How do you stay in the "thinking" mode?

When you are playing a poker session how do you keep from not auto piloting and making "automatic" moves? I find myself too often playing my own cards and not considering a range of the opponent or what check/bet/raise would be best for the situation. This mostly happens later in sessions and mostly when multi-tabling. What I want to know is if you have a routine or some sort of a reminder each hand to get you thinking effectively. I catch myself not thinking and notice it in the trends of my sessions as I usually start off really well and a few hundred hands in it starts to slope off.

I also believe this is the reason I am more successful in SnG's than cash games because less flop strategy and play is required and i also play less tables at a time.

Suggestions and advice is needed!
thanks in advance

Maybe just play shorter sessions?

Think of it like multi-tabling; you start by adding one, play like that for a while, then try 3 tables for a while, ect. You might need to build up endurance in the same manner.

Your concentration might be just tailing off after a certain number of hands, so when you start to feel that, just end the session. There's no point playing when you're not on your best game. Over time, that point might start to come later and later.

There's other possibilities, like a checklist which includes position/cards/reads or stats, draws on the board that you could have printed out, and after a certain amount of time you could try forcing yourself to go through the checklist. For me, I don't know if that would work but everyone's brain system works differently.

Turn off the TV, reduce the number of tables you're playing, take frequent breaks, and think about taking alternative lines all the time. I play my worst when I get in that autopilot mode. Just try to stay aware and think about all the range of possibilities in a hand.

Good question for me too -- I find myself doing the same sort of thing -- sort of zoning and just playing the cards and not the table. That's when I make the biggest mistakes, like calling an all-in when I hit top pair QQ with AQ in the hole, not realizing the other guy probably made a set (as happened last night). Like ChuckTs says... get rid of the distractions. I don't mind the TV being on (it usually is if the wife is watching) because I can tune it out, but Lord knows to be a good spouse you have to focus when the better half is talking so you don't end up wondering why the kids are all suddenly taking ballet lessons.

One thing I've learned - when playing poker (that is, playing a game/tourney that I care about), I only drink non-alcoholic beverages. I know a lot of folks say drinking (and toking for some I reckon) mellows them, but for me, at least, that's a sure path to lack of focus, especially in long tourneys.

ChuckTs said:

Turn off the TV, reduce the number of tables you're playing, take frequent breaks, and think about taking alternative lines all the time. I play my worst when I get in that autopilot mode. Just try to stay aware and think about all the range of possibilities in a hand.

Click to expand...

^this

ask yourself: am i crushing now? if not, why not?

My problem now. I just can't concentrate after 1-2 hours of play. I get to paid places and loose my mind. Starting make a lot of mistakes, trying to refresh the game, make it interesting. If the tournament has 5000-7000 people, I get to 700 place. If 500-700 I get to 20.

I was recommended to play shorter sessions (as you here were). Or sit out for 10 minutes, just walk around - relax. Or bet with someone that I'll get higher than fifth place)))

Taking regular breaks and setting goals, like "now I want to move up by 10 positions in chipcount list". A break is what you really need, to set your brain to some other thing than poker.