Playing your "A Game".

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DS3

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A post the other day queried the length of playing sessions. Interesting question that drew interesting answers. However, I’d like to drill a little deeper.

How long can youplay your ‘A Game’ within a given session?

Some months ago I was able to play longish sessions day after day and I extended my regular play to around 8 to 9 hours with fairly minimal breaks. The quality of my play did not strike much as it was in a practice environment and I was winning in that context.

However, a few weeks ago I was listening to Olivier Busquets new podcast and one issue he spoke about (many interesting reveals) was though he is in his 30’s and very fit, he does not like pushing a poker session more than 3 hours. He feels the qulaity of his play falls off. So he has a morning session, then breaks for several hours and exercises, attends to other items, then returns for another evening session depending on mood, feel etc. The second session is limited also.

It sounded weak to me when I first heard the detail of his play. But, it kept niggling me as I played and became more aware playing a long session was one thing, playing my ‘A Game’ another.

Ironically, I have come to realize that I can keep very focused for approximately the same time, three hours, but then can struggle mightily on some days to concentrate longer - sleep, food, mental game etc. all factor in.

Obviously there are days and tournaments where we desire/need to play longer hours however, becoming aware of when I am dragging and making sub-optimal decisions has quickly become something of an eye opener to me. Kidding myself I can endure endless hours at the table was flawed and I hope the revelation leads to future improvements in the decision making process.

So, to the members, how long do you feel you can maintain very good focus and play your‘A Game’ within a session?
 
MrPokerVerse

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I prefer around a 125 person field in a MTT. Looking at a couple of hours for the FT and about an hour once there. Seems to work best for me. Quit playing those during a work week and stay with a 6 man SnG. First few years was better for me with large MTT fields but find myself getting disinterested after about 5 or 6 hours.

Never spent a lot time playing cash online so the SnG are about it during the week.
 
rj_montana

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I start to slide after a few hours which is why I like to take breaks in between and do something else. For the same reason as Pokerverse the 5-6+ hour MTTs are challenging... momentary lapse and all the work is gone ...
 
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Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, my wake up call (after Busquet's comment wormed into my brain) was making 4 big unforced errors over a period of a few days. Nobody outplayed me. I set myself up and walked into a brick wall several times because I had 'decided' to make a marginal play and then paid the consequences.

I'd developed a habit of letting such errors go...but these were tired and unnecessary choices which needed to be seen for what they were, mistakes.
 
Newzooozooo

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Hi.
Poker is a hobby for me, so I play for my own enjoyment. Usually, my tournaments last 2-3 hours a day. That is enough for me.
Good luck.
 
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63burner

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" A" game doesn't last, have to remember that..

Beginning of a tourney, cash game, you're "fresh", focused, it's all good. Seems like the high last about 45 minutes. The high continues, at a lesser peak, if you get good/playable cards.

I am pickier now, no more MTT that take 3 hours to get to FT, Prefer MTT of less than 200 or SNG.
 
Eric Salvador

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If I eat at the table, sleep good the night before and I’m in good shape. I’d say 12 hours. But anything past that my game and focus suffer.
 
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My personal limit is around 3 hours in weekdays after work and 4 hours if i play during weekend fresh. My longest session was live and it was around 8 hours. Generally it is very different for different people.
 
A fox 666

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This has long been proven - the longer the game session lasts, the worse your results become. Lost concentration, physical and mental fatigue accumulate. For me, the most optimal option is a session of no more than 4 hours, then a break for the same 4 hours, and the second call to 4 hours.
 
BlackJesus

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Something like 3 hours would be fair assessment. However, during those 3 hours usually it is visible if some promising prospects turn up. Then, if I am deep in a tournament, I focus on that table I have made Final table or very far. In such cases I can prolong my A game, but after the tourney I must take a good rest. It is good practice to reward yourself if you have made a good poker session. Having a rest includes that.
 
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Thanks for all the replies guys.

Yeah, if running well I think it is easier to maintain a higher level of play for a somewhat extended period. Otherwise it seems like this informal poll might suggest three to four hours is a fairly good session after which concentration can deteriorate quite quickly. Again, appreciate the feedback!
 
thetick33

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this is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tooooo wide open ive had 48 hour sessions where had my A ++ game most days though i do not even have my A game.... the thing is to be a success in poker you need your C game to be good enough to win on most days... in poker there is the luck factor you need some luck everyone does even if that means your getting playable cards to get confidence going momentum etc...

key is to know your limitations and when to walk cause for any reason your not at a good level and your losing chips or cash.... this is the hardest part in poker success.... if you can read these times you will increase your bankroll a lot easier
 
antonis32123

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Playing your Agame for a long period of time is hard . But for sure , when you play your A game , then playing poker is really awesome and worths the time and money invested . It's really magical when you are 100% focused and you make the right decisions one after the other , getting closer to the FT and the win . That feeling when you run amazingly towards victory and you can feel it almost all the way or towards the end of a game .
 
Poker Orifice

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It really depends upon what format you are playing.
Guys who are playing Hypers (6max hyper turbo sng format) & guys who are HU SNG specialists typically break up their sessions into shorter segments. ALL MTT players typically have a schedule where it's 8+ hrs. per session.

I wouldn't want to play an 8hr. session while 4-tabling 6max ZOOM but for MTT's it is no problem at all. I actually feel like I'm just getting warmed up by the 4th break.

fwiw, Busquet was an online HU SnG specialist. (I'm guessing /assuming his reference to short sessions was while playing this format).
These days Olivier lives in NJ and plays full-time hours playing $1k nl
 
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molokheia

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Hi There

Really i prefer 45 players game and turbo speed
It takes abt 1 hour or so
But i can stand a game to last 3,4 or 5 hours too
Rgds
 
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I make the thing I play for more than 5 hours a day a principle.

When playing only that, I think some new things can be grasped.
 
Phoenix Wright

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I can play several hours of poker myself and feel fine as well, but there are studies out there which indicate that the human brain can really only handle "A game" focus to mentally straining tasks for about 20 minutes at a time. After this amount of time, you drop in concentration slightly even if you don't notice. How much longer can you play decent for? It depends on practice and training to last longer at your "A game" but "A+ game" is always only about 20 minutes maximum.

As someone into lots of mentally tasking things (poker, academics, chess and so on), I am always aware of my mental fatigue and if/when a small break or refresher is needed. Other than the obvious training and practice, I think the trick is to create your own "mini-breaks" even during the game. By "mini-break" I mean it could be a few seconds at the poker table to take some deep breaths, drink a sip or two of water, or even to walk around the poker table a bit when you are not in a hand - anything to give your focus and brain a moment or two. Yes, focusing even when not in the hand is helpful, but mental refreshers are important too and I find that one key to playing a longer "A game" is to find the balance of "mini-breaks" and levels of focus in the game.
 
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enzomyn

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A post the other day queried the length of playing sessions. Interesting question that drew interesting answers. However, I’d like to drill a little deeper.

How long can youplay your ‘A Game’ within a given session?

Some months ago I was able to play longish sessions day after day and I extended my regular play to around 8 to 9 hours with fairly minimal breaks. The quality of my play did not strike much as it was in a practice environment and I was winning in that context.

However, a few weeks ago I was listening to Olivier Busquets new podcast and one issue he spoke about (many interesting reveals) was though he is in his 30’s and very fit, he does not like pushing a poker session more than 3 hours. He feels the qulaity of his play falls off. So he has a morning session, then breaks for several hours and exercises, attends to other items, then returns for another evening session depending on mood, feel etc. The second session is limited also.

It sounded weak to me when I first heard the detail of his play. But, it kept niggling me as I played and became more aware playing a long session was one thing, playing my ‘A Game’ another.

Ironically, I have come to realize that I can keep very focused for approximately the same time, three hours, but then can struggle mightily on some days to concentrate longer - sleep, food, mental game etc. all factor in.

Obviously there are days and tournaments where we desire/need to play longer hours however, becoming aware of when I am dragging and making sub-optimal decisions has quickly become something of an eye opener to me. Kidding myself I can endure endless hours at the table was flawed and I hope the revelation leads to future improvements in the decision making process.

So, to the members, how long do you feel you can maintain very good focus and play your‘A Game’ within a session?

Hello Friend. Good night. This subject about the duration of the sessions is complicated, as it will really vary from the organism and the experience that the player has. Anyway, with me, the sessions only work up to 04 hours, after that, my game is affected by tiredness, however, I try to improve this aspect, since I want to play big and lasting tournaments soon.
 
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It really depends upon what format you are playing.
Guys who are playing Hypers (6max hyper turbo sng format) & guys who are HU SNG specialists typically break up their sessions into shorter segments. ALL MTT players typically have a schedule where it's 8+ hrs. per session.

I wouldn't want to play an 8hr. session while 4-tabling 6max ZOOM but for MTT's it is no problem at all. I actually feel like I'm just getting warmed up by the 4th break.

fwiw, Busquet was an online HU SnG specialist. (I'm guessing /assuming his reference to short sessions was while playing this format).
These days Olivier lives in NJ and plays full-time hours playing $1k nl

No, actually this is Olivier Busquet's present schedule as he detailed in a podcast.
 
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DS3

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I can play several hours of poker myself and feel fine as well, but there are studies out there which indicate that the human brain can really only handle "A game" focus to mentally straining tasks for about 20 minutes at a time. After this amount of time, you drop in concentration slightly even if you don't notice. How much longer can you play decent for? It depends on practice and training to last longer at your "A game" but "A+ game" is always only about 20 minutes maximum.

As someone into lots of mentally tasking things (poker, academics, chess and so on), I am always aware of my mental fatigue and if/when a small break or refresher is needed. Other than the obvious training and practice, I think the trick is to create your own "mini-breaks" even during the game. By "mini-break" I mean it could be a few seconds at the poker table to take some deep breaths, drink a sip or two of water, or even to walk around the poker table a bit when you are not in a hand - anything to give your focus and brain a moment or two. Yes, focusing even when not in the hand is helpful, but mental refreshers are important too and I find that one key to playing a longer "A game" is to find the balance of "mini-breaks" and levels of focus in the game.

Sounds like a good suggestion Pheonix Wright.

The original post was 6 months ago, but I am still working on finding a good balance. Admittedly this past several months has included a lot of distractions, particularly of late, but when I can re-settle into a schedule I will attempt to be more mindful of conscious 'mini-breaks' - they could only be a positive!
 
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