Final table

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

Pacing

StArDemonn said:

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

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Thank you for posting

Energy and focus are big issues with tournaments.

Doyle Brunson wrote an article in which he stated that he tries not to spend too much energy focusing in the early parts of a tournament so that he could have more focus and energy in the latter parts.

Our brain uses glucose to power itself. We need to be very careful that we keep an even level of glucose in our system be eating fruits- avoiding sugary drinks and not eating foods that cause insulin reactions.

Water is also very important. Do not let yourself get dehydrated. Sip water often.

Hope this helps

final table, is good

The final table is the most important, it is what will make the difference in your profitability, remember that you will play a final table for every 100 tournaments played and each position you raise at the final table the gain increases greatly when you are very tired, stop playing for 10 or 15 minutes or even longer, let the blinds go to pick up your chips, no problem, after a shower and a meal you return and still be at the final table with more energy

If I play in a tournament for a very long time, I don’t lose my concentration. I think about how much time I spent on all this and what awaits me in front of me. By any means, I hold on to not leave the tournament without a good prize. It encourages me.

I get tired as well, probably my own fault as I play so much during the day, so when I finally reach a Final Table, I am usually tired. I try to refocus, stand up and stretch a bit. When I fold, I focus on something else for a minute. Just try to keep your eyes on the prize and know that the final table wont take another 6 hours. I do think that a 5 minute break every hour is not enough. Maybe after 3 hours, they can make it ten minutes...Just an opinion of course.

It's hard for me to play at the final table too. Opponents of a higher level, and fatigue reduces concentration. Excitement for the result and much more.

I think most of the time and play the final table, at least until you have 3 players have to try to ward off the fear of wasting all.

StArDemonn said:

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

Click to expand...

If you're sitting for a long time - you're doing damage to your body. When you're playing poker for like 7 hours and you've reached the final table without performing physical excercises it means that you have more blood in your legs than usual and your blood pressure slows, so less oxygen reaches your brain.


You need to practice by playing single table SnGs. 4-6 tourneys at the same time, during 6-8 hours in a row. It's better to practice on slow-turbo speeds, and leave super turbo tourneys alone. ANd you have to do excersises during 5 minute breaks.

If it's late and you're falling asleep you also need to practice and find the best method for you to stay fresh and well thinking. Pushups and ice are doing great job for me. It's better to exclude coffee and drinks with added sugar. Good green tea is helpful, but not the bottled one, it's hard to find quality green tea that has a great taste without sugar, but it's possible. Drinking hot green tea and using ice cube to massage your face together with physical activity will keep you focused for a long time, without any damage for your heart and body in general... But it will be harder to fall asleep when the game is over.

I guess it's not only focus, I noticed that sometimes when I'm on the final table my mind would just tell me to take whatever risks because 8th or 9th is a good ranking already and I am tired, so I just go all in without having a strong hand. It's like my brain tricks me to quit. so I been seriously working on this lately. poker is a mental sport and in any other sport stamina is important.

Think so

It'll be a final table, but what is it, when thinking anyhow a tournament is practice of a cash game, I neither be tense nor get tired.

Being a big stack, you can put pressure on all players, but your main goal should be medium stacks, since the risk to reward ratio for them at this stage is skewed towards risk, and in some situations they may have “hands tied”. Doubling does not double their equity in the tournament, while a departure from the tournament, when there are three or four shorter stacks left after them, costs them a lot of money. Therefore, in order to take risks, they need to be significantly ahead. Coinflip ICM exposure at this stage is close to suicide for them.Medium Stack StrategyBeing a medium stack, your goal, of course, is to fill a large stack! Now that we have stated the obvious, the key question is how to do this. Attack those who are in the same situation as you. As mentioned above, their hands are also tied.Short Stack Strategy To get back on track, with a short stack on the final table, you need to take risks. Since you have almost nothing to lose, you can feel comfortable taking these risks, but you still should not be foolish.

I think concentration is key here. I have never played tournaments that are as long as you mentioned, but I think you need to find a way to focus. Make sure you are well rested and equipped with some snacks and drinks nearby.

StArDemonn said:

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

Click to expand...

I get the same thing. Almost every time I get to final table I bust! Trying to fix my game though.

Final table concentration is key.

I think one of the big things when we hit the final table, is to keep our patience. I know sometimes we have to be more aggressive when the players dwindle, but it is still important to not have the perception of playing every hand. Pick your spots.

I usually play the final table of the tournament doing all-in or fold, large game stacks are only the first 2-3 players, the rest are all sitting with short stacks, to bet 2bb with a short stack is pointless, because the other short stack in most cases puts all-in, and you will have to call, or fold and lose 2bb.

Yesterday was at the final table 6 max, an effective stack of 10bb, there are only push fold rules and good luck

Water, water and sleep.

Typically when I make the Final table I tend to be one of the shorter stacks at the table. When this is the case I either push all in or fold pre flop til I get a top 10 starting hand. If I happen to have a healthy stack at the final table I open my range a little bit but still play tight. Hope this helps and you start to find some success at the Final table.

It' really frustrating being lucky and having a good run , then start making one mistake after the other and get busted . Especially , the closer you are towards the Ft the more it hurts . Being at the FT and making a huge mistake is really devastating , but if it's just a bad beat , ofcourse it's sad moment , but I will get over it

StArDemonn said:

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

Click to expand...

I usually when I get to the final table, a second wind and so.. I think if you're too tired to do the workout at least once per hour, it helps the body and brain again to feel energetic! Good luck at the final tables, my friend!

If I feel like I am struggling to concentrate I sit out for a couple of hands. Better than losing it all and can give a second wind. I also sometimes do this immediately after breaks, for the same reason.

StArDemonn said:

I always play bad at the final table,last night I played for 6 hours hit the final table but busted in 8th ...I was very tired and the breaks are just very short I Don't know how to focus.This morning I watched my hands and spots and man I coulnd see a worst player than me.How u have energy after a long session how you? How u manage the final table?

Click to expand...

I agree with other posters about hydration.

Also eating healthy food that is low in sugar should help keep your energy up. And being healthy the day before the tournament is key also.

It sounds like you might have been better off just getting up and leave your seat sitting out. Not that this is a great strategy but if too tired to keep your eyes open or if brain fog has taken you over and you can't think....it is an alternative to just playing badly.

Good luck !