Tournament Preparation.........

Hey everyone I played in a tourney last night at the bicycle casino and played for 6 hours and still didn't make the money... Yeah that's insane but I was doing so good but physically and mentally I gave up after the six hours of play... I was actually playing poker since 3 hours before and had driven from vegas to L.A. the night before.. I think Neither one was any good for me because I should have known I had a long night ahead of me.... Bummer...


So what type of things (physically and mentally) do you do to prepare yourself for a live tourney where you know you're going to be there for a long period of time??? Extra sleep??? Extra reading??? I like to hear your opinions... Thanks everyone in advance for their time and thoughts....

it depends were i am playing if im at home on the internet i like to get a shower feel refreshed for a hard long game if i have to travel i like to get there a couple of days before and go check out the place im playing at see wat its like and things like that.
P.S AND EATS LOTS BEFORE HAND SO I DONT GET HUNGRY LOL

Ehhh I played in such big tourny, but usually I dont have enough patience for it. :-) Everyone is cautious, nothing happens for hours, everybody wins/lose little so I get bored after a while.

I think a loooooong sleep is good before the match.

The longest live tourney I've been in was 6 1/2 hours. I didn't really prepare for it in any special way, but I did make good use of the ten minute breaks. I got some fluids and even stretched out a little. You gotta make sure you keep that blood flowing.

well number one thing is make sure your in a VERY happy mood..cant play well when your depressed or other things are on ya mind.

make sure you have had enough sleep..that way you dont get tired obv.

i personally like to listen to music while i play..helps pump me up

Get good rest, eat well (healthy), stay away from energy drinks because you will crash after a while.

I haven't read the other responses so I apologize if I repeat anything.

I listen to upbeat music before the tournament to get me pumped and in the mood.
I eat right before the tournament starts (and have a smoke) so I don't have to be distracted with a growling stomach.
If I know in advance I am playing in a big tournament, I try and get a good nights sleep the night before.
I try to not put myself in any situations that may affect my mood in a negative way. Like I won't have a serious discussion with my husband or kids before hand.
I always have my ipod with me and don't allow myself to get into any deep conversations with other at the table. I don't allow any distractions.
I prefer to not have a friend with me when I play, they are a distraction and if they take a bad beat, their negative stories may affect my mojo.
I despise missing lp plays but if I find myself getting tired or impatient, this is one of the few times I allow myself to take a break while the tourney is in progress. I will leave right after my sb and take a walk around the casino, go to the bathroom and splash cold water on face, have a smoke, etc;

hehe...hey Storm - you're like 4 post shy of 1000 posts...CHEERS!

I would say, if u really love poker and its your life, then start to improve your stamina of focusing long hours...
And the trick to improve it is, play ONLY to get to the top position or at least final table, but not for the money.That way, u wont be dissapointed even after u lose after 6 hrs...
Cause if u have played for 6hrs, u may or may not get you the money, but i am very sure that if u have stayed in the game for 6 hrs, you would have really finished in a respectable position...

And if u play poker for money, then go by storms advice buddy...

thanks for the advice everyone.. I think I'll be doing a lot more of the stuff everyone recommended to prepare myself for long hours of play...

Wow! I like your problems. Las Vegas is one of my dreams too but I will came from Hungary to check that place. It will be a much more longest trip than driving from LA. So yes, you need more patience when you play live than online. Much more, I see, it's like when you play for 5 hours online, you reach the final table but suddenly you lose all of your patience. You want cards, you want flops.. I know that feeling . Well, if you ask me I sometimes using green tea for that problem, for increasing patience that way.

Green tea, that's a good one.. I never thought about that one.... Hopefully I can prepare myself next time so I won't crash after a few hours... This was actually the longest live tourney I ever played and I didn't expect it to last that long... My mistake of not looking at the tournament structure before...

Live tourneys are grueling. Get plenty of sleep the night before, and maybe some exercise in the morn. You need to be both alert and relaxed. Patience is huge, but, live, you can watch the other players and try to figure them out. So it's not like there is nothing to do while waiting for playable hands in position.

I will leave the table to walk around if I need to -- but only while in middle position. Don't waste that late position advantage.

I am not sure I could take a tourney like the big big ones that last for days.

Eat, sleep, relax, go to the bathroom, bring fluids with you to the tables, take your meds, listen to upbeat music, wear comfortable clothing, eliminate distractions, and maybe a little Ginkoba for concentration?

u can do anything that gives u a good shape for a long tournament ... for example, i don/t play poker in the dat before the tournament

I never play online the day before a live tourney that I know will take awhile.