inner desire to conquest the WSOP.

GET YOUR BLOOD FLOWING

I mean, literally. Jump, run, stretch, doing any exercise before your session is a great way to keep yourself ready to poker. Exercising help you stay focused and to clear your mind.

You don`t have to do a full workout here, just a few minutes of aerobics should suffice and not tire you to the long hours of thinking you are going to do next.

BE CONSISTENT AND KEEP IT SHORT

Warming up must be done before EVERY session. Don`t skip it. I promise you, you`ll feel the difference.

Also remember to keep it short, 10 to 15 minutes, anything else may tire you before you even start playing. We want to get you ready, not to bore you.

Another pro tip is to be well rested, everything will flow better if you keep a good work/life balance.