Discipline: Part V

This is the fifth of a series of columns on discipline, which is essential for anyone who wants to be a professional poker player. There are many elements to discipline. Here is a list of some of the most important ones for a poker player:

1. Avoiding tilt
2. Finding games or situations where you have an edge
3. Physical conditioning
4. Mental conditioning
5. Maintaining a bankroll

The first few columns in this series focused on the first two items on the list. Years ago, Mike Caro originated something he called “The Law of Least Tilt”. It basically stated that among technically equal players, the one who spends the least time on tilt is the biggest winner. Among similarly skilled opponents, the player with the most discipline is the favorite.” The next column was devoted to finding situations in which you have an edge. Players who only play when they have the best of it (positive expected value) and avoid tilt are always the most successful.

Note that these elements all overlap to some extent. If you frequently tilt, it will be virtually impossible to maintain a bankroll. If you don’t spend time on mental conditioning, both in general and in terms of increasing your skill level in your games of choice, it will be harder to find games where you have an advantage.

First I want to start the examination of physical and mental conditioning. Whatever level of skill you have, it is clear that avoiding tilt and finding games where you have an advantage will enable you to maximize your earnings. It is also important to raise your level of skill. As you become more skillful, you will be able to find more situations in which you have an advantage and you will be able to play for higher stakes against some better players. Increasing your skills and playing higher is the best path to increasing your earnings. It is necessary to do this without taking too many chances and endangering your bankroll. In a future column, I will discuss bankrolls and money management in depth.

For the poker player, both physical and mental conditioning can be divided into two sub-topics. Let’s call them general or non-specific and poker-related. Beginning with physical conditioning, there is your overall physical condition and your conditioning for poker. In the next column, I will consider mental conditioning. No matter what you do in your life, professionally or personally, good health will make you more efficient and will make things easier and more enjoyable. There are several components to achieving good health. Exercise is essential. You should do some type of aerobics or cardio exercise. The level of exertion and duration depend on your age and current physical condition. At a minimum, I’d suggest that almost everyone should be able to maintain a routine in which they walk two miles twice a week or for 30 minutes daily. (Casino players can achieve this by parking far from the entrance, and walking to the poker room. Then, every two hours, take a five to ten minute stroll around the casino.)

Your exercise regime should also include some sort of strength training. Free weights or machines in the gym make it easy to create a strengthening program. There are also a lot of exercises that you can do at home using just your body weight. Internet searches will help you create a simple program. It is also useful to do a little bit of work to improve or at least maintain flexibility and balance. Stretching and yoga are good for this. Some variations of yoga also include meditation or concentration exercises, which will be useful for your mental conditioning as well.

The other big component of physical health revolves around diet. I certainly can’t claim to be an expert in this area, but it is pretty clear that a healthful diet emphasizes fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole grains. Meat, dairy products, and processed foods should be held to a minimum. Sugar, in all its varieties, like high fructose corn syrup should be avoided. A moderate amount of alcohol has been shown to have some benefits. (Hey, I’m a partner is some bars in New York City, what else can I say.) Vitamins and supplements are probably beneficial, and are definitely not harmful in moderation. Recreational drugs may be harmful and certainly aren’t beneficial.

Now let’s briefly consider physical conditioning from a purely poker oriented point of view. Try to develop a regular schedule. If you generally play from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am, try to develop a regular sleeping pattern that will leave you fresh and rested during those times. You will spend long hours sitting at the table. Back problems are very common among poker players and dealers. Take breaks to do some stretching.

There is no specific poker diet, but it is good to avoid heavy meals before or while playing. You want to blood to flow to your brain, not your stomach. Have your eyes checked regularly. Make sure you have appropriate glasses. Varilux lens can correct your vision both close (seeing your hand) and distance (seeing the other end of the table). Caffeine can improve alertness, but don’t drink so much coffee that you’re ‘speeding.’

Some poker players find that prescription drugs, such as Provigil and Adderall, improve their ability to play long hours and maintain focus. My personal feeling is that you are better off without them, but if you think they might be appropriate, consult a good doctor and get their opinion. ♠

Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful gamesplayer. He has been a full-time gambler for over 35 years. With two WSOP bracelets and few million in tournament cashes, he is easing into retirement. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at some major tournaments and playing in cash games in Vegas. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -The Library near Houston and Doc Holliday’s on 9th St. are his favorites.