Translated with the help of AI. We apologize for any errors and would appreciate your help in correcting them.
In a recent survey conducted in our Telegram channel, readers themselves chose a topic for a new article. You all know that poker is a game that requires not only strategic thinking, but also high concentration, attention and the ability to quickly analyze emerging situations. Success at the poker table often depends on how well the player can focus on the hands and evaluate the actions of the opponents. In this article, I'll show you a few techniques to help you improve your concentration and focus while playing poker.
1. Attention and concentration
Let's dwell a little on the basic things so that you understand how and what works.
Attention is a cognitive process that allows you to focus and concentrate on something.
Attention is usually selective: that is, you consciously choose what to fix it on. Attention is developing in stages, but now very often there are people with ADHD (attention deficit disorder in adults) who find it difficult to keep their attention on one thing. This is a solvable problem that can and should be worked on, but in this article we will talk about the conditional norm when there is no ADHD or it is not strongly expressed. Concentration of attention is the retention of information about an object in memory. Poker also involves focusing on numerous aspects of the entire game process, so as not to miss important details when making decisions that will also come in handy for subsequent analysis.
IMPORTANT! Concentration is not constant! Switching is important for attention, and if a poker player has a bad rest and work schedule, he constantly spins hands and other aspects of the game in his head, then his concentration does not increase, but decreases. Therefore, for a higher concentration, it is very important to create a favorable environment for the game. Choose a convenient place where you will not be distracted by extraneous noises and movements. If you play online, make sure you have a stable internet connection and turn off notifications on your mobile phone so that nothing distracts your attention. During the game, try to be immersed in it, but do not take up all your free time with it!
2. How else can you increase your concentration
I would also like to recommend you techniques to use in everyday life, so that during the poker session you do not overload your brain with additional tasks. As soon as you have mastered each exercise individually in everyday life, try to modernize them and include them in poker. You do not need to include everything at once, but according to one of the most liked and mastered exercises. But their implementation as a whole is a must in everyday life if you want to succeed!
Focus Exercises
Focus on one object (notebook, calling-station, in general, any object you see) and keep your attention on it for a few minutes, scrolling inside and analyzing all the details that you can see, feel and imagine, and what else may be inside this object. Gradually increase the focusing time. This method will allow you to increase the volume of your concentration and will not take a lot of brain resource when you focus on hands.
Pomodoro Technique
Quite a popular technique, there is even an application for installing on a calling-station phone, which allows you to control the time and reminds you what exactly to do in what time interval. The essence of this method is to divide your work into intervals of 25 minutes, after which you take a 5-minute break. Then it is necessary to continue the work started. I wrote about such methods when I told you about self-regulation and its various techniques on the Telegram website and channel.
Meditation and Mindfulness
The best thing to do for a calm and clear mind. Practicing meditation or mindfulness helps to train attention, improve concentration, and reduce stress. Try to spend 10-15 minutes a day focusing on your breathing and incorporating visualization techniques when you are imagining something during meditation.
Attention Games & Exercises
There are a lot of them, both children's games – like puzzles, riddles, word games, and more adult variations of different games.
I would like to offer you the following:
- Inverted words. Just take and read a page from a magazine, book, calling-station – backwards. To begin with, practice, make a list of short and simple words and pronounce them in reverse: fish — abyr, table — lotus, etc. Then choose more complex words and train with them.
- Memorization of incoherent words. Write the first 5 words that come to your mind, pick up 5 more – completely different from the first. Now you have a minute to read this list and you need to repeat it aloud right away. During the day, try to remember the selected words (you can peek into the sheet with records at each attempt to count how many words you remember).
- Actualization of memories from the past. Your task is to find a photo or short video from your past (5-10 years ago, you can from childhood). Try to remember what happened that day, how did you feel? What did you do? Who did you meet from your loved ones on the day they were in the mood? As many details as possible.
Concentration on different sensory systems
Your task is to develop each of your feelings separately. Sight, smell, touch.
How to concentrate on the sense of smell.
Walking in the yard or walking through the park, pay attention to the smells around. It is very good to perform this action in spring and summer, when everything blooms and smells, but autumn and winter also have their own aromas. Try to distinguish how each specific attribute from your picture smells. Of all the fragrances, concentrate on one smell. After a while, your sense of smell will become more acute. Thanks to this, your brain will instinctively concentrate on odors, discarding all other thoughts and even highlighting only specific odors. This technique effectively develops attentiveness.
How to concentrate on internal processes.
Also, learn to concentrate on internal processes – for example, feel your body muscles, heart rhythms. Learn to feel where you have tension, this will allow you to adjust it in time and remove it.
These were exercises to develop concentration, and now let's move on to the poker side so that you can improve your results by applying your experiences with attention and concentration.
3. What you need to organize for higher concentration
- Develop a specific plan and strategy to which you will adhere.
Having a clear plan for the game allows you to focus on strategy and reduces the likelihood of making impulsive decisions. Define your goals for each game session: which hands you will play, what style of game you will choose and how you will react to the actions of opponents. When you have a plan, it's easier to stay focused and avoid distractions. - Regularly assess and analyze after the session.
After each game session, do an analysis of your actions. This will help you identify mistakes and understand how you might have done things differently. Keeping records of hand play and decision making also helps to improve concentration skills as you learn to approach your game in a meaningful way. - Take game breaks.
Remember to take regular breaks during the game. Prolonged play without rest can lead to fatigue and decreased concentration. Every 1-2 hours, give yourself 5-10 minutes to get up, stretch and rest from the screen or table. Different self-regulation techniques fit very well here, you can find them in the school's Telegram channel. - Regulate your physical condition and stamina.
Increase your endurance in life, learn to rest and relax even during the session to increase your strength and concentration. Take care of your physical condition so that you have energy in general. Remember that poker is a part of your life that is important to you, so you personally need to take care to allocate enough resources to it.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to say that concentration and attention are key factors for a successful poker game. By using the above techniques, you can significantly improve your skills and increase your chances of winning. Remember that, as in any other business, practice and continuous improvement play an important role in achieving success. Good luck at the poker tables!
