Focus is power

In the Karate Kid, the cult classic karate film, the grandmaster tells his pupil that “focus is power Daniel san”. This is also true in poker, the mental aspect to the game is extremely powerful. All professional players have absolutely amazing focus and can multi-task their attention in order to focus on more than one thing. This holds true at a casino or when playing poker online.
Not only must players stay attuned to subtle aspects of the game and other player tells and styles, they need to find things to do as not to get bored. Boredom is a big problem when you are playing smart and know that the only time to act is the right time – not too soon or a missed opportunity. The time in between those moves can be quick or drawn out depending on the card cycle.
Here are a few things to pass time while staying focused:
1. Reading – A newspaper is a great way to pass the time. Reading short and interesting articles keeps the mind active and always a player to stay connected to the game.
2. Music – Having an mp3 player loaded with great music adds a soundtrack to the game. The extra coat of paint provides another place for the mind to go without sinking into bordem and losing focus.
3. Stress Ball – A small squshable ball is perfect to keep the body and mind occupied in a physical activity that maintains focus and allows time to pass quickly.
4. Videos – (online only) Watching YouTube videos is a great way to pass time. The video ClB are typically short bursts of entertainment. This is the perfect amount of time to click on another screen and keep time passing quickly while maintain focus. There’s an endless supply of videos on almost every topic, so this will never get old.
The tips above are just a few ways of keeping your mind active and in the game without getting bored and making a bad move. Mistakes happen, but players are more likely to trip up when they loose focus and just act for action because the brain craves the activity and not because it was the right move. Finding the right type of distractive activity to keep you in the game is the secret. Each player should keep testing different things out until the perfect combination of activity is discovered.
Hope this was helpful and you continue to enjoy the game and grow your appreciation for poker.