When playing long tournements or start going deep, playing 2 or more hours, to beat bordem or destractions I listen to my ipod or play games like angry birds. What do you guys do durnung tournments?

Originally Posted by fordman427

When playing long tournements or start going deep, playing 2 or more hours, to beat bordem or destractions I listen to my ipod or play games like angry birds. What do you guys do durnung tournments?

I wouldn't advise playing any other games

I think it is okay in the early stages to do a few things like listen to music or have the tv on . I wouldn't be playing angry birds - something like that is way too distracting.

During the later stages you shouldn't be doing anything else - you should be totally focused on the tournament.

Originally Posted by dakota-xx

I think it is okay in the early stages to do a few things like listen to music or have the tv on . I wouldn't be playing angry birds - something like that is way too distracting.

During the later stages you shouldn't be doing anything else - you should be totally focused on the tournament.

Yea I agree, when the tournament gets towards the end you should be extremely focused OP. I usually play some music in the background, but nothing else, otherwise I can't play my best.

I tell my wife I love you but please leave me alone for a while , forcefully .

Pull up a SnG or anything else so you don't hyper-focus on one event. I used to actually watch television programs on my computer when I was grinding tournies.

I ran really well through all seasons of "Buffy".

trying to focus on the tournament but eventually get bored i usually have tv on from start to end not that i watch all the time tho lol but just to have it on i guess its a habit and some i got used to not sure if thats very wrong or bad? IF i get "lucky" going deep i will turn tv bit down tho xD

if im only playing 1 table ill usually review a hh or watch a training vid at the same time

If tournaments bore you - which i totally understand - there's a simple fix for that: don't play tournaments. There's always a nice cash table waiting for you where you can sit down anytime you want and from which you can leave anytime you want.

I watch the play, take mental notes on the players, look for my spots, wait for good hands in position, play bad hands once in a while to mix up my table image...wait for the bullies to push when I have the nuts...those are a few of the things I do...lol I find I play better if I focus on the tournament most of the time... sometimes, I do sit out for a bit (early on) if there is a large field....

Originally Posted by coyotegal

I watch the play, take mental notes on the players, look for my spots, wait for good hands in position, play bad hands once in a while to mix up my table image...wait for the bullies to push when I have the nuts...those are a few of the things I do...lol I find I play better if I focus on the tournament most of the time... sometimes, I do sit out for a bit (early on) if there is a large field....

Same but I sometimes listen to music.

Originally Posted by BelgoSuisse

If tournaments bore you - which i totally understand - there's a simple fix for that: don't play tournaments. There's always a nice cash table waiting for you where you can sit down anytime you want and from which you can leave anytime you want.

:lol: thats not a fix yes there is always a cash game waiting on taking your money lol j/k. some low music in background can be quite nice to.

Originally Posted by seqas

:lol: thats not a fix

Of course that's a fix. Tournaments ARE boring. Intrinsically boring. The best fix for that is to stop playing tournnaments! I mean, come on. You're supposedly playing poker for fun and that fun is so boring you need to find something else to do at the same time? Does not compute...

Originally Posted by spstevens

I tell my wife I love you but please leave me alone for a while , forcefully .

+1 and too boot, I usually say GOD almighty get the kids out of the house or something

Yesterday I watched Curb your Enthusiasm episodes while playing the super deep Merge 11 dollar.

169 players and nearly 4 hours to the money....never again.

Originally Posted by BelgoSuisse

Of course that's a fix. Tournaments ARE boring. Intrinsically boring. The best fix for that is to stop playing tournnaments! I mean, come on. You're supposedly playing poker for fun and that fun is so boring you need to find something else to do at the same time? Does not compute...

well, it is fun but when not much action it can get "tired" and "bored" it wouldnt matter if it was cash games either i think. for me i would say there is an explanation on it. but thats another story.

Originally Posted by A2345Razz

Yesterday I watched Curb your Enthusiasm episodes while playing the super deep Merge 11 dollar.

169 players and nearly 4 hours to the money....never again.

you didnt cash any or?

Originally Posted by seqas

well, it is fun but when not much action it can get "tired" and "bored" it wouldnt matter if it was cash games either i think. for me i would say there is an explanation on it. but thats another story.

Playing cash you can start and stop at any time, and you can add or remove tables at any time, so there is no reason whatsoever to play tired or bored. Tournaments are the exact opposite. So yes, it matters a lot. cash >>>>> tournaments fun-wise ainec.

Originally Posted by seqas

well, it is fun but when not much action it can get "tired" and "bored" it wouldnt matter if it was cash games either i think. for me i would say there is an explanation on it. but thats another story.



you didnt cash any or?

I played over 3 hours and didnt get all that close...TT< QQ, super standard stuff.

It was still not on the bubble at 4:03 in...wow...thats simply too deep imho; im not sure why Merge cant offer low/micro buyin MTTs with the same deep/superstacked structure FTP had. Those were fun and deep enough imho.

Originally Posted by A2345Razz

It was still not on the bubble at 4:03 in...wow...thats simply too deep imho; im not sure why Merge cant offer low/micro buyin MTTs with the same deep/superstacked structure FTP had. Those were fun and deep enough imho.

If you enjoy playing deep, you should stop playing donkaments and join the cash tables instead. Blinds don't go up there, so you can play deep as long as you want.

Originally Posted by BelgoSuisse

If you enjoy playing deep, you should stop playing donkaments and join the cash tables instead. Blinds don't go up there, so you can play deep as long as you want.

some people like tournaments, some are better at it. you like cash everyone gets it

Originally Posted by spstevens

I tell my wife I love you but please leave me alone for a while , forcefully .

then she puts on this french m aid outfit and I'm all in...no wait thats what i do....ok sorry please continue...and please in the future keep mu trigger words out of your posts...lol

Originally Posted by duggs

some people like tournaments, some are better at it. you like cash everyone gets it

I get that some people like playing tournaments. I mean, some people enjoy the slowness of it, or the fact they have to commit countless hours to them, or the low skill high luck factor once the stacks get shallow. I think that's masochism, but I get that some people do like that and that's fine.

What I don't understand is people complaining about those things that are inherently part of playing tournaments and yet choosing to play tournaments even though they get bored and tired playing them, while there is a very simple alternative: don't play donkaments, play cash.

I will usually throw in some PLO cash while playing <5 MTTs/SNGs. If I have 5 or more tables going, I just focus on the tournaments.

To answer OP's question: If I am "bored" while playing poker, I am usually doing stock research and reading about the markets.

When I am playing at the tables I do nothing else but just sit on my laptop and play and make notes on the players at my table!!

Originally Posted by BelgoSuisse

I get that some people like playing tournaments. I mean, some people enjoy the slowness of it, or the fact they have to commit countless hours to them, or the low skill high luck factor once the stacks get shallow. I think that's masochism, but I get that some people do like that and that's fine.

What I don't understand is people complaining about those things that are inherently part of playing tournaments and yet choosing to play tournaments even though they get bored and tired playing them, while there is a very simple alternative: don't play donkaments, play cash.

I play both.

You wont know the actual time commitment based just off of the structure bc quality of play/style of play vary sooo much.

Inevitably you will be in a situation where you thought the structure would play out in X hours and it happens in Y hours surprising you. Yes, sometimes this surprise will not be a good one.

In no way does that mean you should simply eschew all tournament play for only cash play....that's as nonsensical as it gets.

I love cash, but all cash all the time gets wayyy too boring and monotonous for me. Especially if its all NLH....that game is not a super exciting one anymore.

Originally Posted by A2345Razz

I play both.

You wont know the actual time commitment based just off of the structure bc quality of play/style of play vary sooo much.

Inevitably you will be in a situation where you thought the structure would play out in X hours and it happens in Y hours surprising you. Yes, sometimes this surprise will not be a good one.

In no way does that mean you should simply eschew all tournament play for only cash play....that's as nonsensical as it gets.

I love cash, but all cash all the time gets wayyy too boring and monotonous for me. Especially if its all NLH....that game is not a super exciting one anymore.

I agree that mixing it up is a great idea. I find a lot of the MTTs still have very soft play and are extremely profitable.

If playing micro stakes with lots of fish you don't need to pay much attention til you get deep so usually I'll be watching tv or checking out threads on here etc. while playing. I'm not much of a multi-tabler but recently I've upped it from 4 to 6-9 and I find I can't really do much else other than focus on the games with that many running. Much prefer tourneys to cash.

I generally just play games on internet/pull up a few HU games.

When i am playing, i'm only watching the game if i'ts not a freeroll, you can pick up tells that you may of missed. It also gives time to put notes on players.

Originally Posted by woohoo sue

then she puts on this french m aid outfit and I'm all in...no wait thats what i do....ok sorry please continue...and please in the future keep mu trigger words out of your posts...lol

Lol
Then Sue puts on the french maid outfit, and everyone stops playing...

Listening to music... When the blinds are low I might also surf or read. Deep in, I focus on the game!

Originally Posted by BelgoSuisse

What I don't understand is people complaining about those things that are inherently part of playing tournaments and yet choosing to play tournaments even though they get bored and tired playing them

You have a point, sir. Poker players ought to be more logical.

I find it interesting that some people apparently have such short attention spans that they can`t deal with an online tournament, most of which are actually over pretty quickly. Compare live tournaments, where the good ones with the juicy prize money typically last three days or more.

Last tournament I played I also learnt how to dougy.

I'm reading with interest this thread but I am confused... most answers indicate "stay focused on the MTT"
Also most people - or at least lots of people multi-table big time.
How many tournaments can you effectively be focused on simultaneously?

Myself - I occasionally knit - lol
and c'mon guys - this is a challenge - you can do it too - YES YOU CAN
we girls learned a lot of "skills" that are supposed to be for the guys - (and I am not referring to poker.. but how about soccer/ hockey - )

If you are implying that we should learn how to knit, I am in.

Originally Posted by jordanbillie

If you are implying that we should learn how to knit, I am in.

And we got one brave man! Do we have more?
YES YOU CAN!

Originally Posted by fordman427

. What do you guys do durnung tournments?

Lately it's been a mix of sending vegasjj super long pm's &/or maxing my CC page to 400%+ to get a better look at 12345Razz's avatar!

Originally Posted by BlueNowhere

I generally just play games on internet like pulling up my HEM2 to check out how many bb's & Buyins I'm running below ev, while losing a few hundred HU games.

oh.. & FYP here ^

I normally put on a youtube video with some poker-program running while I play. However, I think one of the most important things becoming a good pokerplayer is to put your opponents on a range and analyze how they play. I keep an eye on what is going on, and I don`t only play my cards but look for tells and make notes along the way.

No way can I play just one game. it is boring. To the poster who said "we play for fun don't we"? I say hell no. I play to make money. For fun I go on a cruise.

So I pull up a dbl up SNG, or catch up on my emails. Or plug in "abcess" on youtube and watch a lot of neat gross stuff. Now THAT is fun!!

I have monkeyed around with a lot of different things while playing. I generally only do it in the beginning of freerolls or large field tourneys where play can be so erratic. I started watching shows on Hulu because if I just paid close attention to what garbage people were playing I was sooooooo tempted to open my range. Then I would end up just another donkey in the land of the four legged ATMs. Now I have found that my favorite is to either play a funstep if I am on Merge (which I always am, thanks Government) or I listen to stand up comedy on Spotify. I like the comedy because it keeps my mood light and it is broken up into "bits" so I can go in and out of concentration on it.

One thing I have been doing that I think has been unprofitable is to be playing both NLHE and PLO tournaments at the same time. Maybe as I get better acquainted with PLO it wont be a problem but right now it seems that changing gears is clunky at best. Anyone else experience that?

Sorry for the back to back posts but speaking of stand up comedy I listened to Bob Newheart's old stand up and now I have to steam clean my chair and get a glut-us-maxi-mus implant from peeing myself whilst simultaneously laughing my ass off. It's great you should check him out.

Originally Posted by TEG2300

One thing I have been doing that I think has been unprofitable is to be playing both NLHE and PLO tournaments at the same time. Maybe as I get better acquainted with PLO it wont be a problem but right now it seems that changing gears is clunky at best. Anyone else experience that?

Yah, I suck when playing two different formats at same time.

Originally Posted by LeanAndMean

I play to make money. For fun I go on a cruise.

I might have to use this as my signature for a while. Too funny!!!

I've have listened to the same 2 hour and 45 min concert on youtube for SEVERAL tournaments. One thing you can always do, while paying attention to the game, is have music playing. It's never good advice to say things you could focus on other than the game you're in. In the beginning stages of a long tourny I'm guilty of focusing on other things too. Sometimes tv. Sometimes some manual stimulation (haha..I hope i dont get in trouble for that) But the moral of everyones post I think is: 'Pay attention'

Masturbation reference ITT

I'll either have a long Youtube video playing in the background, something that I can pause when I need to decide on hands, or nothing, and just focus on the tables in a comfortable chair or at my standing desk.

I've found the standing desk makes me more alert.

Usually a sporting event on TV that I could care less about... or a half assed job search!

Why would you want a half-assed job ?