How to Stay focused in a long MTT

I've been wondering. How do you players handle or get through a very large MTT tournament? I just find it really difficult to hang in there and stay focused on a tournament, especially if I've been sitting in front of the computer for 5+ hours on one tournament. Spend most of my MTT's at UB or PokerRoom and I do pretty well by making it to the 1st, and 2nd breaks.

After that, I just get really tired or lose concentration and then make a bad play or don't make a play at all and then get blinded out. Do people surf the net just to keep their mind going? Or do you play in other smaller tournaments and ring games simultaneously? Just curious in order to take my game to the next level.

Thanks!

You lack discipline young jedi. Everyone has different levels of attention, though all are generally capable of less than an hour at a time continuously, 40 mins is about the norm. If your tournament is going well and you have a comfortable stack, then take your own 5 minute break say every half hour instead of waiting for the official break at the end of each hour. Just go on sitout and do something away from the computer. Just watch that you are not over-eager to play again and too loose when you come back.

I play other smaller tourneys at the same time, and also listen to music, hope that helps.

As French says. If stack big enough have a quick break (in between breaks), have a drink, cigarette etc.

Then look at what you were dealt in your absence, see AA 4 times and cry

I'll be honest and say I have trouble staying focused in sit-n-gos, so you can imagine the problems I have being focused in a MTT. Actually I tend not to play too many MTTs for that very reason. In a live tournament, I can stay very focused - watching the action when I'm not in hands, but online, I have no patience. LOL, last night I was playing in a 10 handed sit-n-go, got distracted reading posts here (only acting on my hands and then coming right back) and suddenly I looked up and realized while I was zoning out 4 players had been knocked out and I'd made the money.

So yeah, I'm right there with you in needing to develop that patience.

I watch Entourage/Family Guy in the background.

I play SNGs. Usually I'll start the MTT and a 45 man SNG at the start. I try to have the breaks happen at the same time. If I bust out after say 45min I'll wait til the MTT break and start another.

Try to keep the BR level about the same. Don't just play a tiny buy in SNG to keep busy. I'll play a $10 or $24 MTT and a $20 or $50 SNG.

goldog

I generally try to do other things at the same time once it gets boring and slow...cant take your eye of it in the early stages, or when it gets cruicial towards the money...but ive gotten more patient as ive gotten further in more tournies

Ive had that happen

Listening to music for me really helps keep focusing and wanting to continue to play in the tournament

Sometimes the Rocky theme works lol.

Often in the midstages if i have a comfortable above-average stack i'll sit out for 22 mins and watch a Family Guy and have a diet coke (keeps me alert and happy!). Then when you come back, you're refreshed and you get the thrill of seeing another 100 people busted in your abscence and yourself closer to the money with a perfectly respectable stack.

When I am online for the purpose of playing poker, I don't usually have a hard time paying attention. It can be difficult to sit there, fold, and watch others play when you're not getting cards or you need to play tight, but taking a break between hands, getting a refill or finding something to eat keeps you from getting too board.

I will sometimes play in a MTT for the main reason of keeping me at my computer (rather than playing poker). I am a grad student and sometimes I have to watch 7+ hours of lectures online, or need to spend a lot of time researching or typing. I find that playing in a large tourny (almost always a freeroll - no risk when I'm not paying attention) keeps me at my computer. I usually play like a nit and I end up doing quite well after all the donkeys die out. Payouts suck, but I made $6 last year studying. I'm hoping to triple that this year.

Yep,

I can't tell you how many tourneys I have made chump change 4hrs in and just in the money and then I donk it away being tired. Its almost like you never believe you are beat at times when something deep down tells you you are indeed beat. I know that don't make sense but when you are tired at times you go on what I call a maniac call everything streak. This ultimately leaves you chip deprived and suddenly that a 10 early in the calling likes like pocket aces. Then sure enough someone has kings or rockets and puts you all in. You know what happens from there duh!!! Lately I do walk away especially when Im in the money or if I take a bad beat. I usually go outside on the porch and take a peace break to clear my mind. What the hell do whatever takes your mind off your misfortune at the current time of the beat. Just assure yourself when you are at chips end make sure you go out in style with great cards if possible and knowing you made a little money for your efforts. Good luck to you!!!

Practice playing marathon sessions. I had a similar post a while back about getting tired at the 5 hourish mark myself. Since then, I've practiced with marathon ring game sessions (8+ hours) to keep myself alert. I am much better about staying disciplined now. Remembering to take breaks and eating properly helps also.

Just go on sitout and do something away from the computer. Just watch that you are not over-eager to play again and too loose when you come back.

i always figured one double up an hour should suffice so if u double up once every hour you can have lots of time of ur hands

I have the same problem


I watch movies and as long as my first movie is on I do well but when I get to my second movie I usually start to lose for some reason


But yeah movies and sometimes I just walk away if I'm big stack and tell myself not to regret folding any hand even if it was the nuts, I find ill usually fold meaningless hands anyway

I learned playing live, so a three-hour three-table tourament is par for the course - and there's a lot less action there. If you fold a hand, you're sometimes waiting five minutes just to fold the next one.

So I don't find it much of an issue. Some days I just don't have the attention span, but I try to keep tabs on that and not start a potentially long game if I don't think I'll be up to it.

I keep a deck of cards on the computer desk to practice my pitching / cutting / whatever when I'm not in a hand and I have music playing, but that's really just a substitute for the chips I'd be playing with and inane banter I'd be listening to live

Everytime i listen to my ipod, i lose. I dont get it, but, for staying focused, i agree: take a break every half hour and you should be fine.

Ill play a low stakes cash game at the same time, it actually makes me play less(and better) hands which I dont usually have the patience for

I usually watch some movie or sthing like that in the Backround when i get a big hand or sthing like that i pause it and cocentrate fully...

The other thing i do, is i play either hearts or internet spades, helps keep the mind cocentrated!

i dont like playing other poker games, coz it might distract me, i have only one table to cocentrate and thats good the spades and hearts and the movie dont distract me that much

i play low nl ring games and low limit sit and goes maybe i win them all

I tend to play live now.and she mucks the rest of her reasoning...

I always listen to music while i play, usually mellow stuff like DMB or The Beatles, sometimes Foo Fighters or whatever. If I get dealt a hand that I know I'm not going to play, I check the fold box right away, and go surf the web until the next hand gets dealt out.

Drink Alot Of Juice, Then Ul Be Forced To Take Breaks