Sit Down, Pay Attention! Maintaining Your Focus in Poker

David Williams oftentimes listens to music during tournament play.

One of the toughest things to accomplish in the game of poker is being able to screw yourself down and maintain your focus, at least in tournaments, several days at a time. This is no easy task, as some of us have trouble concentrating for more than a couple of hours at a time. So, this begs the question, how can we "hyper kids" aid our own cause and settle down long enough to play some solid poker? I don't have any hard and fast answers, but I can share with you some of the tricks that have helped me.



Now, I know that most of you aren't running all over the country entering these big several-day events, but some of the tips described here can be used in most any poker setting. A long cash-game session is in many ways just like the beginning of a large tournament, in which patience is at a premium and you don't want to go out of your way to blow your money when you don't need to. Of course, in a cash game, you don't have the added pressure of having to build up your stack continually, so it could be argued that some of these tips are actually more valuable there. With that said, off we go …



My first tip has caused much consternation in poker circles, and everyone seems to have an opinion on it, so you will have to form your own, as well. It concerns listening to your iPod, or any other musical device, while playing at the table.


It has been a lifesaver for me over the course of many hours at the poker table. I used to struggle with the prospect of playing for long periods of time with nothing to "take the edge off," as I call it. Being able to listen to music has enabled me to focus much more effectively for longer periods of time, although many would disagree and see it as a distraction.



For example, Howard Lederer is in direct opposition to my viewpoint. He believes listening to music takes your attention away from valuable information that your opponents may be giving away, and he may be correct – for himself. The bottom line is that you need to decide if this would help you or hinder you.



I remember when I was in high school and would come home to do my trigonometry homework – a heinous task, no doubt. I had to employ other mediums to keep me focused. To aid in my daily torture, I turned my stereo up to unbelievable levels, and also had a basketball game on. The truth is that my mind actually works more effectively when it is asked to assimilate several inputs at once. For this exact reason, my iPod is a must at the poker table. I have also set up what I listen to according to what stage I am at in any given event. At the beginning, it's all mellow and noninvasive. In later stages, I turn to music that would scare some people off in a hurry. The aggressive music sometimes gets me going, and conversely, the mellow sounds can settle me down when I need it.



It may be able to do the same for you, or you may need silence to concentrate. Figure out what works for you, and do it.



My second tip is probably the most obvious one you could possibly imagine, and that is, pay close attention to the information the other players are giving you. I hit upon it briefly in my previous tip, and music may help you – or hurt you. Either way, you need to be able to assess the way that the other players, as well as the table as a whole, are playing at any given moment. I know that you probably think you are an expert at this, but trust me, you aren't. No one is.



Almost no players, including myself, pay as close attention as they think they do throughout any given hand. I actually have made it a game to know what every player's tendencies are by the end of a given level. I always remind myself just how important it is to know that the player in seat No. 3 will always fire a barrel on the river regardless of whether he hit or not, or that the player in seat No. 7 checks the flop only when she has hit a monster after raising when coming in. These are direly important pieces of information that will determine how far you go in an event, so you'd better catch them. Knowing that you need them may just help you to focus on them.



If you need some motivation, reference the movie Hoosiers. Remember when Gene Hackman told a player to cover the opposition's guard so well that he would be able to tell what flavor of bubble gum he was chewing? When the player responded, "Strawberry, coach," it was absolutely priceless. You should be able to do the same in regard to your opponents. Instead of what flavor of gum, though, you should know their moves and how they will react in certain situations.



By paying attention, real attention, to what is going on at the table in front of you, you also will be focusing and not getting bored very easily. Over time, this process gets easier and easier, until you don't even realize you are picking up information at all. I promise you that as painful as it may be to pay close attention at first, it will pay off in assisting you in picking up tidbits on your opponents and improving your overall focus.



My third tip is so simple that I actually feel a little silly even writing it. Get up and walk around a little bit and stretch. I know, I know. I feel lame even suggesting it, but you would be surprised how often I hear other players talking about the fact that they haven't moved an inch in more than six hours. This is not good for the psyche, and not good for the body, either. Another player recently told me that he had gone to his doctor, who had told him that if he just stood up every hour and stretched for 15 seconds, he wouldn't have the back issues that he did. That's incredible! Needless to say, my friend is now standing up and giving himself a tiny break more often, and it's helping with his overall concentration as well as his chiropractic bills.



So, there you have it, three quick ways to improve your focus at the table. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there are several of your own little tricks that you will be able to develop. These are just a few that have worked for me. I don't want you to feel that you need to employ any of these specific tips to help you focus. In fact, if you are playing at my table, feel free to use none of them. I hear that's the best way to focus, at least against me.



Joe Sebok loves to receive all of your questions and comments. You can reach him at [email protected].