We all hear the stories of the wild parties and gorgeous women that follow the professional poker players from room to room. One can reasonably expect that success will certainly attract people from all kinds of backgrounds. The poker lifestyle is portrayed as one of complete luxury and self-indulgence. Perhaps that may be true from those players that choose it. However, the poker lifestyle can vary from person to person just as anything in life.
I have found that there are two kinds of people that play poker. There are those that are gamblers and therefore everything has to be about winning money from eating breakfast to playing monopoly. Then there are players that play the game but have interests outside of gambling that keep their lives in balance. That is not to say that one choice is better than the other but it does indicate that there are certainly people that cannot be happy unless they are tossing money around.
I have always tried to maintain a balance between playing poker and other interests that have nothing to do with the game. Playing poker constantly for hours on end can certainly be profitable but it also has a down side. Sure, you make a lot of money in the process but when do you get to enjoy it? Sure, we all like to party and have a drink or two to celebrate a great session or tournament cash but you can only go to so many parties and drink so many drinks. After all of the parties are over where are you at? Where is the fulfillment? Once you go on a bad run where are the friends? This is why you need to develop interest outside of the game.
One thing I believe all poker players should do is learn to be good to their bodies. A sound mind and body is conducive to playing top notch poker. Getting a regular workout each day helps to keep your body tuned and it also elevates your concentration at the table. Those are both very good by products of taking care of yourself. Spending family time is another activity where you can gain a lot of enjoyment from while being away from the game of poker.
Getting enough rest should also be high on your list of things to do away from the poker table. If you are going to be playing marathon poker sessions then you are going to need to get enough rest to remain effective at the table. I have seen players go for three and four days straight of playing poker before actually getting some rest. There is nothing wrong with that and obviously you are likely to be making a healthy profit if you have been playing for that long. However, your body still needs rest in order to function properly and the more you can get before you go into a marathon session the more alert your mind will be for the duration.
Lastly, eating right should certainly be high on your priority list. How many times have you seen poker players sitting at the poker table eating junk food or sugary food? If your experience is anything like what goes on in my local poker room you have seen this a lot. Sugary foods to tend cause your body to melt down. You go from being on these incredible energy rushes to having not energy at all and wanting to do nothing but get rest. That is not the kind of reaction you want to be feeling at the poker table. By eating meals with carbs, fruits and drinks with low amounts of sugar your mind stays sharp and it is easier to maintain your concentration for extended periods of time without feeling sleepy.
It’s not easy living the poker lifestyle but I hope that I have given you just a few clues to help enhance your life along with your game.
Curtis Mayfield III
