Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Recently I have been trying to play 2500 hands of Mid-Stakes NL during the day and also spend an hour at the gym. I have tried out a bunch of different schedules but I dont know what is best.

Originally my schedule looked like this

10 AM Wake Up

10 to 11:30 - Get Breakfast, drink some english breakfast Tea, Shower

11:30 to 1 PM - Play 750 hands or so

1PM - 3PM - Gym, lunch

3PM - 4:30 - Play 750 hands

BREAK

Rest Of day - try to get in as many hands as I can before I do something at night



LATELY I have tried to change this schedule by going to the gym first.

I have also tried to do the gym after I play all my hands...


What do u guys think is the best formula for energy, focus, high performance all-around etc

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Also what kind of things do u guys do during sessions to keep u alert?

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Hey!

My schedule is this:

8AM wake-up - protein shake

8'30 stretching exercises

9AM breakfast

9'30 Vitamin pack

9'30 - 11'30 POKER

11'30 - creatine

12 - GYM (protein shake just at the end)

13'30 - LUNCH (meat and vegetables)

14-17 - non poker related

17'30 - CARDIO (tennis / bike)

19'30 - dinner (fruit based, salads, low on protein)

20-23 - POKER (with fruits and juices)

Feel free to ask more!

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Why do u take the 3 hour break in the middle? Do u do this 5 days a week? Seems like u dont leave enough time for social activities during the week, but I guess that is to each his own.

Do u usually feel alert during your night session? Do u snack while playing? If so what do u usually eat?

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why do u take the 3 hour break in the middle? Do u do this 5 days a week? Seems like u dont leave enough time for social activities during the week, but I guess that is to each his own.

Do u usually feel alert during your night session? Do u snack while playing? If so what do u usually eat?

[/ QUOTE ]

I take the 3 hour break because it's after a high-intensity workout and a big protein based meal - lunch, and my mental focus i lowered in that interval due to recovery / digestion, so i don't find it appropriate for poker.

I go to the gym 4/7 and do cardio 6/7. I enjoy both very much. Related to social activites, i meet with friends every weekend, and some days we shoot some billiards in the afternoon (between lunch and cardio), and of course, tennis.
And yes, i do keep this schedule. I am very disciplined. Chaos in life makes me sad and i cannot do anything right without a schdule to follow. I rarely go to clubs. I used to have a very disorganized lifestyle until i reached an "i've had it" moment.
I'm 24, used to have a long term relationship (around 9 months) but i could not give her enough time so we split. I felt like she was standing in my way and slowed my progress. Maybe next year i'll consider a long time relationship.

I am very alert. I play 3 tables on average (3.2 PT multitavle ratio). Used to play 8, but after some consideration i had chosen quality to quantity.
I eat a lot of fruits and drink plenty of water and fresh juice during sessions.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Cool, I really appreciate your responses. What do u think about my schedule?

I often play 20 minutes after my lunch, is that bad?

I play 6 tables usually which I dont think I am gonna change.

Any thoughts on doing my workout first thing in the morning after a shake or whatever?

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

[ QUOTE ]
Cool, I really appreciate your responses. What do u think about my schedule?

I often play 20 minutes after my lunch, is that bad?

I play 6 tables usually which I dont think I am gonna change.

Any thoughts on doing my workout first thing in the morning after a shake or whatever?

[/ QUOTE ]
Your schedule is similar to mine (apart from waking up hour). You play after breakfast and GYM. If you find that you can concentrate after lunch and just play your A game, that's good. I cannot do that, and also do not wish to. I do brain relaxing / low demand kind of activities.
I told you i play fewer tables. I am focusing on increasing my W$WSF stat (improving my play postflop). I do table selection. When i played 8 tables i was more like a robot, so i couldn't take notes on players, couldn't win more than my fair share of pots and improved my game very slowly. My goal is to play HSNL asap so i can compensate for not playing very many tabels and hours.
But some players have no problems playing 8-12 tables. Good for them, congrats to you if you fall in this category. It's just not me.

I do not advice you to do workout in the morning. I spent a lot of time researching this and i found out it's better around noon. You can search for information, there's plenty out there. The main ideea is to be very energized when you hit the gym and leave wanting to rest [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

on an ideal day:

get up around 10:30

eat breakfast, put in about 1000 hands(4-6 tabling, usually 6)

run errands(grocery shopping, bank, screw around, etc)

eat lunch(about 2-3pm), put in another 1000 hands or so

hit the gym around 6:30-7pm or so

eat dinner around 8:30 then either relax at home the rest of the night or meet up with friends or hang out with some chick im dating

there are usually a couple bars or shakes thrown in there to where im pretty much eating something every 3 hours or so

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

I think you hurt yourself quite a bit by only playng 750 hand sessions. I think a lot of my edge comes from playing longer sessions with the same players and using information better than them. Particularly setting them up or getting them thinking certain things and then exploiting them. I would definitely try to play a longer sessions even though its a little more taxing and annoying.

Maybe get a few krumpets with your tea too?

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

I do MTT play so i end up getting up and playing 8 hours straight. I think i need to create a more strict schedule like you guys have because i'm starting to get lazy again.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

Bond first off I enjoy your posts in MTT...I really like grinding online MTT's in theory but the main reason I rarely do it is that I end up hating being tied to my computer with no option for 8 hours a day, day after day.

What kind of tricks do u use to keep your day more fluid? Maybe 30 push ups after every coinflip u win? 10 jumping jacks when u steal a blind with crap etc...? A bong hit when u double up...oh wait, wrong forum

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

I agree with JV...on a 'standard' day, I basically sleep as late as I can (normally no later than 930-10), then try to finish playing /gym by 7-730.

I really don't have a 'set' order, but normally 2 or 3 poker sessions with a lunch and gym or jogging break. Depending on my first session, I may be at the gym early/ or latter. I have tried the total number of hands per session thing and that just doesn't work for me. Sometimes I'm in a zone and play 2k hands straight and sometimes I cant play more 300 hands without being antsy and checking 'how many hands left' every 3 minutes.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

[ QUOTE ]
Bond first off I enjoy your posts in MTT...I really like grinding online MTT's in theory but the main reason I rarely do it is that I end up hating being tied to my computer with no option for 8 hours a day, day after day.

What kind of tricks do u use to keep your day more fluid? Maybe 30 push ups after every coinflip u win? 10 jumping jacks when u steal a blind with crap etc...? A bong hit when u double up...oh wait, wrong forum

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of all i just try to get some good sleep the night before to stay fresh. The long shift you just get used to, and i enjoy my work enough that it doesn't really bug me. Sometimes i get on skype and talk strategy with another player as well to prevent the boredom.

LOL at bong hit, what am i, shaundeeb?

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

7am: wake up, read news, shower, etc
730: breakfast- oats, tea, eggs, fruit...
8-11: morning poker session, 2k hands
11-2: workout, lunch
2-5: afternoon poker session, 2k hands
5-8: dinner, non poker related stuff
8-11: night poker session, 2k hands

this would be an ideal day for me. i actually find a nice fish-to-reg ratio in the early morning hours... first month out of school i plan to do a 150k hand month on this schedule, giving myself 1 day off per week.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

[ QUOTE ]
7am: wake up, read news, shower, etc
730: breakfast- oats, tea, eggs, fruit...
8-11: morning poker session, 2k hands
11-2: workout, lunch
2-5: afternoon poker session, 2k hands
5-8: dinner, non poker related stuff
8-11: night poker session, 2k hands

this would be an ideal day for me. i actually find a nice fish-to-reg ratio in the early morning hours... first month out of school i plan to do a 150k hand month on this schedule, giving myself 1 day off per week.

[/ QUOTE ]

coming soon ... burnout

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

[ QUOTE ]
coming soon ... burnout

[/ QUOTE ]
I see carpal tunnal as a greater risk than burnout. Burnout can be avoided by taking lots of trips and exercising and eating well and having a life.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

I have a 6 hour window from waking up to doing social [censored] for 4 hours of poker, 0.5 hour of study and 1.5 hours of gym. That becomes, wake up, go through hands/watch video etc for 30 mins log a session for anything from 1 - 4 hours depending mostly depending on how i'm running or how i'm feeling, then go the gym and then carry on after the gym to log the total hours. Then i do my final 2 hour session when the gf is in bed.

I like this way a lot.

Do that 24 days a month and use the other days to travel somewhere and i'm a very happy guy.

Re: Question for Pro Online Grinders
 

11:00 wake up, hit the gym for some cardio, eat
12:00-7:00 do errands, spend time with my kid, dinner, whatever I feel like doin.
7:00-10:30 work
10:30-11:30 strength training
12:00-3:00 work

I always drink a glass or two of hot green tea during my last session