How to deal with concentration issues

Im having a hard time focusing whenever im playing. My mind keep drifting away, and i find myself daydreaming, surfing the web, watching sports highlights, playing computer games, scratching my sack ect when im supposed to follow the action on the table. So when the poker window pops up and i have a good hand, i know nothing about the players im up against.

Its not really a problem with patience with the hands im dealt or decision making, its strickly down to concentration and avoiding outside distractions. (I should probably mention that this is a general problem for me in life, not just poker).

So, anyone got the same problem? Anyone got some kind of solution? Advice, hints, tricks, jedi meditation exercises?
Ill take em all.

Kill the kids if you got any... lol

For me, personally...the first thing is to be sure I have every other program totally closed when I play. Most of the time, I have chat turned off, too.

Beyond that, if I'm having trouble concentrating, I get out paper and pencil. Write down everyone's name and start taking note of every single move they make. This might help with analyzing their play but it's not the objective. Mostly it helps me get engaged in what everyone is doing.

The trick for me is that if I watch long enough to get my attention captured, I'm much less likely to get distracted later.

I have the same problem. Whenever i play I always have to twitch and fidget and I end up playing with something on my desk without even realizing that im not paying attention to the action. Sometimes I put on my headphones and listen the monotonous sounds coming from the poker table and that generally helps. I should probably start taking notes by hand like Lilli said. This would help with the concentration as well as help me make more reads. it seems like the type of thing i would do once for ten minutes, get bored and never do it again. Thats the whole discipline to do the right thing that will improve my game but is tedious and boring so i dont do it thing i need to get down, like reviewing my sessions.

I can sooooooo relate to this lol. It helps to multi-table - when I am playing 4 tables I am forced to pay more attention. And a couple of times a week Adderall rocks lol ( I am ADHD).

But the biggest help I have found - is talking out loud to the players on the table. It might sound silly - but I look at their names and usually tweek them a bit and dare them to give me their chips, call my raises, etc. It keeps me in the game - and I notice what they are doing.

Don't play games and turn off most electronics

This splains a lot.

concentration isnt that where you have to ahhh........ dammit i lost my train of thought, what were we talking about? all i can visualize is dakota-xx losing a big hand and smashing her monitor and calling all the people at her table (by name mind you to $#$#%$^%$^&^%&^%^#$#@@#0 ) and hitting them with her Hammer

what were we talking about .... oh yea concentration. oh well ill pay more attention next time!

Most of the time I play poker because I really want to play and I'm up to the challenge. When that's the case multitabling helps me increase my focus, though it's only two or three tables.

Sometimes I catch myself playing poker just for something to do to pass the time. When this happens I eventually reach a point where, no matter how well or poorly I'm doing, I want to be doing something else. Those are never winning sessions. I think that's more an indication that I'm not playing MTTs with big enough buyins.

I totally love it! I'm adding this to my arsenal.

idk how music effects your play but i personally think that the music keeps me entertained while i play. so the music keeps me away from doing stuff like playing games and instead i focus on the table.

I actually do the same thing, although somewhat unintentionally and only on certain players (ultra agressive ones typically).
But cockiness like this comes naturally to me, so this is right up my alley. Ill just do it regularly from now on and add everone on the table to my commentary.
Nice.

Writing could work, but i cant see myself making it a habit. Plus ill end up drawing stuff. Good advice nontheless.
Im too into music, it will probably have the opposite effect. Maybe some other genres will help...
joeslick; i can relate to this...
thunder: you are not alone.
pifan: not even remotely close. Please dont try harder next time.

Good stuff people, thanks.

Wow, I never realized it, but I do all of those things. My mind needs way too much stimulation at once, and I thought that I could never be a successful online poker player until I just bit the bullet and went straight from one table to eight. That, combine with some cursing at my screen and some Alice in Chains has caused my game to improve ten-fold.

I would say try multitabling for a few sessions and see how you do?

Here is a post by a member that could help.

Its weird but it helps!

This happens to me from time to time so I tried to eliminate having to do anything but play poker even finding music videos on youtube throws me off my game of instead I load up my pandora and just play. The moment I feel I'm losing focus I start another session so that the rotation of hands is fast enough that I dont have time to browse the net.

...Or you can do what my roommate does and smoke a bowl lol not sure how well he plays afterwords but he says it makes him a million more times patient and focused.

Same here. I get caught up in CC and neglect my game. Do I need to stop CCing, then???

i used to get caught out with this wondering mind and the two things i found helpful were to listen to good music that you like and if you have poker chips learn to do tricks with them and being doing them while playing poker.it works for me anyway and the "thumb flip trick" is the one id do most of cos it only takes one hand to do and after a week or so you will be doing it without looking which helps force your attention back to the screen and becuse your hands are fidgeting with the chips it might work for you also

join in the skype group I'm on and we'll get you hooked up with poker tracker. which will let you know what your up against.
then we'll be online for you, to help you concentrate talking about your play.
plus: helped my game. won first in 45 man .25 game last nite.


let me know if interested.

skype name: stevencool11

I play guitar or banjo, means I dont have to look away from the table, otherwise I start watching videos of people hurting themselves.

I have this problem too. Seems like i'm in the zone or not. If I surf or watch SportsCenter or something I usually don't do well. Glad to see i'm not the only one.

I find my concentration is at its peak after a good long sleep.

If I play after work I find myself making plays I wouldnt if i was fresh at the table

play multitable so that there is always action. or simply try out the new rush poker. this will ensure that u will always have something to do. or perhaps play at a higher stakes to ensure more concentration

be yourself... listen some relaxing music... but turn off chat to be focused only at the poker table ..

GL

Haha this is awesome I am going to try this.

This is a big downfall for me also, so as per my roll allows it this week I am going to start pushing the amount of tables I play. At the moment is 4 will be 5 or 6 by tomorrow and hopefully up to 8 by next weekend. The most I have played is 6. I have read that when you play you should close all net tabs and close down your Instant Messengers. Also some types of music help me too.

Just turn off any programs you have up and put it to full screen so your not tempted.

maybe it is the background noises that gets you distracted, my friend had that same problem and he used an ear plug to drown out the noise, it help a lot.

I think I actually do better when I have a few distractions. If I'm just focusing on a game, then I get too wrapped up in it and feel I always have to be doing something, so it's hard to let a hand go.

What I really need is a window that would pop up anytime I try to commit more than about 15% of my stack which says "Are you sure you want to do that?" [Yes] [No] [Hell No!]

Make a game out of hand-reading, along with extensive note-taking.

As far as scratching sac goes.... perhaps take a shower before you begin playing... just sayin'...

Umm..... what names have you been calling me on the tables? ('cry-baby', 'whiner', 'sore-loser', 'ego-donk', .......??)