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How focused are you when you play?
We've done this thread before, but since SO MANY more tournaments have popped up in the last 6 months i'm curious how you guys operate now.
How many tables do you play at the start/middle/end of your day? How many monitors do you use. How much attention do you pay to each individual table? Do you normally have a pretty good feel for each individual players style, or only when you get down to less tables? Do you use PT/PAHUD? How conscious are you of your image? How much does it affect your play? How many things are you doing outside poker while your playing? Things like browsing the net, talking on phone, AIM, watching TV/movie, eating, whatever else. How's your focus overall, anything else you want to elaborate on? Feel free to branch out from these questions. Cool, thanks |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
tournaments are easy, less focus is fine until about the third hour of most of them, later for some, earler for few others. in general, you dont' have to do much just read other stuff online and watch tv until the final three tables or something.
it's all about opporuntity cost, if i completely focused i might do 2% better, but the moargin isn't high enough for me to be doing other things bc they're so easy. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
i max out @ 8 usually
i use PT/HUD on stars tables, but im usually too retarded to get ftp working 2 monitors (1600X1200 and 1680X1050) 4 tables each I usually have AIM open and 2+2 minimized No tv/music. I do listen to music when playing cash though, but not donkaments Overall focus is usually solid when lots of tables, but meh with 1-3 tables |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
How high am I?
I generally will start anything $10+ that runs while I'm playing with no actual max but it's very rarely >10 just because not that many tournaments start. I do tons of other [censored], read 2+2, other internet sites, talk on AIM, watch TV, listen to music, smoke weed, etc. I don't use PT/HUD at all because I'm lazy. I have 4 monitors on my desk but I really only use 2 of them for poker and the others for other things. I'm not usually paying enough attention to get reads until the last few tables because I don't think it's really that necessary until deep. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
ill play as many tables as i can... one 17inch laptop, and music/tv whatever. Prolly should figure out a way to focus more, b/c i feel like im not focused and my play deteriorates. i think i might cut down on the tourneys i play and sign off aim when playing....
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
twelve tables, two monitors, pahud, 2p2, e-mail, music, radio, occasional movie, not focused, at all. autopilot ftw.
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
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We've done this thread before, but since SO MANY more tournaments have popped up in the last 6 months i'm curious how you guys operate now. How many tables do you play at the start/middle/end of your day? How many monitors do you use. Usually no more than 4 tables at a time How much attention do you pay to each individual table? Do you normally have a pretty good feel for each individual players style, or only when you get down to less tables? like nothing until later tables, unless I have notes from previous play with certain players. Do you use PT/PAHUD? no, should I? How conscious are you of your image? How much does it affect your play? I prob need to work on this, being more aware of my image I mean. Id say it has a very very small affect on my play. How many things are you doing outside poker while your playing? Things like browsing the net, talking on phone, AIM, watching TV/movie, eating, whatever else. AIM, 2p2 (when im not banned), eating sometimes How's your focus overall, anything else you want to elaborate on? Feel free to branch out from these questions. Im chatting and on 2p2 quite a bit I guess. But I make tons of notes so I feel like its pretty steady, maybe like an 8/10 Cool, thanks [/ QUOTE ] |
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
[ QUOTE ]
http://www.roflcat.com/images/cats/stoned.jpg [/ QUOTE ] LOL I love this picture and every time I see it I want to get a cat just so I can get him (or her) high... |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I'm not a full-time player, when I do play tournaments I play one at a time, headphones/music on usually.. I've got HUD/PT, but I've started not to use them when playing tournaments, I feel that they give me an excuse to be lazy and also the numbers make me do things that I wouldn't do if I was paying attention. (Some of the #'s aren't what they
seem, especially with players who change gears a lot) I do browse the net a lot and have msn open, something which I prolly shouldn't do |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
how many of you use PAHud for mtts? do you think it's vital (i.e. can you say that your results have gotten better specifically because of using the program?)
These days I try more and more to have 100% focus, and have headphones on, 4 tables per monitor and minimal browsing of other stuff, but idk it's kinda like 100% focus is not good for me because I've noticed that if I've been playing a session of total focus and then have gay things happen deep in a couple tournaments I'm more likely to get PO'ed and play may decrease in my other tourneys towards the end of a set than if I'm just chilling/playing and doing other stuff till like final 3 tables or so. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
Wow my god I couldn't play one tournament at a time... It's not just that I would get super bored, It's also that I would tilt so hard if I got sucked out on in my only tournament... When I am multitabling there are almost always a ton more that I'm in... (I usually play 6-10 at a time)
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
Completely focusing on 1 tournament while obviously difficult increases your ROI by at least 1000%. I would guess almost all online players are really bad at focus
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
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Completely focusing on 1 tournament while obviously difficult increases your ROI by at least 1000%. I would guess almost all online players are really bad at focus [/ QUOTE ] Also realize though even if we played only one tournament we still won't focus, instead it'd just be more reading online, watching TV, etc. because it's like... impossible to sit there and watch one table. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
focused more if i've just exercised and/or taken adderall
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
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[ QUOTE ] Completely focusing on 1 tournament while obviously difficult increases your ROI by at least 1000%. I would guess almost all online players are really bad at focus [/ QUOTE ] Also realize though even if we played only one tournament we still won't focus, instead it'd just be more reading online, watching TV, etc. because it's like... impossible to sit there and watch one table. [/ QUOTE ] ya, that and $/hr or whatever benchmark you use is more important than ROI imo.. plus, with MTT's, volume is pretty important since you'll be in a lot of suckout/coinflip situations.. I only play one at a time b/c I play them so infrequently so it's more of a fun, let's see what happens sort of thing. Plus people are actually more focused with a few tables than one as you mentioned, the mind does tend to wander a lot when making one important decision every 10 mins or so. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I play 8 tables, and use two monitors. No resizing. On my third monitor I surf the web/talk in AIM.
I think I have an extreme issue with concentrating within the first 1 1/2 hours of a tournament. once the antes kick in, I tend to focus more. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
4-5 tables, no PAHUD.
i listen to music and usually am pretty focused on the tables. i sometimes skim my email, 2p2, blogs, when im not getting dealt any cards. but more often than not, its just music and cards for me. i used to watch tv the entire time i played, but after i moved, i decided to not have a tv by my computer so i would be forced to focus more. i think it has helped my winrate. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
Since I'm an ancient (32), non-fulltime player (although still around 15-20 hours a week), I generally rarely play more than 4 tables, usually 3. I use a HUD and I'm probably too dependent on it, if a site updates and the HUD doesn't work I feel lost [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
I have two monitors, have the tables on one (24", non-resized) and web browser/IM etc on the other. Usually listen to music, feel like I play better if I do - easier to get in the zone. Hard rock and rap is the most usual style, although I'm fairly eclectic. Not concentrating is definitely my biggest flaw as a player - I'm just not interested enough. This gets better if I get a big stack/get deep obviously. Sounds like I'm about the same as ZBT, probably even longer. For some reason I lose a ton of focus after a big win. Once I get really deep, I don't start any new tournies and concentrate fully on that one. It's weird how my play just gets so much better once this happens - it's like another game entirely. On the FT I'm usually totally engrossed and fully concentrated. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I use two monitors and play up to 8 tournaments simultaneously. Try not to surf the web or talk on IM if I have more than 6 tables running. Select 2-3 tournaments to focus harder on...
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
fwiw, i should add that today i felt really focused until right around the 30 minute break. maybe it was earlier, whenever the T9 < KK hand happened. but i felt like i was really keyed in and making good decisions in the flow of the game, picking up the little things that sway close decisions, etc.
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
I'm on a laptop monitor so normally playing 4 tables max, but usually only two or three as I can never find good MTT's around the same time.
I'm generally going to be surfing 2p2 or trying to do some university work / research at the same time if I only have a couple of MTT's running. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
my most profitable month was when i was playing 10-15 tables starting everything 20r+ 100fo+ from 3pm - 9pm est. (3am local time).
I put in huge volume, maybe playing 30-40 tourneys a session which lasted for maybe 12 hours and made loads of cash. Was fully focused the whole time, loving every second. This became really draining tho, i would fine that i hated the early few hours where i was playing 15 tables +. I started tilting easily by making mistakes because of too many tables. Tilting early in the session = reciepe for disaster. Over the next couple of months my results were becoming worse and worse and my sessions becoming shorter and shorter as i couldn't maintain my focus. So i took a break, I've decided not to let what time tourneys start dictate my life also. If i feel like i'm up for playing then i'll play, if I’m not then [censored] what tournaments starting in 5 mins!! I hate qualifiy for a satalite and be forced to play when I’m not really up for it, so I rarely play sats where u have to play the tournament, unless I’ve decided previously that I’m going to be playing then (like the night before or something). With the WCOOP on, if i feel like getting up really early the next day (4:30am or 3am!!!) i'll play one, otherwise i'll just sleep in, its really not worth me getting up so early for a tournament unless I’m really up for it and able to play for hours and hours and hours and hours ;D. I’m even not thinking too much about Sundays anymore, yeah if I’m free I’ll play the big Sundays but its NOT the end of the world if I miss them which is definitely how I felt over the last few months. I'm also not starting tourneys for more then 3 hours now to help maintain my focus and really care about each mtt i play so that i'm pissed off when i get knocked out rather then "wanting" to get knocked out cause i got so many tables going and tourneys starting (sounds crazy but i felt like this some times). Just starting tourneys for a few hours gives you the chance to take a break (and eat!), get away from poker for a while then maybe play another shorter session later in the day. I think bond said a similar thing in his well… by the end of a long session I can get so drained by poker thinking that I need like a week or month off, but I sleep and the next day I feel really up for playing poker again. So playing the shorter sessions keeps me in the “up for playing poker” mindset during my session so I play my best. in off peak times i'm playing those $60 45man turbos constantly and the 18man $50+. to mix in a lower varience form off poker. In peak times i start reg'in for them for the next hour or so after i stop reg'in for normal mtt's. Gives me a few extra tourneys in the latter part of my session, that will finish at the same time as the solitary mtt I’m going deep in. Playing lots of turbos also keeps the action going in the mundain parts of mtt play (say if u just went out deep in one, and only have a few lowstake earlyish tourneys left). I also try not to play lower stake tournaments near the end of my session also. Idealy u want to start with lower ones increasing slightly toward the end of the session to maintain interest. This can be done by starting say 50fo+ 10r+ for the first hour. But by the 3rd hour just start 100fo+ tourneys or something. I dont do anything else while i'm playing apart from chatting in #hsmtt on irc (efnet). If i'm just in a few games its good to chat to peeps about poker and its better to chat with the same group then waste time chatting in the chatbox with randoms also. if i'm in a lot i'll just be awol there. If I’m not playing many tables at the time (start and end of session) then I’ll concentrate on the few tables I’ve got going fully. If I got 5 or less running then I will db my opponents to try and work out what level they are on. The less tables I’m running the more detailed my note taking is also. As poker is my job, I have to take it seriously so when I’m playing I’m “working” the whole time, trying to get every little piece of information so help me make the correct decision. Sometimes I get lazy, but when I’m most focused I maintain this my whole session.. I use PAHUD, I have also added some extra numbers, attempt to steal %, continuation bet %, fold blind to steal % and fold to continuation bet %. With a decent hand sample these numbers can be useful, but need to be treated with care obviously. Poker is enjoyable when your playing your best and winning. If your not playing your best due to lack of focus, poor game selction etc etc then it becomes less enjoyable, your results suffer etc etc and a downward cycle continues. Cash game selection is very important, but mtt game selection is often overlooked. I believe mtt game selection is really important to increase your $/hour, maximising the time your playing the perfect amount of tables while with playing your best at the optimum stake for you. Because of this I’ve spent some time here and there attempting to work out optimal game selection. I’ve even started to try and work out mathematical formula for it, but i get bored of these projects quite quickly, give up and go back to it a few weeks later or something. Also quantifying factors for game selection will prove very tricky. I only spent a few mins on it but heres what I have so far. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...election-1.jpg Right I went off on a big tangent in this post, hope its useful for someone. Pez |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I either play 9-10 MTT's at a time or I'll play 1-3 MTT's with 6-8 cash tables. I run PAHUD and only really focus in when I get deepish in the tournament. I have a 30" monitor for all my tables and a 21" monitor for 2+2/web surfing.
Some nights I focus more so than others. I think a lot of it just has to do with how tired I am etc. Unlike a lot of you guys I work and have a family so I tend to have a lot of distractions. I don't think it's a coincidence but I tend to run/play my best when my wife takes the kids and goes out of town for the weekend etc. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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Unlike a lot of you guys I work and have a family so I tend to have a lot of distractions. I don't think it's a coincidence but I tend to run/play my best when my wife takes the kids and goes out of town for the weekend etc. [/ QUOTE ] QFT. I can look back at my pokerdb and clearly see which nights my wife was out of town with the kids. -J |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I can barely handle 4 tables at a time [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Even with PAHUD. So usually it's just 2-tabling and reading 2+2.
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Re: How focused are you when you play?
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I think I have an extreme issue with concentrating within the first 1 1/2 hours of a tournament. once the antes kick in, I tend to focus more. [/ QUOTE ] |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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We've done this thread before, but since SO MANY more tournaments have popped up in the last 6 months i'm curious how you guys operate now. How many tables do you play at the start/middle/end of your day? How many monitors do you use. 6-8 seem to be going at any one time, 4 monitors How much attention do you pay to each individual table? Do you normally have a pretty good feel for each individual players style, or only when you get down to less tables? Not that much Do you use PT/PAHUD? not for tourneys How conscious are you of your image? How much does it affect your play? obv my image affects my play How many things are you doing outside poker while your playing? Things like browsing the net, talking on phone, AIM, watching TV/movie, eating, whatever else. I surf, I talk on aim a ton, I always watch tv, poker is way too boring for me to focus on it, I'll gladly give up EV to remain sane How's your focus overall, anything else you want to elaborate on? Feel free to branch out from these questions. my focus is nonexistant Cool, thanks [/ QUOTE ] |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I play around 16-18 tables at a time, so most of my decisions are instant. I have a Dell 30" and a Samsung 20".
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5752/p9180009ec3.jpg for my setup (LOVE vitamin water) . I don't use pokerhud and I don't concentrate very much at all. I have an LCD HDTV on the right that you can't see in the pic that is always on when I play. I don't think much concentration is needed in the beginning of tournies, tournies don't really start till the antes kick in. I can't just do 5 tables or I get too bored. Tournies are only really fun during the end stages. I don't really need to concentrate to win tournies really, it's all autopilot except for the end/middlegame, i play as high as the $150 and the $22r and it doesn't take much concentration to be honest. I also try to setup goals for myself, like i hit $20k I will buy a wii, or something like that to keep me motivated. I also have a habit of taking a few days off after I get a big score, I think this could be bad since MTTs are hot or cold. I think a take a break because once I get a big score, you usually just lose for a while, so that could be it. Once i'm stuck though, I want to play alot. That's all I can think of atm. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
This focused:
8======================D |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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This focused: |--| [/ QUOTE ] |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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This focused: |.| [/ QUOTE ] Also I f'ing edited Steves instead of quoting... ahhhhhhhh |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
Two table, even while doing so I chat and light surf. Right now I'm single tabling in class, like I do every tues/thurs. so I can keep notes, pay attention kinda-sorta and get a good game going by the time class is over hopefully.
But I seldom do more than 2-table. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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This focused: 8======================D [/ QUOTE ] hahaha |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
My details:
I play 6-12 tables at a time. I've got 2 monitors but aiming to get a 3rd. At the start of my day i tend to auto pilot a bit more but i still take a fair few notes, esp when i'm in the hand, and i check the mucked cards a lot and take a couple notes. When i start getting later in my day i give my tables more focus, but early i often read 2p2 or whatever else while playing. I don't watch TV but i often listen to music, and i only put AIM on when i'm down to a couple tables or something. I find AIM to be a huge hassle while trying to multi table. I use PT/PAHUD and in the early portion of my day, really rely on it for reads. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
Who needs to focus when you have PAHUD?
I'm not joking. |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
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Who needs to focus when you have PAHUD? I'm not joking. [/ QUOTE ] |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I 4-6 table on my laptop, without a mouse. I'm most comfortable with 4 tables, 5 tables is still pretty fine, with 6 tables I feel a little less focused and try to avoid.
I'm in my third year of college and this year I'm living off campus with five friends in a pretty sick house. So usually I'll lay on my couch and watch TV with some roomates while playing poker on my laptop. I also browse 2+2 and the internet, talk on AIM, etc. I also like to listen to music while playing. I also find that the more tired I am, the less focused and crappier I play. I also tend to get cranky and tilt when I'm tired. So I should probably avoid playing when I'm tired [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] |
Re: How focused are you when you play?
I should really get PAHUD. I typically feel like anyone who would use it to read into my plays would get tricked a lot though.
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