struggling to concentrate just now for long sessions?

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indahood193

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hi all, haven't posted on this for a while, just been grinding a lot and things have been going pretty well over all. something that i have been struggling with recently though is being unable to play longer sessions. about a month or two ago my average full day session would be start playing around 2.30 pm and keep regging until around 10/11 pm, then play out whatever tournaments i had left. however after a few hours i have found my concentration and 'A game' totally goes after 3 or 4 hours, so i either stop regging or keep regging and play my C/ D game, which is never good.

so instead i have started regging around 6pm, just in time to late reg some of my favourite tournies, and so i can still play the biggest ones of the day. i have tried playing early/ middle/ and late during the one day, but overall i think my game is at it's best when i do not cut a day in to 3 different sessions ans just play one, well prepared session starting during the middle of the day. one other thing i have been doing is not regging to reg speed tournies once i feel my concentration slipping, so just play turbos. as reg speeds are easy to get bored of once you can't concentrate, and with quickly increasing blinds it is easier for me to focus on turbos at the end of a session.

so anyway, these are just kind of short term fixes, i was wondering if anybody had some sort of solution to this problem? i think it may just be take a week off and not play at all? but i haven't done this in about 6 months, and even then it wasn't a full week i think. i usually play 5/6 days a week. has anyone else experienced this? thanks for any answers in advance.
 
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RamdeeBen

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I've found this usually happens after a big upswing as daft as it sounds. Very hard to keep motivated and keep playing. Like in November, I had a 5k upswing or something, then beginning of December and since I've struggled to get motivated to play much at all. Not sure if it's because Christmas was a factor but I've noticed this happen in the past before with results/motivation.

I know if I break even, or don't run great and can play out in huge long sessions. As soon as I start winning a few tournaments in quick succession for a decent bankroll boast, I struggle. Maybe you're the same, I dunno but I do know generally people grind out constantly when losing and stop when winning! Stupid really when you think about it as you would think your A game and motivation would be an all time high when winning.
 
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baudib1

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I'm someone who used to play a ton of MTTs, and I got burned out really quickly on them.

This advice isn't going to be for everyone, and may not be what you want to hear. I'm not really an MTT player anymore, so take it with a grain of salt:

1. Try playing other forms of poker. Start at the smallest stakes obviously. Play stud or razz or PLO, mixed games. SNGs. HUSNGs. Something that will keep your interest, because you are learning a new game, so it won't seem too routine and you won't get bored easily. At the heart of it, all poker games are the same: You need to make correct decisions, develop reads, etc. It helps the poker brain to branch out a bit, and I bet you will find that learning other games will also teach you things about playing NL MTTs.

2. You may not like this, but I firmly believe that almost no one should regularly grind MTTs in large volume. The variance in MTTs is insane. Downswings can be monstrous. MTTs are easily the most frustrating form of poker to play. You're trapped within the time constraints. Missing a hand to go to the bathroom is a minor disaster. MTTs are endurance tests, and drain the soul.

If you find your concentration lagging but you still want to play a ton of MTTs, you might want to try brain exercises, or meditation.
 
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I like to vary the varieties I play. Omaha is a favorite when Holdem becomes tedious. I have actually done very well in Carbon with Omaha tournys at 2 and 5 buy in. Micro stakes I know, but Omaha can be either a BR builder or a buster. Im going to try a Stud game later, just to see.
 
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cotta777

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Some very good points here.

I am with Ramdeebam on maintaining focus is harder having a big upswing is one factor that can distract me.
as the bankroll grows I tend to spend I reward myself by investing more into large fields chasing that big win.

I also dont feel the benifit of winning a 45man mtt. Its like I've just made another $40 in the last 2 hours so what I have just under 1k.
I will get a big sloppy and can be found guilty of fancy play syndrome

Its not just tilt and overplaying that can effect your focus there are a number of factors.
including your surroundings
 
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cotta777

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I'm someone who used to play a ton of MTTs, and I got burned out really quickly on them.

This advice isn't going to be for everyone, and may not be what you want to hear. I'm not really an MTT player anymore, so take it with a grain of salt:

1. Try playing other forms of poker. Start at the smallest stakes obviously. Play stud or razz or PLO, mixed games. SNGs. HUSNGs. Something that will keep your interest, because you are learning a new game, so it won't seem too routine and you won't get bored easily. At the heart of it, all poker games are the same: You need to make correct decisions, develop reads, etc. It helps the poker brain to branch out a bit, and I bet you will find that learning other games will also teach you things about playing NL MTTs.

2. You may not like this, but I firmly believe that almost no one should regularly grind MTTs in large volume. The variance in MTTs is insane. Downswings can be monstrous. MTTs are easily the most frustrating form of poker to play. You're trapped within the time constraints. Missing a hand to go to the bathroom is a minor disaster. MTTs are endurance tests, and drain the soul.

If you find your concentration lagging but you still want to play a ton of MTTs, you might want to try brain exercises, or meditation.


This is really useful!
thank you,
Im planning to just play cash when I get back to poker next year
 
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indahood193

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I've found this usually happens after a big upswing as daft as it sounds. Very hard to keep motivated and keep playing. Like in November, I had a 5k upswing or something, then beginning of December and since I've struggled to get motivated to play much at all. Not sure if it's because Christmas was a factor but I've noticed this happen in the past before with results/motivation.

I know if I break even, or don't run great and can play out in huge long sessions. As soon as I start winning a few tournaments in quick succession for a decent bankroll boast, I struggle. Maybe you're the same, I dunno but I do know generally people grind out constantly when losing and stop when winning! Stupid really when you think about it as you would think your A game and motivation would be an all time high when winning.

thanks for the reply, i've played once or twice with you recently. yeah i feel this is definitely true, my winning sessions are usually a lot shorter because i will stop regging tournies to focus on the one i am doing well in. where as if i am doing bad i will keep regging to give myself the 'best chance' to get a good score.

however i feel that this is a bit different, usually like 3-4 hours in my mind will feel like it's almost gone, as stupid as that sounds. i am unable to focus and sometimes can't be bothered playing out a tourny and end up making stupid mistakes because i want to be doing something else. at the start of the session i am really motivated to play, however.

maybe it is some form of 'burn out' but tbh i feel in a great mood to play at the start of the session, but just after a couple of hours i am at the exact opposite end of the spectrum. where as a couple of months ago i played like a 19 hour session and regular 12+ now i am lucky to play more than 7, and this is only maybe 3-4 hours of regging and then playing out any tournies i have still going.
 
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indahood193

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I'm someone who used to play a ton of MTTs, and I got burned out really quickly on them.

This advice isn't going to be for everyone, and may not be what you want to hear. I'm not really an MTT player anymore, so take it with a grain of salt:

1. Try playing other forms of poker. Start at the smallest stakes obviously. Play stud or razz or PLO, mixed games. SNGs. HUSNGs. Something that will keep your interest, because you are learning a new game, so it won't seem too routine and you won't get bored easily. At the heart of it, all poker games are the same: You need to make correct decisions, develop reads, etc. It helps the poker brain to branch out a bit, and I bet you will find that learning other games will also teach you things about playing NL MTTs.

2. You may not like this, but I firmly believe that almost no one should regularly grind MTTs in large volume. The variance in MTTs is insane. Downswings can be monstrous. MTTs are easily the most frustrating form of poker to play. You're trapped within the time constraints. Missing a hand to go to the bathroom is a minor disaster. MTTs are endurance tests, and drain the soul.

If you find your concentration lagging but you still want to play a ton of MTTs, you might want to try brain exercises, or meditation.


thanks for your reply, was great. i think the last point you made about brain exercises or meditation might actually be the sort of thing that is required. i am not in any way bored of mtt's, i am really raring to go and excited at the start of a session. but there comes a point way too early in the session where this goes and is replaced by me becoming almost irritable and distracted, and unable to concentrate. it is frustrating because i feel unable to fully put in a days 'work' when playing.

yeah mtt's are deffoo not easy, but i love them and can't see myself doing anything else. i find cash/ sng's etc pretty boring. i don't mind playing them for an hour or so every so often to sharpen my deep stack playing (in cash) or kind of final table/ short handed than a 9 handed sng replicates (with out any $ effect of course.) i deal with the downswings fairly well as well, as well as the upswings. i don't get complacent when i do well, keep watching videos etc and only gradually increase the $ filter i have on, so i can't reg for tournies above a certain amount unless i Satellite them. likewise with downswings i will decrease the filter.

for example in May i deposited $300 on pokerstars after going up and down and winning/ losing. got it up to a peak of $8k including one or two withdrawls, then lost a bit/ withdrew a bit and transferred some over to Full Tilt. so left myself just over $5k, i had the filter on at around $35. then was down to $1.8k at my lowest point, where i had decreased the filter to $15 (this was at the end of October.) then went on a massive upswing and got up to over $12k in the next 1 3/4 months. lost like $1k the past week but still pretty happy overall. although i only remember the last couple of sessions so not as happy as i maybe should be haha. i currently have the filter at $35 which is a bit nitty but i play a lot of tournies, so if i had it at say, $60, or even $100 (going by 100 bi's) then i could rapidly lose my roll. and anyway, i have sat'd in to basically all the biggest tournies anyway and the normal ones of around $100 have tougher fields anyway. so there's no rush. bought in to a $109 turbo the other night because i do quite well in turbos and wanted to see what the tourny was like. this is the highest i have bought in to, although i've sat'd in to higher. the players are pretty decent and don't spew off chips bar maybe the odd 1 fish at each table. ran A K in to KK and AQ in 3 way ai. didn't flop miracle A :(

anyway, i think i am pretty suited to mtt's and can handle the variance over all. but yeah i will dabble in to PLO cash, sng's and NL cash etc occassionally. i think brain training or something similar is what may be needed.
 
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indahood193

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I like to vary the varieties I play. Omaha is a favorite when Holdem becomes tedious. I have actually done very well in Carbon with Omaha tournys at 2 and 5 buy in. Micro stakes I know, but Omaha can be either a BR builder or a buster. Im going to try a Stud game later, just to see.

yeah i like Omaha too. played cash once or twice but prefer the mtt's where i have done decent in them. tried omaha hi/lo the other week. 9 handed played it for about 5 mins and left out of boredom haha. played a omaha cash deep ante though and lost like 3 bi's including a 3 way all in for like 6 bi's haha. variance in it is pretty huge. recovered some the next day though because i needed to redeem myself haha.
 
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indahood193

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Some very good points here.

I am with Ramdeebam on maintaining focus is harder having a big upswing is one factor that can distract me.
as the bankroll grows I tend to spend I reward myself by investing more into large fields chasing that big win.

I also dont feel the benifit of winning a 45man mtt. Its like I've just made another $40 in the last 2 hours so what I have just under 1k.
I will get a big sloppy and can be found guilty of fancy play syndrome

Its not just tilt and overplaying that can effect your focus there are a number of factors.
including your surroundings

yeah i don't like anyone being in contact/ near me when i am playing haha. i just like to be in my room with music and my laptop/ monitor. when people come in it can slightly tilt me, or when someone phones me as well sometimes i will just ignore it and phone them back later on.

i think when you don't feel any satisfaction from winning it is time to stop playing for the day because you are going to not be taking the tournies seriously enough and end up playing sloppily.
 
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